Pickwick Lake, TN Fishing Report

Pickwick Lake

By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service Website www.fishingalabama.com

Impounded 1938

Lake level down 2-3  feet (varies with rain)

Water temperature mid 50's

Still, the early spring rain comes each week, keeping some creeks muddy and Pickwick lakes head waters stained-to-muddy on some days. Water temps remain low, but will rise soon with several days warming trend. The lower lake remains fairly clear above Bear Creek and near the dam. 

The good news is, this weeks mid March warming trend with weekend highs expected to be in the low 70's! Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass will soon go on a feeding rampage, right prior to bedding activities in April.

Low wintertime lake levels of 2-3 feet down, will soon be brought up, with Pickwick lake returned to full pool in April. A full moon on March 27 will show some smallmouth bass bedding.

Most largemouth bass will bed later in April with warm 70 degree water temps. New growing aquatic weeds, various wood cover, a stable lake level and all types of rock cover in shallow water, are targets now for big, and often shallow, springtime bass.

Deep bass will continue to gather up in the mouths of major feeder creeks, along river ledges and deep drops.

The mouths of small cuts and pockets on rock bluffs, along both creek flats and main lake flats, around islands and along rip-rap, rock lined banks will both male and female bass. But soon, many bass will go shallow to bed.

Shallow to deep diving crankbaits, lipless lures, swim baits, A-rigs, football head jig combos and big Texas rigged worms and lizards will entice Pickwick lakes somewhat sluggish bass, moving from deep to shallow water in late March.

Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! (205) 663-1504  Website www.fishingalabama.com

Thanks and Good Fishin' Reed Montgomery, Owner of Reeds Guide Service, "Guiding on all Alabama lakes for over 40 years"

Pickwick Lake by Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service Alabaster, Alabama Website www.fishgingalabama.com

With recent heavy rain the lake is very muddy, especially the head waters and feeder creeks. Water temps are 48 degrees.

The lower lake is the clearest, concentrate your efforts away from major creeks like Bear Creek. 

Next weeks mid February weather calls for cold mornings in the mid 20's with daytime highs in the low 40's. A good time to stay home until conditions improve.

Thanks Reed Montgomery

Pickwick lake is currently down 4.00 feet for winter pool. Nighttime lows in the 30's and daytime highs are near 60 degrees with rain expected later this weekend into Monday.

Last week's winter warming trend in the low 70's showed bass were biting good lake wide with water temps close to 60 degrees. Now cold nights have slowed the bite and cooled the water again in the low 50's.

But warming trends occur off and on all winter! This weekends highs in the low 60's!

All types of lures fool winter bass on Pickwick lake! When warm, topwaters like buzz baits, poppers, prop baits and zara spooks!

About anytime, both largemouth and smallmouth bass will be on bluff banks and they will hit jerk baits, small finesse plastics, jig combos and shallow to deep diving crankbaits!

Deeper bass can be found with good electronics holding anywhere from 5-40 feet deep along creek mouths, old river channel drop-offs and ledges, or along any main lake point, island, bluff bank or deep, outside river channel bend.

Jigging with small-bodied to long, slender-type jigging spoons in the 1/4 to one ounce sizes, along with 10 inch Texas-rigged worms and heavy, football head jig combos are good lures in and around Pickwick's deep water depths.

Also try swim baits, deep diving crankbaits and Alabama Rigs!

Thanks and Good Fishin' Reed Montgomery Owner of Reeds Guide Service www.fishingalabama.com Birmingham, Al. "Pickwick lake's oldest, professional -- bass fishing only -- guide service for over 40 years, year round!"

Pickwick Lake  / Tennessee River System By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service (205) 663-1504  Birmingham, Al. Website www.fishingalabama.com

Impounded 1938

------    Winter on Alabama's Pickwick Lake ------

Its a sure bet by the time you read this Pickwick lake report, winter will be showing its early arrival here in Alabama.

Although early November to mid December still displays many nice days in the 70's, there are always those dreaded cold fronts suddenly dropping the air temperatures, usually upon your arrival at the lake!

Most anglers planning any fishing trip in the Fall, Winter, Spring or Summer season's must deal with the elements and you never know exactly what the weather will be, until a few days prior to your long planned fishng trip.

So, make the best of it and enjoy!

