Lynnville Lake Questions

Never fished this lake before and wanted to ask a few questions. I stopped in and saw the ramp Sunday and the people gave me a "Map" of the lake. Very distorted copy with hardly no information at all. Is there a better map that I can download or buy for Lynnville Lake somewhere? Co-workers told me it is an old strip mine pit that has some deep water but also some very shallow water. Any help on forage base, contour, and bottom is most appreciated. Wondering about the bottom in 15-20 feet of water, is it covered with moss or mud that a C Rig would not work or is it hard bottom? I saw a lot of cover on the bank and some islands as well that looked pretty enticing come fall or spring but todays water temp has the BIGUNS deep. Ledges and deep water structure would be my best idea now. Any help you can give is most appreciated. I don't want anybodys honey holes just some general information that I can start with. I am sure I will idle around the lake the first visit or two to get a feel for the surroundins and if no map available start making my own.

Tight Lines

I would say that you might as well start making your own map. I've fished Lynnville several years and have never seen the map that you are looking for.

Your information is correct in that the lake is made up of old stripper pits. I think this area was stripped out in the fifties. The main channels are the deepest parts of the lake with the side bays being shallow. Be very careful in the side bays as you will come upon huge rocks that are just under the surface. I have no idea what the makeup of the bottom is in the deep channels but would assume that they are rocky. A few minutes with the carolina rig should give you an idea. In the shallow bays there is an abundance of grass. There is also an abumdance of 10 - 13 inch bass. Now and then you'll catch one larger but not often. I have heard about 5 & 6# fish being caught but have never seen one in the years that I have fished the lake. My best has been about 2.5#. But then I'm not the worlds greatest fisherman. The lake recieves a lot of pressure but it is fun to fish.......good luck.....

I suspect that most of the lake is composed of old spoils banks with very steep drops. If you look at the spoil banks you can see the old rocky shoreline and tell what it's composed of. The bottom is more than likley composed of the same type of material with some coal dust or muck along the bottom.

I dove in the pit with scuba tanks but it was just in the shallower areas near the present ramp area. There are houses to the West of the launch area. That area by the lauch ramp is pretty shallow generally and chock full of submergent vegetation. The area to the East where the Island are located has some deep channels and shallow water areas. I hooked a faily nice bass while trolling a Johnson Silver Minnow Spoon in about 10ft of water. The silver minnow was riding over the top of the weeds.

If you head North along the main channel from the ramp you come to an area with some housing and the channel spits and forms a "T" intersection. If you go to the right (East) I think it will go for about a mile or so and then ends up back near the state HYW 64 just bit East of the park entrance. That is back towards Lynville from the park entrance.

It's been many years since I really explored Lynville Lake. The area to the left of the "T" in the pit does not go nearly as far back.

Fish the edge of the drops where the weedline ends. That is where the bass will hang out in the summertime. They will be about 10 to 15 feet down patrolling the edge of the deeper weedlines.

Lynville Pit is older and thus should be much clearer than other newer strip pit. But it may cloud up after heavy rains.

The housing around the edge of the lake should provide some extra nutrients to the water (if you know what I mean) I am not aware of any sewer system serving those houses but that does not mean that there is not a sewer system. I suspect that those houses have septic tanks hopefully. Now sure what they have servicing the houses surrounding the pit.

My boat trailer is still bent where my old friend tried to lauch my boat into the pit and caused my boat trailer's right tire to sink deeper than the left tire. That bent the front bracing on my boat trailer and it's still bent all to heck. That was before they built the concrete boat launch ramp. So the lauching ramp is much better that it was 25 years ago when I first started going to Lynville. :)

I am not aware of much structure in the pit but there may be more than I know about. I suspect that the water quality is typical of most old strip pits and that it's not really condusive to fast fish growth rates.

I like Lynville as it reminds me of some Canadian Lakes with all the pine forests surrounding the lake and the many small islands.

Right before the big hurricane I went out to Blue Grass Fish and Wildlife Area and did a temperature vs depth profile of Blue Grass Pit out form the South Launch ramp in the 40ft deep water. I found that the thermocline was located at 16 to 17ft deep. It went from 26.2 deg C at 16ft deep to 24.0 deg C at 17ft deep. It was 31.5 deg C at the surface that day and the water temp dropped by less than 1 deg C for each 1ft change in depth until it got down to 17ft. That was the first level where the temp dropped more than 2 deg C in one foot drop in depth.

I figure that Lynville Lake's Thermocline will be very similar to Bluegrass.

But that was before all the rain. I need to get back out to Blue Grass and repeat my temp vs depth study to see if the thermocline has changed any with all the cooler weather and rain runoff into the lake.


Regards,

Moose1am

By the way: DO NOT, DO NOT get in the water on the Lynnville ramp. It is the slickest ramp I have ever seen. I stepped into the water on that ramp a couple of years ago to get my boat loaded and could not stand up. My feet went out from under me and I kicked the winch bracket on the trailer and it took 21 stitches to close up the gash. So my advice is to stay out of the water on that ramp........

Yea I hear you about the ramps being dangerous. The powers that be need to control the algae that grows on the concrete ramps. Blue Grass Fish and Wildlife's concrete boat launch ramps are the same way. I got my truck stuck on the ramp at Bluegrass Pit as my tires were spinning in the algae and I could not get the truck and trailer out of the water. I had to back the boat back far enough to get it the float off the trailer and at Loon's and Bluegrass's concrete boat ramps the angle of the incline is not sufficently deep or steep enough to get my boat off without getting the back tires of my truck in the water. The Algae is so slick that the rubber on the tires just can't get a grip. Why they didn't rough up the concrete before it set with a trowel or something is beyound me.

