• Chilhowee Lake Fishing Report - TN

    Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
    http://www.tnfish.org/index.html
  • Charles is a native of New Carlisle, Ohio and graduated from Bethel High School in 1977. He began his career with TWRA as a Fisheries Technician I at the Tellico Trout Hatchery in 2002. He transferred to the Reservoir Fisheries Unit in 2005 to work as a creel clerk on Fort Loudoun, Melton Hill, and Tellico Reservoirs. Charles is married and has two children. He enjoys fishing and working on automobiles in his spare t

  • Chilhowee Lake Fishing Report - TN

    WATER CONDITIONS
    The predicted water level is approximately 872.6 feet above sea level.
    The average surface temperature is in the mid to high 60’s.

    SUMMARY
    Fishing is starting to pick up and the smallmouth and largemouth are hitting better as the water temperatures start to climb. Bass are moving up to shallower water and chasing baitfish. One technique that is working is the wacky rigged sinko in shad imitating colors. Rocky banks and banks with submerged structure are holding more and more bass, both smallmouth and largemouth. Trolling slim bodied plugs like rapalas and other slim bodied minnow imitators is a good way to catch some nice smallmouth. Live minnows are catching some good numbers in about 17 ft. of water close to the rocky banks. Just a few reports of some Largemouth and Smallmouth bass being caught on shakyhead type lures with black and blue crawfish bodies, and a few being caught on the umbrella rig with minnow bodies such as the Money Minnow. Reports say most fish being caught around some type of structure like submerged timber close to deep water, and where creeks enter the reservoir. Water temperatures seem to be just a couple degrees warmer up in the creeks.

    Bass
    Improving
    3-20 ft.
    The bass bite seems to be improving and should continue to improve with the warmer weather and warming water temperatures. The bass seem to be holding close to submerged structure near ledges close to deeper water and near rip rap banks. Wacky rigged sinkos are catching some nice smallmouth and largemouth. Troll a rapala or another slim bodied minnow imitating plug and get down around 20 feet deep and troll about 1-2 mph or work the rocky banks with live minnows between 15 and 20 feet.

    Trout
    Improving
    12-20 ft.
    The trout bite is picking up a little and you can catch a few using the same techniques used on the smallmouth, whether it be trolling or using live minnows either tightlining or using a float.

    Bluegill
    Good
    3-10 ft.
    Bluegill and other sunfish are biting better. A small piece of nightcrawler or redworm fished with a single split shot or on a float at about 6-8 ft. is catching some nice sized bluegill. A small minnow imitating crankbait is another good choice. A slip float or slip bobber is a good way to find the fish as it allows you to fish shallow or deep with a simple adjustment of the stop.
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