08-26-2004, 04:26 AM
[font "Verdana"][size 2]WATER CONDITIONS
The lake elevation is 1,016.5-feet, 1.4-feet lower than it was a week ago. The lake is clear in all locations. Surface temperatures are 83 to 85-degrees in early morning, rising to as high as 87 degrees by afternoon, depending upon location. Shoreline vegetation is flooded. The following is a repeat from last week's report, but the readings should not have changed significantly since then. The next set of readings will be in September. TWRA's Reservoir Data Collection department took readings on dissolved oxygen (D.O.), temperature, pH, and conductivity on August 3rd. Readings were taken in mid-channel at four locations. As the summer season progresses, a thermal stratification is forming. The upper level of the thermocline (where a fall in the water temperature is 1-degree C per meter of depth) is as follows for each location:[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Norris Dam: 20 ft/81.7degrees/10.6 ppm D.O.
Anderson County Park: 16 ft/82.6 degrees/9.2 ppm D.O.
33 Bridge: 13 ft/82.6 degrees/8.7 ppm D.O.
Flat Hollow: 13 ft/83.1 degrees/7.9 ppm. D.O.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Of interest to anglers is the depth below which the D.O. begins to drop to concentrations which are uncomfortable to most game fish:[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Norris Dam: 36 ft/69.6 degrees/2.9 ppm D.O.
Anderson County Park: 30 ft/72.5 degrees/3.9 ppm D.O.
33 Bridge: 20 ft/80.4 degrees/5.3 ppm D.O.
Flat Hollow: 26 ft/75.4 degrees/4.7 ppm D.O.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Go to www.tnfish.org for detailed water quality profile information, and for additional information on TWRA's Norris fishery.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]SUMMARY
There hasn't been much change since last week's report. The 30-foot depth (give or take a few feet) is where daytime fishermen are finding most fish. WALLEYE catches remain slow, for most anglers. The fortunate few have been able to take limits by trolling along the steep, rocky banks, along submerged hog-back ridges and on the mid-lake humps. BLUEGILL are hitting well at 20-25 feet. SMALLMOUTH were hard to find, as is usually the case during the hot, summer months. LARGEMOUTH are hitting top-water plugs and spinnerbaits at dark, and throughout the night. SPOTTED BASS were slow, as were CRAPPIE. Small STRIPED BASS are being caught at 30-feet near Point 9, from Hickory Star to Point 19, and on Cove Creek.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]BLUEGILL
Good. Surface to 25-feet Crickets, waxworms, nightcrawlers, red worms, popping bugs. Large fish hit near the bottom, on the rocky banks and in pockets off the main channel. Large bluegill moved into creeks and on the shelves in sandy areas, at depths of 15 to 20-feet. Small shelves along the rocky, main channels are good at this time of month. Crickets, fished with no float, but tightlined or cast to steeper banks near the base of flooded timber, or along the bluffs. Flyrodding with popping bugs is bringing a lot of action, but the bluegill caught will be smaller during mid-day. Larger fish are being caught on popping bugs for those out at dawn, before the larger fish go deep.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]SMALLMOUTH BASS
Slow. To 30-feet at night and dawn Small pig'n jigs, Bass Assassins or Flukes when shallow. Cast plastic jerkbaits, un-weighted, to steep rock banks where baitfish can be found. Small pig'n jigs cast to broken-rock banks and dropped to as deep as 30-feet. Submerged humps which are 30-feet deep. Shiners, fished deep on dropoffs and large-rock banks on the main channels. Carolina-rigged small plastic lizards, "Do-nothing worms," Slider worms, 1/4-oz. (or smaller) pig'n jigs.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Slow. Best before 8 a.m. or at dusk, near flooded vegetation. Small top-water plugs. Plastic worms or lizards, Carolina-rigged, on the gravel banks next to wood or boulders. Cast plastic worms or plastic jerkbaits into flooded timber and flooded tree tops. Smaller-sized worms or lizards (4 to 6-inch, maximum) are best.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]STRIPED BASS
Moderate to good. 10 to 35-feet deep off main channel points and in the larger creeks. Use large shiners or shad near the bottom, off clay/gravel points. Alewife, gizzard shad near the surface on drift lines, or downrigged as deep as 30-feet. Lost Creek, Point 5 to Norris Dam, upper Cove Creek and Loyston Sea produced stripers at dusk and dawn, but they were small fish.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]WALLEYE
Slow 25 to 30-feet, along rocky submerged humps and hogbacks. On sunny days: to 30-feet, on the bottom, or suspended at that depth if in schools of baitfish. Trolling with large Thundersticks or Mod.911 RedFins caught some nice walleye, this week, when trolled 25 to 30 feet deep. Troll chrome (or chrome and orange) bladed spinners tipped with a nightcrawler. Or jig Hopkins spoons or Mann O'Lures on the bottom where walleye are located. At night, under lantern light on shad or alewife.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]CRAPPIE
Slow. 5 to 25-feet, in the brush along creek embayments. Shallower in early morning. Once the sun hits the brush, it's mostly over for the day, unless brush in deep shade is fished, or the lure is fished much deeper. Small tube jigs, popeye flies, or minnows in the brush.[/size][/font]
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The lake elevation is 1,016.5-feet, 1.4-feet lower than it was a week ago. The lake is clear in all locations. Surface temperatures are 83 to 85-degrees in early morning, rising to as high as 87 degrees by afternoon, depending upon location. Shoreline vegetation is flooded. The following is a repeat from last week's report, but the readings should not have changed significantly since then. The next set of readings will be in September. TWRA's Reservoir Data Collection department took readings on dissolved oxygen (D.O.), temperature, pH, and conductivity on August 3rd. Readings were taken in mid-channel at four locations. As the summer season progresses, a thermal stratification is forming. The upper level of the thermocline (where a fall in the water temperature is 1-degree C per meter of depth) is as follows for each location:[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Norris Dam: 20 ft/81.7degrees/10.6 ppm D.O.
