• Kentucky Lake Fishing Report

    Bass Buster Guide Service
    (270) 362-9987 http://www.kentuckylakeguide.com dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
  • "Specializing in Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Lake Familiarization, Tournament Preparation, and Technique Instruction"

  • Kentucky Lake Fishing Report

    Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 360.28 Surface Temperature - 78
    Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 360.60 Surface Temperature - 78

    Both lakes are about one and one half feet over summer pool and are on a slow drawdown. Kentucky Dam has been spilling at an average rate of 107,000 cfs today. Barkley Dam has been generating at an average rate of 17,600 most of the day today. The latest lake levels , current flows and forecasts for all the TVA lakes can be found at http://www.tva.com/river/lakeinfo/index.htm .

    We had good weather this week although we got our first taste of summer heat this week with two days of heat indexes over 100. A cold front passed through the area early this morning which will cool things off a little as post frontal cooler air comes in behind the front. The frontal passage brought with it some high winds today with lake wind warnings as the anglers that participated in day one of the FLW Everstart Tournament can attest made it tough to fish the main lake areas. The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 84 and low of 64 with NNE wind at 9. Saturday is looking good with a forecasted high of 90 and low of 71 with S wind at 9. Sunday's forecast is showing a high of 90 and low of 71 with a 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms. Next week is forecasted to begin with a high of 84, low of 70 with a 40% chance of scattered thunderstorms as another front approaches the area.

    The lakes are being drawn down back to summer pool levels after having reached a high water mark of two feet over summer pool due to heavy rains early last week and the TVA holding back water to assist in alleviating the flooding on the Mississippi river. I mentioned last week that the ledge fishing has been good and this good bite has continued this past week. Even with the high winds today, the first day weigh-in at the FLW Everstart Tournament showed two 5 fish bags over 25lbs and it took over 18lbs to make the top ten. Just as I mentioned in last week's report, bass are being taken on a number of different techniques including deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, spoons, spinnerbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and dragging football head jigs. Again, in my boat our most productive techniques were Carolina rigging, Texas rigging and dragging jigs.

    Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, slow rolled spinnerbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and football head jigs. Some Largemouth are also being taken around docks where fish are feeding on schools of fry. These fish are being taken on senko type baits, shaky heads and skipping unweighted finesse worms under the docks. Some Largemouth are also being taken in the backs of the creeks and bays, especially near vegetation and wood cover. These fish are feeding on schools of fry. Topwater lures, spinnerbaits, square billed crankbaits, Texas rigged creature baits and senko type baits are taking these fish.

    Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on main lake points as well as on old creek and river channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the creeks and bays. The fish on the points are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, finesse jigs, tube jigs and Carolina rigged creature baits. The ledge fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and football head jigs. I had more reports this week of some nice numbers of Smallmouth being taken at night on the east side of Kentucky Lake fishing rocky points and banks. These fish are being taken on large dark skirted spinnerbaits and tube jigs.

    Some productive lures reported this week are: Rebel Pop R in black/silver, Zoom horny toads in white and green pumpkin, Slong's spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, ABT suspending square bill crankbaits in sexy shad, Bag 5 square bill crankbaits in green gizzard shad, Strike King 5XD, 6XD and 10XD crankbaits in powder blue back with chartreuse side, chartreuse sexy shad and sexy shad, Rapala DT16 in parrot, Big Hammer swim baits in sexy smelt, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple on Carolina rigs, Charmer 10.5" ribbon tail worms in plum on Texas rigs, D&L football head jigs in Cumberland Craw, Perfect Craw and "oops" patterns, and Slong's football head jigs in Cumberland Craw (all with Venom and Net Baits green pumpkin trailers).

    White Bass: White bass are being taken along the old river channel ledges and sunken islands as well as on the humps and ledges around the mouths of the creeks and bays by vertically fishing with inline spinners and small spoons. Whites are also being taken by trolling inline spinners behind deep diving crankbaits in these areas.

    Bluegill: We saw the first good mayfly hatches this week and I had a couple of reports from Bluegill anglers that reported they had some good morning catches around overhanging trees near the mayfly hatches fishing with crickets under bobbers. This is a popular pattern with Bluegill anglers this time of year and even though I did not have any reports of someone working docks near hatches, this is also a productive pattern after mayfly hatches.

