08-26-2004, 04:27 AM
WATER CONDITIONS
Water surface temperatures have been in the lower 80's this week. The lake is fairly clear right now with good color to it. The lake level at the dam as of 12:00 p.m. Wednesday was 1,956.95 feet above sea level.
SUMMARY
Bass fishing is slow, but picking up some at night. The best times to catch a bass are first thing in the mornings of right after dark. Pumpkin color tubes or Texas rigged plastic lizards or worms are all that is really having any success. Some topwater has been effective on cloudy mornings. The brush and fallen trees seem to be holding a few bass, with some shallow flats off points also being a good place to look early in the mornings. The best notable action though on Watauga continues to be at night. A root beer colored pig and jig has been reported as doing well at nights in the lower end of the lake, with crankbaits picking up a few at nights in the upper end of Roan Creek and the Watauga River. Walleye fishermen have been picking up some nice smallmouth while trolling at nights with spoons and nightcrawlers. The docks at Fish Springs, Lakeshore, and Mallard Cove have been doing well for the Spotted bass on white flukes at night.
Trout fishing is still doing consistently well. Not much has changed in the last several weeks, with trolling picking up about 3-5 trout for each fisherman every day. The Lake Trout have not been showing up in numbers that they have been though. Trolling small watermelon color spoons or spoons with some orange in them continues to pick up some nice rainbows as well as a few bigger lake trout. The best time to fish these spoons is early in the morning, but several anglers have been catching fish all throughout the day. The lakers seem to prefer the late evenings. Trolling a chrome plug with a blue back has also been catching some nice trout. Most of the trout are being caught in the 60-105 feet range from around the Point 1 to Point 3 areas.
Crappie fishing is still slow, but a few more anglers are now out looking for them. Anglers should have the best success with small 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jig heads with white or chartreuse grubs, flies, or with just a live minnow fished in any fallen treetops or willow trees in Roan Creek or the Elk and Watauga Rivers.
Walleye fishing is really good right now. Several nice Walleye are being caught during the days or at night. The majority of the fish caught, especially during the day, seem to be coming from Roan Creek or from Lakeshore Marina down toward the dam. Trolling just below the Highway 67 Bridge in about 10-20 feet of water from early to mid morning with a Sutton spoon has been an effective method, as well as trolling with nightcrawler rigs with a gold Colorado blade or fire red Indiana blade at night or early mornings in Roan Creek.
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Water surface temperatures have been in the lower 80's this week. The lake is fairly clear right now with good color to it. The lake level at the dam as of 12:00 p.m. Wednesday was 1,956.95 feet above sea level.
SUMMARY
Bass fishing is slow, but picking up some at night. The best times to catch a bass are first thing in the mornings of right after dark. Pumpkin color tubes or Texas rigged plastic lizards or worms are all that is really having any success. Some topwater has been effective on cloudy mornings. The brush and fallen trees seem to be holding a few bass, with some shallow flats off points also being a good place to look early in the mornings. The best notable action though on Watauga continues to be at night. A root beer colored pig and jig has been reported as doing well at nights in the lower end of the lake, with crankbaits picking up a few at nights in the upper end of Roan Creek and the Watauga River. Walleye fishermen have been picking up some nice smallmouth while trolling at nights with spoons and nightcrawlers. The docks at Fish Springs, Lakeshore, and Mallard Cove have been doing well for the Spotted bass on white flukes at night.
Trout fishing is still doing consistently well. Not much has changed in the last several weeks, with trolling picking up about 3-5 trout for each fisherman every day. The Lake Trout have not been showing up in numbers that they have been though. Trolling small watermelon color spoons or spoons with some orange in them continues to pick up some nice rainbows as well as a few bigger lake trout. The best time to fish these spoons is early in the morning, but several anglers have been catching fish all throughout the day. The lakers seem to prefer the late evenings. Trolling a chrome plug with a blue back has also been catching some nice trout. Most of the trout are being caught in the 60-105 feet range from around the Point 1 to Point 3 areas.
Crappie fishing is still slow, but a few more anglers are now out looking for them. Anglers should have the best success with small 1/16 or 1/32 oz. jig heads with white or chartreuse grubs, flies, or with just a live minnow fished in any fallen treetops or willow trees in Roan Creek or the Elk and Watauga Rivers.
Walleye fishing is really good right now. Several nice Walleye are being caught during the days or at night. The majority of the fish caught, especially during the day, seem to be coming from Roan Creek or from Lakeshore Marina down toward the dam. Trolling just below the Highway 67 Bridge in about 10-20 feet of water from early to mid morning with a Sutton spoon has been an effective method, as well as trolling with nightcrawler rigs with a gold Colorado blade or fire red Indiana blade at night or early mornings in Roan Creek.
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