WATER CONDITIONS
The water elevation on February 12^th was 1001.3-feet, which is 7-inches lower than last Wednesday’s elevation. The water level is predicted to remain almost steady through Friday, February 14^th. The inflow is 4,330 cfs. Most of the reservoir is 38 to 42 degrees. The head of some of the larger creek embayments are mud-stained, as are the upper arms of the Powell and Clinch.
Moon phase: Waxing gibbous. The next full moon will be February 15^th.
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
Fishing pressure has been very slow. Striped bass and smallmouth are being caught, with spotted bass a distant third.
Striped bass and smallmouth have scattered across the lower end of the reservoir, holding in 20 to 35-feet of water where there are baitfish present. In the cold water conditions, both have been reluctant to hit unless a lure or bait is placed very close to them. Shad can be seen struggling in the cold water conditions; there is a die-off of some of these baitfish because of the cold water.
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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.

CRAPPIE
Slow
Good fishing locations in the head of the creeks have been frozen over. Catches were found on the main creek channels, downstream from the icy sections.
5 to 15-feet deep on the lower end, tight to brush and wood structure. Shallow in mud-stained creek channels, in main channel brush and downed trees.
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.
10 to 20-feet. Spotted bass are suspended and were being caught in areas where the shad/alewife die-off is occurring, on the main channels.
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, fished in the channels where baitfish are seen, or on the gravel/small rock bottoms at less than 15-feet deep
3-inch plastic grubs (Twister type) or swimbaits (Yum, Yamamoto), close to shoreline rocks on the main channels. Spinners took some largemouth on the rocks, but that catch was slow.

SMALLMOUTH BASS
Slow.
Main channel clay points and 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. Clay/mud points and shelves have produced at about 20-feet, bottom depth. Small hair or rubber jigs have worked in the Loyston area, deep on the humps or along the Big Ridge State Park and Girl Scout property shoreline.

Trolled umbrella rigs (3-hook restriction for each rod), or small soft plastic jerkbaits (Assassins, for example) casted into the feeding areas have taken breaking fish, depending on the depth fished. Float ‘n fly rigs are taking some.
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.

*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
Slow.
Surface, or 20 to 25-feet in mid-channel on the river arms and large creek embayments.

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. The fish have moved from the Island F section farther downstream, from Point 9 to Norris Dam. 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.

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.