Editor’s note: As we approach the end of September, the fishing across eastern Kentucky is as good as it has been all year. Water temperatures are falling back in the low 70s to start the day and according to the amount of sun on any given day, the temperatures are climbing. The main change in fish pattern has been the topwater bite. Buzzbaits and topwater poppers and chuggers are producing on all bodies of reporting lakes. Don’t put up your fishing gear just yet, get out there and have some fun! If you catch a good fish send me the picture, I will include as many as I can in the fishing reports each week. Please send us your pictures or story ideas to: trimmer308@windstream.net
Cave Run Lake: For the first time since cold weather, Cave Run has dipped a little under summer pool. The lake is clear. The Licking River and Beaver Creek are in good shape this week. Water temperatures have fallen to about 70 degrees with some fluctuations according to the daily weather pattern. We did see Algal bloom stacking up in some deep coves and the fishing in them was poor. Musky: Good and improving. As the water temperature begins to fall, the Muskie fishing has still been fair on the main lake and has been improving in the river. Fishing the heads of creeks in the low-light periods and along old weed beds have produced some good catches. Hot baits have been lipless crankbaits, some jerkbaits and in-line spinners. Square bill crankbaits have also been hot the past few weeks producing some good fish. Largemouth Bass: good. The water temperatures have dropped and the weather is starting to deviate from normal summer patterns. Fishing the first break in 12 to 15 feet of water has produced. The fish caught this week continue to be caught on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, and the big surprise has been the fish taken on topwater baits during the low-light periods. Smallmouth: Good to fair Smallmouth fish are always spotty on this lake; however, this week some good fish were reported caught near the dam area fishing spoons and lipless crankbaits at night. Crappie: Improving. These fish continue to hit small 1/32 oz. jigs dressed with twister tails or minnows along with roadrunner spinnerbaits; they have also been active casting small crankbaits near the shore-line. The fish have staged in channel trees and near weed beds and are starting to move up on points holding brush. Catfish: Good, fishing backwater areas with live bait. White Bass: We did get a few reports that the white bass has been jumping off and on. This is good new since the white bass kill. We are interested in hearing more from anglers having success catching white bass. Bluegill: Fishing have been hot but they are beginning to move off the banks and suspend near the first break in 10 to 12 feet of water.
Grayson Lake: The lake remains at summer pool. Both in the Deer Creek area and in the heads of Cliffy Creek we received reports of good catches. The water is 71 degrees. Bass: Good in areas where bass are migrating to points, and creek heads both early and late in the day. We also are getting reports of fish hitting chatter-baits this week fishing points and ledges. Like most eastern lakes, success on topwater baits in the early periods just after sunrise has been reported. Crappie: Fair to good, fish downed timber and brush in 14 to 18 feet of water. Jigs, live bait and small crankbaits have been successful this week. Some Crappie has also been caught at night under lights, fishing live bait. 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 10-12 feet of water. Catfish: Good, fishing live bait from the heads of coves near discharge areas along with bluegill spawning areas. Bluegill: fair. As they leave the bank for deeper water, live bait fishing the first break was reported to be the most successful method for good numbers.
Greenbo Lake: Not much has changed on Greenbo Lake this week, except daytime fishing is continuing to improve. Greenbo is clear and stable with some algal bloom being reported. The lake is near 75 degrees. Bass: Good, the bass are beginning to be more active during daytime periods as the water temperatures begin to fall. However, jerk-worms proved to be the best bait this week producing fair numbers. Blade baits and crankbaits also produced using bright color’s fishing points and flats. Fishing at night with plastic worms and bootleg jigs have also produced. Trout: Good using Berkley sparkly orange Powerbait rigged using a small treble hook with a split shot about six to 12 inches up the line. Catfish: excellent. They continue to be taken almost everywhere on Greenbo this past week. Fishing with live bait or chicken liver has produced good numbers. Bluegill: Fair, Bluegills are disappearing from the banks and are suspending in 10 to 12 feet of water. Live bait and worms were reported to be the most productive bait this past week.
Ohio River: The Ohio River has been stable for the last few weeks, we are still are having the problem of algal bloom. However, good catches continue to be reported. Below the dam, the lower pool was 13.05 feet while it was 13.16 on the upper side of the dam. The Ashland pool was 34.50 at mid-week; rain may impact the Ohio River this week. Some fishermen have complained that the river is low in some of the backwater areas making them hard to fish. Largemouth Bass: Fair to good. Fish have been taken near spawning areas and backwater areas along with the heads of some creeks using spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. We have also had some reports of fish being taken on topwater lures early and late. Some smallmouth bass continue to be caught this week using jig & pig baits fishing rocky areas. Some bass have been taken on ¼ ounce jigs. White Bass: Some white bass above the dam have been hitting blade baits and inline spinnerbaits. Look for schooling fish. Walleye on the upper side of the dam have been active fishing Silver Buddies (Blade baits) in the mouth of creeks and on weed covered banks.
Below the dam: Fishing below the dam has been improving, water levels are stable; The old standard method of twin tail grubs on ¼ oz. ball jigs is still the best producer of Sauger and Walleye. Fair, 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. Some Walleye have also been taken on crankbaits near sand bars and discharge areas. White Bass: Good, fishing inline spinners and blade baits. Look for breaking fish. We had no reports of Hybrid Striped Bass catches this week. Bass: Fair fishing spinnerbaits. Buzzbaits have also been productive during the low-light periods. Catfish: Good, using live bait in backwater areas. Minnows, cut-bait and worms fishing on the bottom have all been successful.
Yatesville Lake: Like the rest of the lakes in eastern Kentucky, Yatesville is stable at summer pool with water temperatures between 69-74 degrees. With normal water levels, the fishing is expected to continue to improve. Bass: Good, reports this week have confirmed that the bass remain in the summer pattern. Reported success has been fishing ledges using plastic worm and jigs; Bass have also been active very early hitting topwater poppers and buzzbaits as the sun gets on the water the fish have moved to deeper water. Some fish have also been caught fish ½-ounce jig and kickers in dark colors fishing points. We also had reports of some good bass being caught using large crankbaits fishing deep-water structure near pods of shad. Crappie: Good, some success has been reported using Road Runner spinners fishing the edges of flats in channel bends and old fish attractors using 1/32-ounce white crappie jigs or lives bait. We have seen some anglers improving their odds drifting across fish attractors using both live bait and jigs. Catfish: Good, fishing back water areas continue to produce using live bait and chicken liver. Bluegill: Good, fishing shallow area using live bait and 1/64-ounce jigs.
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