    Catfish: Channel Catfish are now being taken on the old creek channels in the creeks and bays and also had reports of some good catches on the main lakes old river channels. These fish are being taken on bottom bouncing rigs baited with shrimp and leech combinations and on bottom rigs with cut baits.

    If you are coming to the big lakes here to enjoy our great summer fishing, make sure you stop by these businesses for all your fishing and boating needs:

    The Cabin Bait and Tackle is located in Kuttawa on U.S. 62 about one mile west of the I-24/U.S. 62 interchange. The Cabin Bait and Tackle has a great selection of the latest in rods, reels, lures for you bass anglers and also a great selection of tackle for the panfish anglers to include live bait. You can also find a selection of bows and guns for the hunter as well as personal handguns in the store. The Cabin also hosts the a website where you can order all your fishing needs with free shipping on all orders over 50.00. Be sure to check them out at www.tackleexperts.com . The Cabin has a great delicatessen where you can get that early morning breakfast sandwich or enjoy a delicious lunch. Phone: 270-388-6440
    Fisherman's Headquarters is located in Draffenville at the U.S. 68/U.S. 641 triangle. Fisherman's Headquarters boasts a great selection of the latest in rods, reels and lures for bass anglers that are on the market, not to mention one of the best selection of high end lures and local custom lures we use here on Ky/Barkley lakes. You can find many of the custom lures you see in my fishing reports there including the Bag5 custom painted crank baits and jerk baits. Fisherman's Headquarters also has a really good selection of Crappie and panfish tackle featuring Wally Marshall "Mr Crappie" rods, reels, lures and line as well as live baits. Phone: 270-527-5938.

    FLASH: Don't forget to sign up for the Fisherman's Headquarters 3rd Annual Kentucky Lake Open Bass Tournament to be held on June 29th out of Kentucky Dam Marina. A pretournament meeting complete with BBQ will be held at Fisherman's Headquarters beginning at 5:30 p.m. on June 28th. Phone 270-527-5938 for more information.

    Jet-A-Marina: If you have a problem with your boat while you are visiting our great fisheries, let me recommend you have the folks in the service department at Jet-a-Marina check it out. These folks have a well known reputation for trying to keep our visitors on the water while they are here if they can possibly do so, especially you tournament anglers. Hopefully you will not need this kind of assistance but if you do, you can find Jet-a-Marina located on U.S. 62 in Calvert City, just a couple of miles north of Kentucky Dam. Jet-a-Marina also has a great showroom for all your boating accessories and check out the new Ranger, Stratos and Triton bass boats too as well as bulk oil at rock bottom prices for your engine. Phone: 270-395-4030 .

    LEDGE FISHING:

    Now is the time to make your reservations to learn how to fish the ledges. I offer a focused teaching trip on how to fish the ledges. This trip consists of a class on how to eliminate the water on your topo map before you leave home so that you can concentrate your time on only the highest percentage ledges while on the water as well as some time on the water to learn how to use your electronics on the ledges, set up on the ledges and learn the techniques used to fish the ledges. This teaching trip has been very popular over the many years since I started offering it as it will teach you how to go find and fish the best ledges on your own. To book one of these trips, all you have to do is give me a call or drop me an email to book one of my open dates.

    GUIDE SERVICE:

    For those of you that may not be familiar with my service: I am a full time catch and release bass fishing guide. I only guide for bass. I have been guiding for bass full time on these lakes for 16 years and bass fishing the lakes for over 30 years. I do not go out and fish panfish for 4 or 5 days and then try to guide on bass for one or two days. No one knows everything the bass are doing but one thing is for sure, if you only fish for bass day in and day out, you will have a lot better idea of what they are doing and also be familiar with all the different techniques it takes to be a successful bass angler. If you book with my service, you will have me as your guide and you will be guided in the comfort of a late model Z522 Ranger Comanche equipped with 2 Lowrance HDS 10's and top of the line tackle. I provide just for fun bass fishing trips, tournament preparation trips, focused teaching trips and technique instruction. If you are in need of a bass fishing guide give me a call or drop me an email.

    I have the following dates available for June, July and August:

    June: Sorry, I am booked up.
    July: 10, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31 (note: July 10 just became available due to a cancellation...call or email me to book this date or my other open July dates)
    August: A good number of dates still available, call or email me to book your trip.

    Make your reservations now for the fall season. Don't wait too long or you may not be able to get the date(s) you want.
  • Search Fishin.com

  • COE Louisville District
    Daily Lake Report
    More Lake & River info



  • Recent Articles