Lake levels have now reached winter pool levels, boaters are cautioned when navigating in unfamiliar areas, as shallow water abounds and can cause damage and injury. Lake levels are between 354-355 ft, which is 5 ft less than we see in the warm summer months. Flow rates have now slowed up, with TVA expecting an average of around 50,000 cfs flowing through the system. Water temps have now fallen below the 70 degree mark, and expect them to continue to fall this week.
Fishing hasn’t yet improved much, as stability needs to enter the picture. Bass anglers have been finding a few good fish this past weekend, with a 18+ lb stringer coming in on one tournament. Fishermen are still targeting the rocky banks where shad are present, especially with wood cover. Some topwater action has started, although most have been tossing shad like presentations over the rock bottoms. Crappie action has picked up a bit, with some good catches coming in from the mid-depth ranges of 10-12 ft, but the fish still seem to be on the move. Cooler weather will do nothing but improve the bite, as cooler water temps tend to concentrate the fish. Cat-fishing has been great, with a lot of small fish showing up in fishermen’s coolers. The fish seem to be holding in depths of 20-30 ft in large numbers. Find the fish with your electronics, look for large gatherings of fish that are holding close to the bottom, and present some night-crawlers or liver to them. The bite seems to be better early and late in the day.
Deer season continues, with the archery-only ending on this Friday, with the juvenile hunt coming up this weekend. Kids ages 6-15 can hunt, but must be accompanied by a non-hunting adult. Both must be wearing 500 square inches of hunter orange. Limits are 3 deer/day with 1 antlered deer/day. The antlered deer will count against the hunters 2 buck limit for the year. Muzzleloader season will start the following weekend, November 6-19th. Regular gun always starts the Saturday before the thanksgiving weekend.