NORRIS
FISHING REPORT
22
July 2010
WATER
CONDITIONS
The
water elevation is 1,018.2-feet, which is 1.2-inches lower than it was last
week. The water level is expected to fall 1.2-inches over the next two days.
The main channel surface water temperature is 84 to 85 degrees. Shallow
coves are as high as 86 degrees late on sunny afternoons. Most of the
reservoir has clear water, the only exceptions being temporarily stained
water at the head of creeks and along the clay shorelines following heavy
thunderstorms. The TWRA Reservoir Data Collection web site has the latest
water profile, including dissolved oxygen (D.O.), temperature, conductivity,
and pH, with readings taken every meter of depth from the surface to 30
meters deep. The profile includes the actual readings and graphs of
temperature and D.O. readings. The information is printable. Here’s the
link:
http://www.tnfish.org/WaterQualitySampling_TWRA/files/NorrisLakeWaterQualityProfilesJuly2010_TWRA_Negus.pdf
The
D.O. profile looks good in all areas sampled with the exception of water
below 30 feet deep in the vicinity of Highway 33 Bridge. At that location,
the D. O. drops to low concentrations below 30 feet deep.
SUMMARY
Many
of the fish which have been caught have come from the 30-foot depth for
those fishing the lower half of the lake. Upper reaches have produced fish
at a shallower depth. This is typical of summertime fishing in the
reservoir.
The
typical, summertime pattern continues – nights and early mornings being the
best times to fish. Three days with some cloud cover and rain perked up the
catch, slightly. There is no detectable change in the pattern since last
week. WALLEYE anglers should concentrate their trolling/jigging depth at the
23 to 30 foot depth range on the lower half of the reservoir. That is the
depth of the comfort range of walleye: 68 to 75 degrees. STRIPED BASS are
hitting at night and in the very early morning hours for those tightlining
live shad or jigging into suspended fish. Topwater action has slowed
considerably with the warmer water conditions. LARGEMOUTH BASS are hitting
in the shallows at dawn on plastic worms, lizards and Flukes. Buzzbaits and
topwater plugs are producing some topwater action. SMALLMOUTH BASS are deep
during the day. Night and early morning fishing with small spoons and doll
flies jigged to the humps and off the longer points are taking some.
Slow-rolled spinners are catching some at night. SPOTTED BASS have hit
lipless crankbaits, doll flies and plastic grubs. SHELLCRACKER catches
slowed. CRAPPIE hit early in the morning on deep water brush.
STRIPED BASS
Moderate
25 to
35-feet, depending upon the day, sunlight and barometric pressure.
Best
at night and before 9 a.m.
Tightline live shad or alewife, or jig spoons (Hopkins, CastMaster, or Mann
O’Lures) to 25 to 30-feet deep where suspended forage fish and striped bass
are located. Zara Spooks, or soft jerkbaits on surface feeding fish, but the
surface activity is limited to just before dark and at dawn, and is
intermittent at best.
Some
productive locations: Cove Creek, the mouth of Big Creek, Loyston Sea, Bear
Hole Bend vicinity, the channel from Point 19 to Boy Scout Hollow, Point 9
vicinity. See the link at “Water Quality” (above) to get the
temperature/oxygen/depth graph to help locate these fish. Most catches have
come from about the 30 foot depth before 9 a.m.
CRAPPIE
Fair,
better at night under lights.
Typical summer pattern:
3 to
5-feet deep in brush, or to 20-feet, on the bottom, at dawn and at night.
Early
morning fishing in shoreline brush, to 10-feet.
Fish
early in the morning; after the sun hits the brush, these fish are dropping
deeper and are reluctant to bite.
Night
fishermen are catching some under lights, on tuffy minnows tightlined to
various depths until the school is found.
Tightline vertically into the brush with small doll flies, 1-inch tube jigs
(red/white, blue/white) and 1/32 ounce hair or feather jigs tipped with
minnows. Tightlining or float fishing in the brush is producing all those
caught in the daylight.
The
better locations: Lost Creek, Whites Creek, Big Ridge Hollow, Davis Creek,
Sycamore Creek, Big Ridge Hollow, the Clinch channel above Point 30 and up
to Point 34, the Powell from Union County Dock vicinity to the headwaters.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Fair.
20 to
30-feet on points and humps.
Same
summer pattern:
Most
smallmouth are being caught deep, having spawned and returned to the humps
and moderately sloped main channel banks. Striped bass anglers, trolling or
tightlining live shad or alewife, are having good luck on smallmouth which
are suspended in concentrations of baitfish.
Use
small plastic worms or lizards on long sloping points, at 25 feet, and on
mid-lake humps at the same depth: Slider, 5-inch Senko, or 6 inch Finesse
worms, Berkley Gulp minnows, retrieved slowly on the bottom.¼ ounce black or
dark brown hair jigs, worked slowly 20 to 25-feet deep on the humps are
taking a few. Slow-rolling spinners down main channel banks were credited
with some catches on Cove Creek, at night.
Large
shiners and a single split shot, cast to steeper, broken rock banks and
allowed to sink to as deep as 20 feet have taken some smallmouth from Point
19 to Point 9. Use low-visibility line.
LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Moderate
Surface to 20-feet. Best at night.
Same
pattern: Night fishing along the main channel shelves, docks and gravel bars
near wood structure.
At
night, Lunker Lures or similar topwater buzz baits, ½ ounce rubber-skirted
leadhead jigs, or small plastic worms (Senko-type) cast to main channel
shoreline structure is working fairly well on most nights.
At
dawn: Surface to 15-feet deep in the back of the creeks and small coves off
the main channels where the water is warmer than on the main channel.
Try
buzzbaits and topwater jerkbaits in the shallow water near flooded brush,
especially early and late in the day if the section has clear water.
On
sunny afternoons, cast jerk baits, Flukes, plastic worms/lizards, buzz
baits, spinners, or Spooks into the shallows where there is cover and where
baitfish are present.
WALLEYE
Fair
20-25
feet at night, to 30 feet during daylight.
Shallow shoreline catches have slowed. Troll along the bottom with Jet Lures
tipped with nightcrawlers, Model 911 RedFins, Thundersticks, Long Billed
Rebels, or similar lures. Also, #6 spinners tipped with night crawlers and
decorated with a string of orange beads, fished with a 3-way swivel and drop
sinker.
At
night, under lights on shad or alewife cast beyond the lights. Mann O’Lures
or Hopkins spoons vertically jigged on the bottom at night, 20 to 25 feet
deep. During the daytime, fish as deep as 30 feet. Reference the
temperature/dissolved oxygen/depth graph found at the link provided at Water
Quality (above) to help locate these fish.
Good fishing from NorrisLakeInfo.com!!