Eastern Kentucky Fishing Report

This fishing report was compiled for the week of Sept 30, 2014.

Editor’s note: September is coming to a close and we will soon begin to see our lakes start the fall drawdown. While some people see this as the end of the season, in fact, it can be the best fishing of the year. The fish are tanking up for winter and they become aggressive feeders. You just need to know where to fish, and we plan to help you. If you get a chance to catch some fish, send your pictures to: trimmer308@windstream.net. We will try to use as many as we can in print and online.

Cave Run Lake: For the first time all year, Cave Run Lake has dropped to just under summer pool. The water temperature is 72-76 degrees. The cool periods have improved fishing during the low-light periods with fish highly active during these early and late hours. Musky: Fair to good, as the water has cooled hot baits have been: topwater, crankbaits and in-line spinners. Largemouth Bass: Good, catches were reported this week using both crankbaits and creature baits in 10 to 15 foot of water. Some topwater lures have caught fish in the low-light periods. Points, weed beds and lay-down trees have all been hot spots. Smallmouth: Improving. We have had a few more reports this week of smallmouth being caught in the dam area. Fish shakey-head jigs and swim baits in the riprap area. Crappie: Good to excellent. These fish continue to hit small 1/32 oz. jigs dressed with twister tails or minnows along with roadrunner spinnerbaits. The fish are still positioned at the end of laydown trees on flats where the water is about 12 to 17 feet deep and near deeper water. Catfish: Fair, fishing from the bank and using live bait. Bait should be about one foot off the bottom.

Grayson Lake: The lake has been stable this week. At press time, it remained at summer pool. The lake has good color and has produced some good catches this week. This lake has produced better fish this year than it has in a long time. The water is 70-74 degrees. Bass: Good. For the last couple weeks, we have received reports of good catches on this lake fishing ledge areas and points. Use spoons, spinnerbaits and deep-diving crankbaits. Topwater baits have also produced fishing old road beds and points early and late. Crappie: Fair, fishing down timber and brush in eight to 12 feet of water. Jigs, live bait and small crankbaits have been successful this week. Hybrids: We continue to have some reports that the hybrid bass are active on the main lake; fishermen have been locating shad and then backing off and throwing swim-baits and big spoons. Fish have been in eight to 10 feet of water. Catfish: Good, fishing live bait from the heads of coves near discharge areas. Bluegill: Slow. The bluegills have been moving into deeper water some good results have been reported fishing red worms near the first break.

Greenbo Lake: The water temperature is 73-76 degrees, and the water level has been stable. Bass: Fair to good, fishing crankbaits and blade baits on points and near the dam area, topwater baits have been producing in the low-light periods in the same areas. Trout: Fair to good using Berkley Powerbait and small spinners or blade baits like the Sliver Buddy. Catfish: Good, fishing limb-lines and cut bait in the heads of coves. Bluegill: Slow, fishing live bait near underwater structure.

Ohio River: The Ohio River has been in good shape and unchanged this week. The water level is 34.06 ft., which is considered normal. Largemouth Bass: Fair and improving. Crankbaits, jigs and small spinnerbaits have produced this week fishing points and areas that hold weeds. Some bass have also been caught near discharge areas fishing blade baits. We also saw some smallmouth caught on the river this week using jig & pig baits fishing rocky areas. White Bass: Some white bass above the dam have been hitting blade baits and inline spinnerbaits. Look for schooling fish.

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: Fair, fishing inline spinners and blade baits. Look for breaking fish. We are also getting some reports of Hybrid Striped Bass catches using stick baits and live bait fishing near discharge areas. Bass: We are looking for some new reports on the bass fishing below the dam. If you get on the water help us out! Catfish: Good, using live bait near nesting sites. Minnows, cut-bait and worms fishing on the bottom have all been successful.

Yatesville Lake: Water temperatures have been in the 72-76 degree range, and the fishing has been improving. Bass: Some good catches have been reported fishing spinnerbaits, creature baits and crankbaits while fishing first break structure and deep-water points. Topwater action in the very early and just before dark periods have produced good results fishing points and timbered coves. Crappie: Good, 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: Good, fishing spawning beds and creek heads using live bait and worms. Bluegill: Slow, bluegills continue to be active fishing deeper humps and roadbeds. Worms, crickets, and small hair jigs have all been producing some results.