Kentucky Lake Homes For Sale  |  Levels  |   Events |   Lake Cam

• Places To Stay
• Things To Do
• Fishing
• Boating
• Local Guide

Fishermen got a short reprieve on sweltering temperatures out there on Kentucky Lake but it was a short honeymoon.

Anglers best make the most of it. Dog days return early next week and the forecast is sultry.

Lower humidity and day time highs dipped a bit, delivering a touch of fall in early morning hours. It perked up mid-summer fishermen for a few days. Then, they got the long range forecast. That took the wind out of their sails.

After the brief cool spell our area resumes the battle with heat and humidity beginning Sunday, Daytime highs are forecast to rebound to the mid-90’s. If you’re watching the long range outlook best to shut your eyes and take a big sip of iced tea!

Highs next Monday are expected to reach mid to upper 90’s degrees. Tuesday’s forecast says a 100-degree day could be coming!

After that a slight decline to the low 90’s for a few days. It has been an endurance test out there for most mid-summer anglers.

As temperatures were rising lake levels have fallen the last few days. Elevation was 358.7 as this report was posted, which is down several inches since last week.

TVA has been pushing a large volume of water through Kentucky Dam lately---several days have seen in excess of 50,000 cubic feet per second---as abundant thunderstorms have dropped a lot of water in the region.

Surface temperatures are holding on to the 88 degree range. Water color remains clear.

Current has been flowing in the main Tennessee River channel as drenching rains delivered runoff across the entire TVA valley lately.

Catfishing has held up well despite the heat. Anglers are hitting the lake early and surrendering to it by midday if not sooner. The heat takes the fun out of the equation by midday.

Decent stringers are being caught by dedicated anglers braving the conditions. Depths of 35 to 50 feet have yielded decent numbers of blue and channel catfish.

With the current comes plenty of activity from schools of shad meandering about hot on the trail of threadfin and gizzard shad. The big balls of baitfish are attracting the cats. Find the forage and you’ll find the fish.

Most anglers continue to rely on nightcrawlers as the bait of choice. They’re the most consistent producers during the summer months by far.

Chicken livers, cut bait, big minnows and several commercial stink baits are worthy of consideration. Homemade concoctions consisting of red Kool Aid supplemented by big doses of garlic are the cat’s meow for scores of veteran catfishermen.

Not many anglers can find catalpa worms anymore but there was a time when this natural bait was considered one of the best choices. It appears herbicides and pesticides have had a negative impact on the once popular natural fish bait.

Meanwhile, best to keep your catch on ice in big coolers instead of relying on the livewell during summer trips. Fish will not last long in the livewell regardless of aeration when it’s this hot.

Night fishing has been in the cards for bass fishermen in their futile attempt to beat the heat. Tossing big spinnerbaits along rip-rap levees and out near main river channel sandbars usually pays dividends when current is in the equation.

Main lake ledges have attracted a few boats tossing big crankbaits, huge Texas rigged worms, big spoons, twister tail grubs and some finesse baits as they target smallmouth.

White bass have been taken along the main river channel up and down the reservoir whenever big schools of shad are present. On calm days the shad roam the surface, attracting the attention of schooling white bass.

Surface activity can easily be spotted. Anglers best keep rods armed with Rooster Tails, silver spoons and anything that mimics a swimming shad. Chrome colored topwater plugs that tear up the surface will get the attention of aggressive white bass too.

The white bass think the sound and action of a rapidly retrieved surface bait signals a feeding frenzy and they’re attracted to it.

There are a few folks who night fish beneath main lake area bridges using floating lights that attract baitfish. Sometimes this is a great technique to lure white bass, especially during the peak of a mayfly hatch.

Mayfly hatches are still underway. They’re hatching throughout the summer months, especially during thunderstorms. The storms seem to trigger the hatches.