Here is the fishing report from the TWRA:
Center Hill: Fishing is good. Water temperature is 62 degress; lake is fairly stable.
Bass: Lots of bass are being caught on top water baits and soft plastics while fishing shallow water with color.
Smallmouth bass: Several smallmouth are being caught on flat points on slim baits in 10 feet of water. Crappie: A few crappie are being caught on minnows around fallen trees in 5 feet of water.
Walleye: A few walleye are being caught above Pates Ford while trolling jerk baits in 10 feet of water.
Chickamauga Reservoir: Reservoir Conditions: Summer normal elevation: 682.0 feet. Winter normal elevation: 676.0 feet. Current elevation: 680.9 feet.
The water surface temperature is 64 in many areas.
Largemouth Bass: Some bass are spawning, most are still in deeper water close to the spawning areas. Lipless lures, jigs, and plastic worms are the most used baits.
Smallmouth Bass: No observations and almost no reports.
Crappie: Deep crappie can be caught in the large water secondary areas. Most are shallow. Minnows and jigs are being used. It doesn’t get any better than now.
Striped bass: Tailwater stripers are scarce. Most are downstream and those that are caught are not targeted fish.
Bluegill: Fish shallow water and areas close to shallow water. Crickets, wax worms and red worms are the best baits.
Sauger: Some tailwater sauger are being caught along with a few walleyes. A jig used along the main channel bottom is the best technique. The number of fish being caught is not great, but more than in previous weeks.
Catfish: Most catfish are shallow in the sloughs. Use meaty baits.
Dale Hollow: Fishing is good. Water temperature is 60 degrees; lake is rising.
Bass: Several bass are being caught on soft plastics and top water baits while fishing around shallow cover.
Smallmouth: A few smallmouth are being caught on slim baits on gravel flats in 10 feet of water.
Crappie: A few crappie are being caught using jigs and minnows in willow bushes in 2 feet of water.
Shellcrackers: Several shellcrackers are being caught on night crawlers in gravel pockets in 5 feet of water.
Watts Bar: Reservoir Conditions: Summer normal elevation: 740.5 feet. Winter normal elevation: 736.0 feet. Current elevation: 739.1 feet. The water surface temperature is 63 degrees in many areas.
Largemouth Bass: Shallow water, secondary points, and shallow ledges are the locations many bass are being caught.
Smallmouth Bass: Secondary points are target areas and jigs are being used. Several smallmouth are being caught.
Walleye / Sauger: Ft. Loudon tailwaters and jigs used along the bottom is the combination anglers are using to catch a few fish. 7 keepers is the most that has been observed.
Crappie: Shallow water crappie are being caught by tightliners and trollers. Minnows and/or jigs are being used. Several crappie are being caught.
Catfish: Most crappie are being caught while using meaty baits in the shallow sloughs or creeks.
Striped bass: Tailwater fish are sparse. Most fish are being caught in the mid lake.