The surface temperature on the eastern end of the lake is a mild 78 degrees to the start of this years boating season and the striper bite has been great. Water temps. are considerably cool for this time of year and has allowed for some hot fishing most everyday. The debris from mid April’s massive amount of rain we got has primarily hit the banks again for what is hopefully its final resting place until next years returning old lake levels of 720-725 ft. above sea level. The corps of engineers is currently trying to hold Cumberland at 700-705 ft. above sea level which is about 20 ft. above were it has been held for the last several years while repairs have been going on. This extra 20 feet is a blessing for our striper fishery that will hopefully keep us out of the danger zone come late august-October when water oxygen levels have diminished and the fish are deep in survival mode.



I’ve been catching fish this week off mostly planer board rigs with light weight set-ups ran 25-35 feet behind the board. Downrodding is also starting to produce if you can find a decent school of fish that will hold still long enough to drop on them. Right now the fish are comfortable, around 34-35 feet deep the water is a cool 58-62 degrees and the stripers really strive in that temperature zone. So don’t be afraid to go shallow on clay banks or points as lots are holding just as many fish as the deeper water right now. Most fish have made the run out of the major creeks onto the main lake but don’t be afraid to look at your usual major creek hot spots that usually held fish a month or so ago as there are still fish coming in and out of the creeks as well! They are a little harder to stay up with but the schools of fish seem to be larger in the major creek mouths than on the main lake. The action has been great lately early within the first two hours of daybreak but be patient and keep looking when your hotspot tapers off from the early morning bite.



Move around, keep fresh bait in the water! As usual alewives are by far the recommended bait of choice. Gizzards have been in the heads one day and the next they are roaming on a 30-40 ft. bottom and if you dare it’s not hard to find them in our abundance of a tree line now covering a large part of our eastern end’s banks. Good luck and good fishing! Feel free to call for a more up to date report.

* The photos here are not from this week. Peter grabbed some random photos to put on this first report.