WATER CONDITIONS
The water elevation on December 11th was 1001.7-feet, which is 4.5-feet higher than last Wednesday’s elevation. The water level is predicted to rise 3.6-inches through Friday, December 13th. Heavy rains caused a rise of 4.5-feet over a two-day period, earlier this week. The inflow reached 26,275 cfs, yesterday, and has now decreased to 16,560 cfs. The river headwaters are running in high and muddy. The surface water temperature at Highway 25E’s crossing over the Clinch River was 48 degrees. The channel in the vicinity of the Highway 33 bridge crossing was 52 degrees. The surface temperature is 55 degrees from Loyston to Norris Dam, Cove Creek up to Twin Cove, and on the lower half of the Powell arm. The reservoir is clear in most locations until you reach the upper end where it is mud stained. Sycamore Creek was running muddy into the Clinch. The Clinch channel’s muddy water was heading toward Black Fox (Point 29) as the drawdown pulled the stained water into the reservoir.
Moon phase: waxing gibbous. The next full moon is December 17th .
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 quick rise in the water elevation, coupled with cold temperatures, kept most anglers off the lake. Jig pole anglers are finding good conditions for that technique: water in the low 50’s and reduced visibility in the mud-stained sections. Striped bass were being caught where the birds indicated the presence of bait fish. Most of the fish catching occurred on the Clinch arm. The elevation increase slowed catches for all species except for striped bass.

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SPECIES DETAILS

BLUEGILL/REDEAR
Bluegill: Slow. Shellcracker: Slow.
Bluegill catches slowed with the colder water. Catches increased in deeper water along rocky, moderately sloped shorelines. If you’re using live bait, fish with crickets and no float, and keep moving. Mid-day catches have come as deep as 15-feet on tightlined crickets on steep, broken rock banks or with crickets dragged along the bottom. Crickets or mealworms are the 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.
Afternoon shellcracker catches slowed since last week. For shellcrackers, slowly troll nightcrawlers, 10-feet deep on the bottom along sunny, gravel shorelines in the Loyston area and in the back of Lost Creek. 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 in the coves. Stained areas in the creek hollows are seeing catches as shallow as 5-feet.
5 to 15-feet deep on the lower end, tight to brush and wood structure. The Clinch channel above Sycamore Creek and from Greenwelch ramp to Point 30 slowed because of the rise.
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
Slow
Topwater to 15-feet.
Jigpole fishermen have taken some fish in the stained areas above Black Fox and toward Sycamore Creek.
The stained areas upstream have had better catches on crankbaits fished close to the rock and timber structure, close to the shoreline and in the timber stickups in the hollows. Where there are schools of baitfish, a fast, ripping retrieve with small X-Raps, Yo-Zuris, and small, slender jerk baits are catching fish when they’re shallow and feeding. Those lures fished deeper with a steady retrieve are catching largemouth when they’re feeding on deeper forage. Night fishing with spinners or hair jigs was producing fish in the dark of the moon.
Medium running crankbaits in crawfish or shad patterns, chrome lipless crankbaits, spinners, 3-inch plastic grubs (Twister type) or swimbaits (Yum, Yamamoto), are catching some largemouth and spotted bass close to shoreline cover. Some larger fish have been taken at 15 feet, on swim baits, smoke colored plastic grubs, and small jigs.
The Powell side, Davis Creek, and Cove Creek have produced the most spotted bass.

SMALLMOUTH BASS
Fair.
On the long points extending into the deeper channels, and on the edges of mid-lake humps at 20-feet.
15 to 25-feet on old timber and rock structure, and on transition zones on the shorelines. On sunny days, smallmouth were found suspended at about 15 to 20-feet. Crankbait action improved with shallower fish. Drop-shot rigged hair jigs or drop-shot rigged small Finesse worms; marabou jigs; tube jigs; smoke plastic grubs; deep running and medium running crankbaits; or swim baits are taking deep smallmouth off wood and/or rock structure. The better catches are coming on 4 or 6 pound test, low visibility line where the water is clear on the lower end of the reservoir. Night fishing with shaky head or other jigs, or spinnerbaits, has been good along the moderately sloped, rocky channel shorelines.
25-foot deep shelf drop-offs, humps, and long points are producing larger smallmouth.
The water remains clear, with up to 10-feet of visibility. Line weights of 4 to 6 pound test are taking the most smallmouth is clear water areas.

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

STRIPED BASS
Good.
Surface to 25-feet in mid-channel on the river arms and large creek embayments. On sunny days, they’re being found at 40-feet in the channels. Surface feeding fish have been seen widely scattered across the reservoir in early mornings and late afternoons, mainly in the channels on the upper half of the lake where baitfish schools are most numerous. Bird activity is good where baitfish are shallow.
Loyston catches and surface feeding continue to be scarce. Some good locations are Island F to Highway 33 Bridge; Straight Creek to Point 30; Cove Creek from Point 3 to Point 4. But if there are flocks of feeding gulls, striped bass are likely in the area, feeding on the same forage.
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: November 1st through March 31st, 1 per day, 36-inch minimum length limit.

WALLEYE
Slow
These fish have scattered for the winter and are hard to locate.
Troll at the 30 to 35-foot depth whether using downriggers or fast trolling to get to depth. At night, fish 10 to 20-feet deep along the shallow sloping banks where there are scattered large boulders, and off of the deep ends of old timber on steeply sloped shorelines.
Best 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.

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