But they need to clean the concrete a few times a year to get the algae off.

I had to have some guy pull my truck out of the water. I ended up with my truck sliding back more than going forward and I had to stop and put the truck's emergency brake on and leave the truck in the water. I stepped out of the cab of the LONG BED truck and into about 6" of water. My back end was in the water and the exhaust pipe was covered with water. I was almost at the point that my motor would not run anymore. That is why I finally stopped the engine and put the truck in gear and set the brakes and got out seeking help. I could have been stuck there on that ramp for a long time that day. Luckily there was another guy there fishing along the bank and he offered to use his truck to pull me out. I was lucky that I had a thick long rope that we could use to pull me out. I went out and purchased a big heavy duty tow strap after that happened. I put that to use pulling my truck out of a ditch already. So I know it works LOL




Regards,

Moose1am

Thanks guys for the info. I have a Deep V boat that is very difficult to trailer unless I have a steep ramp. The one at Lynnville is very shallow and I was wondering if I would have trouble. With the slick ramp, I am sure I would. I was thinking of Lynnville due to idle speed. I hate to troll around a new lake trying to learn it but it looks like that is what I am going to do for some local fishing. Any suggestions to where a guy can go that has a ramp and dock suitable for my boat. I know there is the river but hear that is very hard to fish to catch a bucketmouth much less any BIGUNS. I appreciate the info on Lynnville and will try it when I can find someone to go with me to fish and help me launch. I don't know a sole here for just moved to Newburgh in June with my wife and son. Thanks again

Tight Lines

You won't have any trouble launching and loading at Lynnville. The ramp is steeper than in looks. I have an 18 ft Stratos and have no problem at all. And the ramps at Bluegrass are not nearly as slick as Lynville.

at work now so I cant give alot of info...

after you launch stay between the small island and the ramp, there is a large rock in the water on the other side of the island that will hurt your boat if your not careful.

as far as fishing tips youve figured out most of the obvious things. i can give you one spot that has been real good to me; back at the main channel T there is a shallow point that comes out about 30yds off the bank with the houses and this time of year is probably pretty weedy and easy to see. I have caught 2 real nice bass off this stretch of bank, 1 close to 6lbs the other about 3lbs. fish the dropoff into the channel with a work or jig. if you go to the far west side of the lake past where all the docks stop and through a small canal you get back in a small section of the lake that is really secluded and actually wraps back around the the left arm of the main T. ive had alot of luck back in that area and my buddy hooked into 2 nice keepers back there.

good luck

Fished Lynnville Lake Friday, Saturday and Monday from 3pm to Dark and Sunday morning from 5am to 11am. Never caught so many 10" Bass in my life. Except for 3 that were between 15 and 16" each and 1 nice 2 1/2 pounder, was wondering if there were any Bass larger than 10" in the lake. Tried several different ways to catch the BIGUN with no luck. C-Rig, T Rig, Jig and Deep Cranks the few ledges that I could find but never hooked a fish. Saw several different people pounding the banks with cranks and spinnerbaits but did not see many that were caught. I have a lake close to my previous house that is similar in all the overhangin trees so I tried a pattern that always worked there and it did in Lynnville as well. Tied on a White Super Fluke weightless on a spinning rod and skipped the bait back under the trees and around the brush. Any time there was water between the bank and the brush and I got the Fluke between the two, I got hit. Was such a pattern that I started calling my shots by looking ahead of me down the bank. Ended up with trolling motor on 5 moving from one pattern spot to another. I am just guessing but probably caught 60-70 Bass in the 10" range plus another 20 Shellcrackers that hit the same Fluke. Went thru 5 bags of Flukes in all. Tried all kinds of patterns in various places to catch a better quality fish but had no luck. These were my first trips to the lake and it looks like it will take many more to figure out where the quality is, if there is any in this lake. Hard to go from fishing Ky Lake regularly and catching quality 2-4 pounders on ledges with C Rig and good quality smallies at night to the 10" Bass Capital of the World. My guess is Spring and Fall will make this lake a pitching and flippin paradise for all.

Just a side note: I guess the No Wake Rule for this lake is for visitors only. If you live on the lake you must have full rights to run your Ranger or Pontoon as fast as you can and make as many wakes as you please. At least this is what I observed. Watched this guy with his older Ranger run up and down the lake fast enough to make the 2 girls in the boat with him laugh and scream. The same guy the next night yelled at another passing fisherman as he was going to fast past his dock and was causing a wake. Double Standard as far as I am concerned.

Tight Lines

Ok, all you guys come on out on Saturday, September 10th to Lynnville. We're putting on a tournament to benefit the Tecumseh Band Boosters. Take off will be 5:30am or safe light. Entry fee is $50, Big Bass $5 per person, and a $5 lake usage fee. So total for 2 people in 1 boat would be $65. We will pay back 80% of the pot and 100% of big bass. The 20% goes to the band boosters. Should be a good time, we've had lots of phone calls and it should be interesting what is weighed in. We're going to limit it to the first 50 boats. If you need more information call Randy Granderson at 812-937-4631.

Charlie

Elnutssmalljaws-
Would you like to team up at this tournament? My motor is still out of commission on my 16ft'er but would still like to get in on this tournament. Please let me know if you are interested.
You can reply here, email or give me a call at 897-8103 & ask for Adam. I can only get on the internet at work at the moment so a call would be best.
Thanks

Nevermind.... Gotta work Saturday