WATER CONDITIONS
The water elevation on January 22^nd was 1001.0-feet, which is 1.6-feet lower than last Wednesday’s elevation. The water level is predicted to fall 9.6-inches through Friday, January 25^th. The inflow is 3,915 cfs. The afternoon surface water temperatures at the headwaters of the river arms was 39 degrees. It was 40 degrees in the channel at Highway 33 Bridge and 45 degrees in the head of a muddy Davis Creek. Loyston had 41 degree, clear water. The head of some of the larger creek embayments contain muddy water. Shallow coves have been covered with thin ice. There is some light stain on the Clinch arm above 33 Highway Bridge.

Moon phase: Waning gibbous. The new moon will be January 31^st.

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
Smallmouth and striped bass are hitting fairly well, despite cold water conditions. The best average depth for both species has been 20 to 25-feet when they’re in the channels. Cold water temperatures are causing more forage fish (threadfin shad, alewife) to stress and die, providing an easy food source for game fish. Anglers fishing where feeding gulls are located are catching fish. Striped bass, smallmouth bass, and spotted bass have been caught on the channels anywhere these baitfish are located. A slow presentation with smaller lures is working.
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SPECIES DETAILS

BLUEGILL/REDEAR
Bluegill: Slow. Shellcracker: Slow.
Bluegill catches are very slow. Mid-day and morning catches are being made at 15 to 25-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.
Shellcracker catches have been hard to get, most catches coming by accident by anglers fishing for something else. The head of Lost Creek has had some small shellcrackers caught from the brush piles. Mealworms or red wrigglers will work when dragged along the sunny, gravel banks during late, sunny afternoons when the shallower water has warmed.

CRAPPIE
Fair
In the rear of larger creeks where there is brush on the channels and in the coves, on brush or timber. Catches as shallow as 5-feet have improved on the main channels or in the larger creek embayments.

5 to 15-feet deep on the lower end, tight to brush and wood structure. Main channel catches on the Clinch above Sycamore Creek and from Greenwelch ramp to Point 30 improved with better water conditions. The section of the Powell arm from Point 15 to Earl’s Hollow has seen some crappie caught on main channel stickups and brush.
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 20-feet.
Spinners, medium running Bandits or Norman crankbaits, and smoke colored grubs (Twisters) at less than 15-feet deep.
¼-ounce doll flies (lighter colors) tipped with minnows or two inches of nightcrawler are catching spotted bass on the gravel/rock shorelines, on the bottom at less than 15-feet deep.

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 rocks on the main channels.
The Powell side, Davis Creek, and Cove Creek continue to produce the most spotted bass.


SMALLMOUTH BASS
Moderate. Same pattern.
Surface to suspended at 20-feet in the channels where bird activity is present. Smallmouth are feeding on tiny baitfish which can be seen schooling on the surface, or on fish locators at about 20-feet deep in the channels. Early morning hours are best for these fish. Striped bass fishermen are catching some smallmouths on umbrella rigs in the channels. (See 3-hook limit regulation.) Clay/mud points have produced at about 20-feet, bottom depth.

Drifted shad or shiners, topwater plugs, doll flies or small soft plastic jerkbaits (Assassins, for example) casted into the feeding areas have taken these fish, depending on the depth fished. Smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted bass are hitting spinners during the day and at night along broken rock, moderately sloped banks and near stickups in the hollows, especially on the upper half of the lake where the channels have more color.

On the long points extending into the deeper channels, and on the edges of mid-lake humps at 20-feet.
¼-ounce doll flies (dark green or gray) tipped with minnows are working well along the bottom, at less than 15-feet deep on gently sloping gravel and large rock shorelines, often far from shore where the slope is more gradual. Float ‘n fly rigs are working when the suspended fish are shallow enough.

*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 (in combination with largemouth), 18-inch minimum length limit.

STRIPED BASS
Good.
Surface, or 20 to 25-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, 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 improved with the arrival of colder water to that area. Regardless of the location on the reservoir, if there are flocks of feeding gulls, striped bass are likely in the area, feeding on the same forage.
Trolled umbrella rigs are taking most of these fish. (Read the 3-hook restriction on all lures.) 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 31^st, 1 per day, 36-inch minimum length limit.