* Pickwick lake's current conditions first week of November - Lake level down 3-4 feet. Water temperatures have dropped from last week's upper-60's into the upper-50's. Air temps have plungend too! November 5 displayed air temperatures near 80 degrees!

So for the rest of the week and November 10-11 weekend?

Sunny to partly cloudy all this week in the low-to-mid 60's. No rain after tonight. Highs near 70 degrees and lows in the mid-50's Friday and all this weekend, with night time lows in the low-to-mid 40's this week!

So now is the time...to go fishing!

Many of Pickwick Lakes aquatic weeds are now left high and dry due to lake draw down of 3-4 feet for winter pool. Still, whatever weeds you do find in the water, can hold some big bass refusing to leave the safety of their nice, oxygen-rich green, green grass called home.

After all, these bass have been occupying these weeds since this past Fall and Summer season! Whats still good is, they will still hit the same lures! Frogs, buzz baits, spinnerbaits are especially good on warm, sunny days when these bass actually bask in the warm, sunny and weedy shallows.

Can't find any weeds to fish? Well, you can rest assured there are plenty of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and some big striped bass to be had.

Some of these bass are found in more open water situations fishing with deep diving crankbaits, jigging spoons and other lures fished on or near the lake's bottom like Texas-rigged creature baits, big tube baits, ten inch worms and heavy football head jig combos.

Still, more shallow water oriented bass are found around wood cover like visible brush piles, trees, laying logs and around piers, boat houses and stump rows.

And always fish some type of rock cover (it holds heat!), like rock bluffs, boulder-strewn banks, rip-rap rocks seen around bridges and causeways.

Keep in mind this winter during warming trends; all of Pickwick lake's bass species can even be discovered (from mid creek to the far upper portion of major feeder creeks), along creek ledges.

Including the shallows found  along main lake flats, along deep rock bluffs and the points leading into the mouths of small cuts, feeder creeks and pockets.

Always try topwater lures during winter warming trends! Like walking-type Zara Spooks and Sammies. Or pop-r's and prop baits, even buzz baits!

Include fishing with some type of spinnerbait! Shallow to deep diving crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits and rattling lipless lures should be tried on every outing this winter on Pickwick lake! After all, you don't know, unless you throw!

On bottom? Its according to where your fishing! If your in Pickwick lake's headwaters featuring some very rocky shallows found just below upper reservoir Wilson Lake, then plan on bringing plenty!

Slack water out of the current shows far less hang-ups when fishing on the lakes lure-grabbing bottom.

Finesse worms, jig combos, Texas-rigged plastics like creature baits, big 8-10 inch worms, lizards, tube baits and crayfish imitations are great lure choices in winter for all bass species!

Swim baits rigged on 1/8 ounce to 1/2 ounce jig heads are good lures all winter long! Alabama Rigs too! So are drop shot rigs fished vertically in deeper water situtations and jigging spoons. So try it all!

Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service ...first!

Thanks and Good Fishin' Reed Montgomery Owner of Reeds Guide Service Birmingham, Alabama  Website www.fishingalabama.com  "For Over 40 Years Fishing and Guiding on Pickwick Lake and all Other Alabama Lakes, Year Round!

* Gift Certificates now available for, " For that loved one, that loves to fish!" Great gifts for Christmas, Birthdays, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, Anniversary, Graduation or any ocassion!

Pickwick Lake elevation: 411.73 ft at the time of this report. Look for the water levels to continue to fall over the next month for the annual winter drawdown. The bass reports continue to be good for numbers with the quality bite being more elusive. Multiple patterns are still working as just about all the fish have made the move toward shallower water chasing the massive schools of shad. For these fish, walking and popping topwater baits are the popular choices, but some anglers are throwing spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, swimbaits and lipless crankbaits with success as well. Some bigger quality-sized fish are starting to join the smaller counterparts in the feeding frenzy. For those who choose to fish in and around the matted hydrilla, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. Catfishing is good as TVA has started pulling more water. Anglers are using a variety of baits, but cut/whole shad and cut skipjack seem to be catching more fish. The stripe bass report is still great behind Pickwick Dam. Heavy swimbaits and spoons are working for those big stripers. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

See Alabama report for Pickwick lake.

