• Norris Lake Fishing Report

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
    (423) 587-7037 http://www.tnfish.org/index.html phshaw@comcast.net
  • Paul grew up in Auburn, Alabama and graduated from Auburn High School in 1969. Before leaving high school, he began working in Auburn University's fisheries department on an experimental channel catfish cage culture project. After a year at the University of Mississippi (1969-70), he transferred to Auburn University, graduating in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fisheries Management.

  • Norris Lake Fishing Report

    WATER CONDITIONS
    The water elevation on March 12th was 1002.3-feet, which is 11.4-inches lower than last Wednesday’s elevation. The water level is predicted to fall 8.3-inches through Friday, March 14th. The inflow is 3.350 cfs.

    The upper half of the reservoir, and the upper halves of the large creek embayments have been stained, but are clearing. The slightly stained water is warmer than the clearer water found downstream. The river arms and most of the creeks are flowing in with clear, or lightly stained water. The Clinch is showing color from near Point 30 to the islands around Hickory Star. The Powell River arm is stained above Point 14, but is running in with clearer water. Water surface temperatures taken on the lower end, where the water is clear, had dropped to 44 degrees. Upper Cove Creek, Big Creek, Lost Creek, and Davis Creek are stained.

    The annual algal bloom is being seen in sections where the water temperature is near 50 degrees. Wind rows of the algae are appearing as brown oily slicks and streaks on the water surface, leading some to believe it is a turnover. The condition is harmless, and can be beneficial to fishermen. Fish may be shallower in areas where the algae restricts sunlight penetration into the water.

    Moon phase: Waxing gibbous. The next full moon will be Sunday, March 16th.
    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 return of frigid weather cooled the surface a few degrees. Good water color on the upper half of the reservoir provided good crankbait and swim bait fishing in rocky areas.

    Crappie catches improved in the backs of the large creeks. Striped bass catches improved on the upper end. Walleye were being caught in the shoals of the Clinch River arm and in a few staging areas farther down from Slate Creek on the Powell.

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    SPECIES DETAILS

    BLUEGILL/REDEAR
    Bluegill: Slow. Shellcracker: Slow.
    Bluegill catches are very slow. These fish are 15 to 30-feet deep. Catch them with crickets tightlined to depth on steep, broken rock. 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.

    CRAPPIE
    Fair, improving in the creeks.
    5 to 15-feet deep, tight to brush. Or to 20-feet on the bottom in mid-channel in the rear of the larger creek embayments. Troll jigs or grubs tipped with minnows along the bottom, or fish tight to brush early in the morning, or later if the water is heavily stained.

    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
    Good in stained sections on main channels and in the warmer, stained creek hollows.
    2 to 15-feet. Very close to the shoreline next to wood structure on rocky shorelines in stained sections.

    Medium to shallow-running Bandits or Norman crankbaits at less than 15-feet deep, fished parallel and very close to the rocky shorelines. Some on jerk baits and swim baits in the same areas. Tennessee rigs took some close to the rocks on steeper banks.
    3-inch plastic grubs (Twister type) or swimbaits (Yum, Yamamoto), close to shoreline rocks on the main channels. Willow-leaf spinners were working in the rocky shoreline areas.

    SMALLMOUTH BASS
    Moderate, improving. Same pattern.

    10 to 20-feet deep, close to the bottom on main channel clay and gravel points, and surface to suspended at 20-feet in the channels where bird activity is present.
    Clay/mud points and shelves have produced at about 20-feet, bottom depth. Small hair or rubber jigs and swim baits deep on the humps. Tennessee rigs (3-hook restriction for each rod), are working on gravel/clay areas and off the steeper, rocky shorelines on the lower end. Small soft plastic jerkbaits (Assassins, for example) or Spooks casted into the feeding areas have taken breaking fish, depending on the depth fished. Float ‘n fly rigs are taking some, but have been slow to produce on most days.
    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.

    *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
    Fair.
    Surface, or 15 to 25-feet in mid-channel.

    These fish are scattered and are hard to locate.

    Trolled umbrella rigs are taking most of these fish. (There is a 3-hook restriction for each rod). 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.

    Surface feeding fish activity has been hard to locate. 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. Recent catches came from Cove Creek (lower half), and on the Powell above Point 15.

    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
    Moderate
    5 to 15 feet, on the bottom.

    Troll or cast doll flies tipped with plastic grubs or night crawlers, or Long Billed Rebels, Thundersticks, Model-A’s, or similar lures along the bottom in pre-spawn areas. The shoals at Indian Creek (Point 34 and above) are starting to produce, but many are still downstream as far as Point 32.

    The Powell side is slow, but usually runs a week or two later than the Clinch run. Powell walleye are staging near Greasy Hollow and above, and to the run between Slate Creek and Earl’s Hollow access.
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