Lake Cumberland back to 700

[mhall]

Summer pool is 723 and yea it gets flooded every spring, no doubt, been fishing Cumberland for many years. Here's the issue. They, THE CORP freak completely out eveytime the lake spikes now, and some with good reason. In the past with no Dam issues they would draw the lake sometime aggressively but not over the top usually. Now when it floods they open up everything they can within reason not to flood downstream but close to it get the water back down. This means opening the sluice gates and dumping all the very cold heavily oygenated water OUT of the lake. This has and WILL continue to hurt the fishery as the Stripes an Eyes can not take the stress and die. The sluice gates are on the bottom, dumping the good cool good O2 water out.

Guys don't down play this it's not the sky is falling scenario yet but it's alot more serious then some of you are making it sound. Research it and see if I'm not right??

[Jbyrd]

I agree Shimano. Fishing at the Big C last year was not very good either. It was the worst night bite for the stripers that many have seen for several years. When they get the dam fixed and let the lake come back to it's old self, maybe we'll get the lake back in good shape. I certainly don't want a drought, but we need a break from all this precipitation for awhile.

The reason the night bite was off last year wasn't population or water conditions ,level.... The shad spawned in the middle of the lake not on the banks . The trash was bad in the middle because of the rain in may. WE POUNDED the walleye last season , Best year ever and if I say how you won't believe me . Do you guys remember how the long neck cranes where setting on those logs all over the lake? They where there for a reason the shad where spawning on the logs floating out in the middle , We killed the eyes fishing a top water bait around the logs at night in the MIDDLE OF THE LAKE. Had to buy a new deep freeze because the one I had wouldn't hold all of them YUM YUM..........

[FlyLie]

The reason the night bite was off last year wasn't population or water conditions ,level.... The shad spawned in the middle of the lake not on the banks . The trash was bad in the middle because of the rain in may. WE POUNDED the walleye last season , Best year ever and if I say how you won't believe me . Do you guys remember how the long neck cranes where setting on those logs all over the lake? They where there for a reason the shad where spawning on the logs floating out in the middle , We killed the eyes fishing a top water bait around the logs at night in the MIDDLE OF THE LAKE. Had to buy a new deep freeze because the one I had wouldn't hold all of them YUM YUM..........

VERY TRUE, FISHIN...CATCHIN...OR NOT CATCHING...BUT ALWAYS BE FISHING ...Can't catch em from the couch...got to get on the lake (river).

Fish Long, Live Hard,
Gary

[bassmaster]

The reason the night bite was off last year wasn't population or water conditions ,level.... The shad spawned in the middle of the lake not on the banks . The trash was bad in the middle because of the rain in may. WE POUNDED the walleye last season , Best year ever and if I say how you won't believe me . Do you guys remember how the long neck cranes where setting on those logs all over the lake? They where there for a reason the shad where spawning on the logs floating out in the middle , We killed the eyes fishing a top water bait around the logs at night in the MIDDLE OF THE LAKE. Had to buy a new deep freeze because the one I had wouldn't hold all of them YUM YUM..........

Glad you caught them, we didn't go much but found them out there as well (hard to miss if you can hear). One thing though, "last years population wasn't down" is incorrect. We have had 2-3 years now of unusually high mortatility especially on walleyes in the summer months due to oxygen depletion. I think that most guys here know that there are fish there but how will this affect fish populations in the next 2-3 years? Not that we can do anything about it, it's mother nature but to say there is NO problem is incorrect. We just haven't seen the outcome of all this right now. Like I said there are fish there but if numbers of fish have died (and they have during the summer) then the population is down in relation to what it could have been. It certainly will be challenging over the next few years. I do know that my overall striper size has dropped somewhat this year compared to years past. Good numbers just smaller fish.
Good fishing, God bless, and see ya'll on the water,
Tim
bassmaster

[RICHYD4U]

It is a shame that the **** issue has caused the CL/CR's demise. If we have another wet year like last year ....well.....lets just pray that we don't!

-Rich

[green river time]

We have more rain coming in tonight its not looking good you guys lets go help out on the dam so its gets done faster lol

Have Fun and Be Safe GREEN RIVER TIME

[mhall]

Good post bassmaster, you are all over it.

[adam7456]

Way too much water coming in and the Corp can't keep up.

It looks like they might be having some turbine problems as well which is limiting how much water they can get out of the lake.

Last May when we got all the rain they were pulling at these levels: turbines 26,750, sluice gates 5,960, total 32,710 cfs.

Lately they have been running at turbines 22,900, sluice gates 6,460, total 29,360 cfs.

[peter]

Thanks. I did not spring night fish last year but I bet would have been throwing at the banks. I'll keep an eye to the middle if it is trashed this spring.

[Olgrey]

I do not mean to break the discussion about the high water in Cumberland, but I have seen the shad spawn and walleye mentioned before and was wondering when they normally spawn. Is it related to water temps, moom phase or something else. Thanks for the infomation.

[fishincreek]

I believe the "ideal" temps for the alewife spawn is 65, but they stat looking for those shale banks 58 -60. I like the new(dark) moon for fishing, but the shad will spawn in full moon. They also prefer calmer waters and boat traffic will move them.