Eastern Kentucky Fishing Report

This fishing report was compiled for the week of April 8, 2014

Editor’s note: What a difference a week can make! Water temperatures have broken the 50-degree mark at all of our eastern Kentucky lakes. However, some streams remain just below 50 and should make it there by the end of this week. Trees are beginning to bud and the white bass and crappie are beginning to do move into their spawning patterns. The Ohio River remains muddy and success below the Greenup Locks and Dam is spotty. However, the rest of our lakes and small streams are on the march to spring success. Send your pictures to: trimmer308@windstream.net

Cave Run Lake: The lake has been holding steady this week at an elevation of 727.2 feet, bringing the lake to about two feet below summer pool. The lake is still stained but the upper regions of the river are in a little better shape. Water temperature is running between 50 and 53 degrees. Musky: Good and improving. Tubs, gliders, lipless crankbaits along with inline spinnerbaits have been seeing action this week as muskie reports have started pouring in. Largemouth Bass: Slow but improving. We continue to get reports active fish on points using jigs and A-rigs. Smallmouth: Slow, however, we did get a few reports of fishing being caught on crankbaits and jigs fishing the dam area. Crappie: Fair and improving fishing channels trees and deep-water brush using jigs and live bait. We should see some black crappie reports soon too.  Fish shallow areas near deep water drop offs. Catfish: Slow but improving fishing creekheads with live bait.

Grayson Lake: The lake has come up to just under summer pool. Improving conditions are beginning to pay off. The water is 51 degrees and stained. Bass: fair. Reports are encouraging as some fish were taken last week fishing a 101 pork frog with a ¼ oz. football jig. This pattern has also produced a few fish this week too. Hot colors were orange and black.  The fish wanted to hit the jig while working it on channel points and old road beds. Crappie: Fair fishing swim jigs around down timber and brush piles. Catfish: Slow fishing live bait from the heads of coves near discharge areas.

Greenbo Lake: The water temperature is near 54 degrees on sunny days but has been falling back into the low 50s or high 40s in the early mornings. Bass: Improving using blade baits and jig & pigs on points and in the dam area. Some fish were reported active on points. Trout: Fair to good using Berkley Powerbait and small spinners or blade baits like the Sliver Buddy. Catfish: Slow but improving fishing cut bait and live suckers.

Ohio River: The river has produced a few good days of fishing in the tailwater area of the Greenup dam. However, changing water levels have made it hard to catch the river in good shape. Most of this week the rains have kept it muddy. Largemouth Bass: Slow with little reports of activity. Crankbaits, jigs and blade baits should produce during this slow period. Below the dam:  Twin tail grubs on ¼ oz. ball jigs are the best producers of Sauger and Walleye using slow bump-the-bottom retrieves. Running a two-jig setup produces better strikes. One of the two baits needs to be a little off of the bottom. White Bass: Slow with few reported catches. Bass: We are looking for some new reports on the bass fishing above the dam. If you get on the water help us out! Catfish: slow.

Yatesville Lake: Yatesville water levels continued to stay at winter pool. The water temperature is near 52 degrees and the fishing continued to improve this week. The water has been stained. Bass have been showing up on points and areas near deep water. Jerkbaits, and jig & pig combos have produced some of the first fish this spring. Crappie: fair. Fish the edges of flats in channel bends and old fish attractors using 1/32 oz. white crappie jigs or live bait. We have seen some anglers improving their odds drifting across fish attractors using both live bait and jigs. Catfish: Slow, however, we did some of the first reports of catches this week fishing the backwater areas using live bait.