Anderson County Park: 16 ft/82.6 degrees/9.2 ppm D.O.
33 Bridge: 13 ft/82.6 degrees/8.7 ppm D.O.
Flat Hollow: 13 ft/83.1 degrees/7.9 ppm. D.O.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Of interest to anglers is the depth below which the D.O. begins to drop to concentrations which are uncomfortable to most game fish:[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Norris Dam: 36 ft/69.6 degrees/2.9 ppm D.O.
Anderson County Park: 30 ft/72.5 degrees/3.9 ppm D.O.
33 Bridge: 20 ft/80.4 degrees/5.3 ppm D.O.
Flat Hollow: 26 ft/75.4 degrees/4.7 ppm D.O.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]Go to www.tnfish.org for detailed water quality profile information, and for additional information on TWRA's Norris fishery.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]SUMMARY
There hasn't been much change since last week's report. The 30-foot depth (give or take a few feet) is where daytime fishermen are finding most fish. WALLEYE catches remain slow, for most anglers. The fortunate few have been able to take limits by trolling along the steep, rocky banks, along submerged hog-back ridges and on the mid-lake humps. BLUEGILL are hitting well at 20-25 feet. SMALLMOUTH were hard to find, as is usually the case during the hot, summer months. LARGEMOUTH are hitting top-water plugs and spinnerbaits at dark, and throughout the night. SPOTTED BASS were slow, as were CRAPPIE. Small STRIPED BASS are being caught at 30-feet near Point 9, from Hickory Star to Point 19, and on Cove Creek.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]BLUEGILL
Good. Surface to 25-feet Crickets, waxworms, nightcrawlers, red worms, popping bugs. Large fish hit near the bottom, on the rocky banks and in pockets off the main channel. Large bluegill moved into creeks and on the shelves in sandy areas, at depths of 15 to 20-feet. Small shelves along the rocky, main channels are good at this time of month. Crickets, fished with no float, but tightlined or cast to steeper banks near the base of flooded timber, or along the bluffs. Flyrodding with popping bugs is bringing a lot of action, but the bluegill caught will be smaller during mid-day. Larger fish are being caught on popping bugs for those out at dawn, before the larger fish go deep.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]SMALLMOUTH BASS
Slow. To 30-feet at night and dawn Small pig'n jigs, Bass Assassins or Flukes when shallow. Cast plastic jerkbaits, un-weighted, to steep rock banks where baitfish can be found. Small pig'n jigs cast to broken-rock banks and dropped to as deep as 30-feet. Submerged humps which are 30-feet deep. Shiners, fished deep on dropoffs and large-rock banks on the main channels. Carolina-rigged small plastic lizards, "Do-nothing worms," Slider worms, 1/4-oz. (or smaller) pig'n jigs.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Slow. Best before 8 a.m. or at dusk, near flooded vegetation. Small top-water plugs. Plastic worms or lizards, Carolina-rigged, on the gravel banks next to wood or boulders. Cast plastic worms or plastic jerkbaits into flooded timber and flooded tree tops. Smaller-sized worms or lizards (4 to 6-inch, maximum) are best.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]STRIPED BASS
Moderate to good. 10 to 35-feet deep off main channel points and in the larger creeks. Use large shiners or shad near the bottom, off clay/gravel points. Alewife, gizzard shad near the surface on drift lines, or downrigged as deep as 30-feet. Lost Creek, Point 5 to Norris Dam, upper Cove Creek and Loyston Sea produced stripers at dusk and dawn, but they were small fish.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]WALLEYE
Slow 25 to 30-feet, along rocky submerged humps and hogbacks. On sunny days: to 30-feet, on the bottom, or suspended at that depth if in schools of baitfish. Trolling with large Thundersticks or Mod.911 RedFins caught some nice walleye, this week, when trolled 25 to 30 feet deep. Troll chrome (or chrome and orange) bladed spinners tipped with a nightcrawler. Or jig Hopkins spoons or Mann O'Lures on the bottom where walleye are located. At night, under lantern light on shad or alewife.[/size][/font]
[font "Verdana"][size 2]CRAPPIE
Slow. 5 to 25-feet, in the brush along creek embayments. Shallower in early morning. Once the sun hits the brush, it's mostly over for the day, unless brush in deep shade is fished, or the lure is fished much deeper. Small tube jigs, popeye flies, or minnows in the brush.[/size][/font]
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