KY Lake Report 4/21-23

[Dave Stewart]

Thanks for the report. Wind has not been below double digits in so long I can't remember what it was like to go through a day without getting beat up or having to hide out of the wind. Despite these conditions, bass fishing has been good overall with some 6's and 5's in the boat as well as lots of bucks and just keepers.

Not sure where this is going reference water conditions.....record flood warnings are out all along the Ohio...lots of flooding here in the local area...we have had 6-8 inches of rain locally over the past few days and expecting 6 or more inches additional rain through Wednesday. The TVA is dropping the lake in anticipation of a big influx of water with the rains....they have had 9-10 gates open for a number of days now...they are projecting to drop the lake another couple of feet in their forecast over the next couple of days which would put the lake at about 2 feet above winter pool....that certainly would not help the fish that are on the beds at all, but luckily, I don't think the majority of the LM have spawned yet because my best patterns have still been on staging locations over the past week.

Bottom line here is we are all just gonna have to wait and see what the near future brings...one thing for sure, we need to keep a lot of folks in our prayers right now....lots of folks have received a lot of damage and lost a lot in these storms and high waters and it looks as though there will be more.

[lilmule]

Most of the rain has been goingjust to the north ,Benten where Dave is at has had twice as much as me,and just above him twice as much as he has so most has missed us or the bulk of it.
Gates are wide open,have been for awhile,lake with some rain raises and if you catch it at 357 or 358 going up next day at 358=359 is a decent bite,day after when they **** it down a ft and a half it plain *****.
Many largies are shallow,spawning tend to shut down some move out a tad,most get super spooky.Backs of bays im in are past 70 f,but shallow westerly bays.
A great deal of the vegetation south of me around newjohnsonville appears to be late in coming,there are some rhumors that it got sprayed last fall?

[Dave Stewart]

Vegation is late because of the early floods and colored water...was no spraying. I have never seen the TVA **** the bottom out of the lake this time of year like they are doing now, especially with record flooding forecasted on the Ohio River downriver from us.....you have to remember...Ky Lake is connected to Barkley so the lakes have to be relatively equal in levels...and there has been just about as much rain up river on the Cumberland as there has been here...and it has to go somewhere....just because there was not that much rain in the upper Tennessee valley does not mean the flood is not coming.

[lilmule]

I agree flooding plays a part,and that while most has been going north it is slowly getting more southerly and more wet,we arnt out the bag yet.
As for spraying they did spray the paris landing state park area,cove from swimming pool to main lake swimming area.Result was less american lotus in deeper water but not gone and some lilly pads replacing the lotus in shallower water,still thick in the back end.Beavers close this off so early in the season not accessable via boat.
At around same time they planted stakebeds,you are most likly correct about the main lake veggies,for some reason my neighbors pond which is chock full of lotus hasnt come up and its normally topped in late march,cold front?
Same thing down back end of birdsong not up normally is that is several hundred acres of lotus.Last years floods thinned it but didnt kill it.
And yes sucking the bottom out,does effect the bite.Kina figgure not only flood but major current hurts veggies,right now more than niagra falls is going thru hourly.

[Dave Stewart]

The spraying at Paris Landing State Park was well documented and even saw it on tv...not a big secret...I was referring to the rumor of wholesale spraying in the New Johnsonville area you indicated.....fact is that in these days and times, any wholesale spraying would be on Utube within a couple of hours...just the way it is in these times of video phones etc. We had good grass beds started last year in all the bays on the north end, but the big flood and muddy water took it out.

[Dave Stewart]

Here is the bottom line the way I see it reference Ky/Barkley lake levels later this week. The current water level at Ky Dam at 8:00 this morning is 358.66. The dam is currently spilling water at a rate of 188,799 cubic feet per second. The current projected water level for midnight Wednesday night is 356.06 with a spill rate at that time projected to be 170,000 cubic feet per second. That would mean the lake would be drawn down to 3 feet below summer pool (or 2 feet above winter pool) if the projection is correct. NORMALLY WE WOULD BE AT SUMMER POOL (359.00) on Wednesday.

Now, taking into consideration that the National Weather Service in Paducah issued a warning last night that residents along the Ohio River should start planning for possible "catastrophic" flooding by Wednesday. Record flood levels are forecasted along the Ohio River from Owensboro to Cairo, Illinois (where the Ohio joins the Mississippi) and could possibly exceed the famous flood of '37. The National Weather Service included in the statement that planning is already underway at the Federal Level if this record flooding does indeed occur which they say is more than possible.

Now, back to Ky Lake. Since all the water being released is adding to the flood waters on the Ohio between Paducah and Cairo, Il , and it is being projected that the lake is being drawn down to 3 feet below normal levels by Wednesday, it only makes sense to me that the TVA and Corps...actually the Corps takes over the flow of waters in these kind of circumstances....that they are expecting a tremendous amount of water to come into the lakes in the near future or they would otherwise not be adding so much water to the Ohio flood. No news here yet on projected lake levels after Wednesday...should be interesting.

Whatever happens, we need to keep a lot of folks in our prayers and for heavens sake, if you live along the Ohio River please keep abreast of flood warnings....this looks like it could very ugly soon.

[Bobby Headrick]

Dave in referance to water levels at Barkley remember that Lake Cumberland is 30ft over the working on the dam level and they have to get it back down, soon, they could be lowering both due to this influx also. Man is seems like every spring we have to fish the flood patterns. lol lol lol. Here on Barren and Rough/Nolin the parking lot patterns are starting to shine. They still not sure that Wolf Creek dam will hold, there has been reports that it has shook a couple times since these heavy rains. Is Cordel Hull and Old Hickory lake full also? Havent heard. Thanks

[Dave Stewart]

Bobby, not sure what the summer pool levels are on Old Hickory and Cordell Hull but Corps graphs definitely show both those lake levels are rising fast right now.

[Bobby Headrick]

Thanks Dave. They pulling C land hard and fast, I hope Barkley and Ky dont get blowed out this year.