WATER CONDITIONS
The water elevation on October 2nd was 1,013.23-feet, which is 1.7-feet lower than last Wednesday’s elevation. The water level is predicted to drop 1-foot by Friday, October 4th. The inflow is 685 cfs. Afternoon channel surface temperature readings are 77 degrees. Morning temperatures have been as low as 73 degrees. The reservoir is clear in most locations, including the heads of the creeks.
Moon phase: waning crescent. The new moon is Oct. 5^th; the next full moon is Oct. 19^th.
The Norris Reservoir biologist has provided the latest water quality report giving temperatures and dissolved oxygen readings. The September 3^rd readings can be found at
http://tnfish.org/WaterQualitySampli...TWRA_Negus.pdf
The latest stocking information for Tennessee lakes can be found at http://www.state.tn.us/twra/fish/Res.../stockings.pdf
To view photos and Google maps of all access areas on the reservoir, go to http://www.tnfish.org/ReservoirLakeM...eMaps_TWRA.htm or http://tinyurl.com/chm2ts9.
For the Norris lake elevation, inflow rates, and generation times, go to http://www.tva.gov/lakes/noh_r.htm.

SUMMARY
The fall drawdown continues. The thermocline has dropped to about 35-feet. Catches of smallmouth and walleye have come from that depth on the lower end of the reservoir. Below that depth, there may be little, to no, dissolved oxygen in many locations. Cooler water has also brought many fish to shallower water, with increased smallmouth and crappie catches coming from 20 to 25-feet. Topwater fishing is improving for largemouth at dawn. Extremely clear water may keep bass beneath cover or deep during daylight hours.
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SPECIES DETAILS

BLUEGILL/REDEAR
Bluegill: Good. Shellcracker: Slow.
Surface (a.m.), 15 to 20-feet deep (mid-day) for bluegill, on the bottom in coves or suspended along broken rock, steep banks on the channels. Early morning bluegill are hitting popping bugs well on rocky banks. Mid-day catches have come as deep as 20-feet on tightlined crickets on steep, broken rock banks. Crickets or mealworms have been best for bluegill, the bait tightlined or cast to steeper, broken rock banks where there is shade. For the larger ones, avoid using a float, but cast or tightline with sinkers to get the bait quickly to depth.
Shellcracker catches are slow, but the Loyston area is still providing some catches near the Mill Creek islands; most have dropped into water down to 25-feet deep, close to the bottom. These fish are hitting redworms or nightcrawlers but are scattered.

CRAPPIE
Slow. In the rear of larger creeks where there is brush on the channels and coves.
Best at night under lights on the upper river channels (above Pt. 31 and Pt.15).
20-feet deep on the lower end, tight to brush and wood structure. The Mill Creek to Loyston area has been slow. Lost Creek is fair above its confluence with Whites Creek. The Clinch channel above Sycamore Creek has had a few catches on main channel brush in the early morning.
Good lures: Tuffy minnows, small doll flies, mini tube jigs (red/white, blue/white) and 1/32 ounce hair or feather jigs tipped with minnows, Trout Magnets, or Slider grubs in a variety of colors. Historically good locations to try: Powell River arm channel from Point 15 vicinity to Earl’s Hollow. Davis Creek from its headwaters to a half-mile below Powell Valley Marina. Doaks Creek. Big Creek from Indian River Marina to Campbell County Park. Cove Creek above Twin Cove Marina. Mill Creek, Big Ridge Hollow, Lost Creek above its junction with White Creek. Poor Land Creek. Bear Creek. Flint Creek. Sycamore Creek. The Clinch channel above Point 31.

LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Fair at dusk. Better at dawn.
Topwater fishing is picking up with the cooling of the reservoir. Afternoon fishing is slow, but dusk is seeing some caught at about 20-feet. Fish very tight to cover with spinners, plastic worms, or lizards fished with a slow drop. Buzz baits have taken some largemouth at night and at dawn in the coves or very close to main channel banks.
Top three producers remain: Pig’n Jigs, plastic worms or lizards, or Brush Hogs. Some have hit Carolina rigged plastic worms or lizards on the bottom near shallow, flooded brush or on the gently sloping points down to 20 feet. The water is clear, so fish very tight to cover.
Good lures have been: Carolina or Texas-rigged Finesse/Slider worms or 7-inch Zoom swimtail worms, or plastic lizards in any shade of watermelon or pumpkin. The Zoom worms, Brush Hogs, or Baby Brush Hogs in varieties of watermelon and pumpkin colors are still working well. Willow leaf spinners, soft jerk baits, buzz baits, and small topwater plugs cast tight to the flooded brush are catching some nice largemouth and spotted bass when placed close to cover.

SMALLMOUTH BASS
Moderate deep, slow shallow.
Drawdown periods have seen increased hits along the points which extend into the main channel. Catches continue along humps and ledges with deep plugs, jigs, pig’n jigs, or Gitzits or Brush Hogs down to 25 to 30-feet deep.
Slow-rolled spinners have taken some on moderately sloped banks at night, on the main channel. Trolled plugs, or pig ‘n jigs fished deep on 25 to 30-foot deep shelf drop-offs are taking a good number of smallmouth on some days.
The water remains clear, with up to 10-feet of visibility. Light, low-vis line, and keeping the boat as far from the intended fishing area as possible, is required if you’re going to fish shallow. Soft jerk baits and small plastic lures (Gitzits, Brush Hogs, Centipedes, Slider worms, etc.) Carolina or Texas-rigged 6-inch plastic Slider/Finesse worms, Zoom swimtail type worms, or lizards have taken fish on the ledges and humps, and far out on the points at 20 to 25-feet. Good colors have been any shade of watermelon, pumpkin, or red (or red flake).
Shiners fished at 20 to 25-feet on the bottom, on sides of humps and points have caught good smallmouth.

*REGULATION FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS: June 1^st – October 15^th, one per day, 20-inch minimum length limit. October 16^th – May 31^st, five per day, 18-inch minimum length limit.


STRIPED BASS
Moderate on lower end. Dawn is best.
Some of the lower end fish are moving upstream on the main channels or the larger creek embayments. Considerable searching may be required to keep them located from day to day.
20 to 30-feet in mid-channel on the river arms and large creek embayments. Surface feeding fish have been seen widely scattered across the reservoir in early mornings and late afternoons.
Striped bass activity has also been noted on the Powell near Heatherly Point and near Deerfield. Early surface breaks have been seen in the Loyston area, but they’re scattered.
Check the water quality report (link given above) to make sure you’re staying in depths with good dissolved oxygen and temperature in your fishing location.
Troll ½ to 1 oz bucktail jigs, umbrella rigs with trailers in pearl or chartreuse, or live bait (gizzard shad, shiners, or alewife) tightlined, or trolled with downriggers, to the depth of the forage fish schools in mid-channel especially across the points and humps.

There is a new, statewide hook regulation in effect. Read it here: http://www.eregulations.com/tennesse...s-regulations/

*REGULATION REMINDER FOR STRIPED BASS: April 1 – October 31, 2 per day, 15-inch minimum length limit.

WALLEYE
Moderate.
30 to 35-feet for most locations on the lower third of the reservoir, whether bottom fishing on the humps, or if trolling plugs for walleye suspended in schools of baitfish. Trolling long, thin plugs which imitate the alewife shape has produced best. Troll at the 30 to 35-foot depth whether using downriggers or fast trolling to get to depth. A few catches have come from 25-feet along humps and ledges.
Night jigging with spoons or Mann O’Lures is slow. Daytime trolling catches improved for those using spinner/worm rigs, but better results have come from Redfins, Model-A’s, Thundersticks, long billed Rebels, or equivalent plugs trolled through schools of alewife and along humps and ledges on the bottom as deep as 30-feet at mid-day. The quality of the fish caught has been very good, but numbers are low.

phs