Thanks Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Servcie website www.fishingalabama.com

Pickwick Lake elevation: 411.38 ft at the time of this report. Look for the water levels to continue to fall over the next month for the annual winter drawdown. The bass reports continue to be good for some and spotty for others as some anglers struggle to find fish willing to bite as there is ample shad for the fish to eat. Multiple patterns are still working, but the key to this transition bite is to cover enough water as to find actively feeding fish. The schooling bite is progressively getting better as we move further into fall as the massive schools of shad are moving shallow to the backs of the creeks and along the shallow flats on the main river. For these fish, walking and popping topwater baits are the popular choices, but some anglers are throwing spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits with success as well. Some bigger quality-sized fish are starting to join the smaller counterparts in the feeding frenzy. For those who choose to fish in and around the matted hydrilla, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. A few of the bigger fish are still holding a bit deeper on some of the ledges and humps, but they are starting to move shallower from what some anglers are reporting. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. As we move further into fall, this bite will slowly diminish as we are seeing now. Catfishing is good as TVA has started pulling more water. Anglers are using a variety of baits. Anything from whole shad to cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seems to be working. The stripe bass report has been excellent behind Pickwick Dam. Heavy swimbaits and spoons are working for those big stripers. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 412.13 ft at the time of this report. Look for the water levels to slowly fall over the next month or so for the annual winter drawdown. Water temps are in the upper 70’s but look for them to fall due to all the rain and cool nights. The bass reports continue to be good for some and spotty for others as some anglers struggle to find fish willing to bite as there is ample shad for the fish to eat. It took 30lbs to win a two day tournament there this past weekend. Tournament weights have started falling due to the ledge bite diminishing and the fall transition coming into affect. Several anglers are reporting catching numbers of small fish, but the anglers with the winning bags are reporting getting very few bites, but the bites they get are from quality fish. Multiple patterns are still working, but the key to this transition bite is to cover enough water as to find actively feeding fish. The schooling bite continues to play a big role in many anglers’ days on the water. For these fish, walking and popping topwater baits are the popular choices, but some anglers are throwing spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits with success as well. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. Look for this bite to get progressively better over the next several weeks as more and more fish get into that fall feeding frenzy. For those who choose to fish the submerged grass, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For matted grass, frogs and punch rigs are the go to techniques. The bigger fish are still holding a bit deeper on some of the ledges and humps, but they are starting to move shallower from what some anglers are reporting. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. As we move further into fall, this bite will slowly diminish as we are seeing now. Catfishing is good as TVA has started pulling more water. Anglers are using a variety of baits. Anything from whole shad to cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seems to be working. Most of the good stripe reports contiunue to come from below Pickwick Dam. Heavy swimbaits and spoons are working for those big stripers. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.

Pickwick Lake elevation: 412.42 ft at the time of this report. Water temps have dipped a bit due to the cool nights and are now around 76-78 degrees. TVA has finally started their annual winter draw down, so look for the current to play a factor in some of the fishing patterns along the mainlake. The bass reports continue to be good for some and spotty for others as some anglers struggle to find fish. It took a little over 16lbs to win a local club tournament there this past weekend. Several anglers are numbers of small fish, but the anglers with the winning bags are reporting getting very few bites, but the bites they get are from quality fish. Multiple patterns are still working, but the key to this transition bite is to cover enough water as to find actively feeding fish. The schooling bite continues to play a role in many anglers’ days on the water. For these fish, walking and popping baits are the popular choices, but some anglers are throwing spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits with success as well. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. Look for this bite to get progressively better over the next several weeks as more and more fish get into that fall feeding frenzy. For those who choose to fish the submerged grass, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For matted grass, frogs and punch rigs are the go to techniques. The bigger fish are still holding a bit deeper on some of the ledges and humps. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. As we move further into fall, this bite will slowly diminish. Catfishing is good as TVA has started pulling more water. Anglers are using a variety of baits. Anything from whole shad to cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seems to be working. Most of the good stripe reports contiunue to come from below Pickwick Dam. Heavy swimbaits and spoons are working for those big stripers. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.18 ft at the time of this report. Water temps are in the 80s but are dropping due to all the rain and cooler nights. Over the next week or two, TVA will begin their annual draw down which also helps trigger fish to start their fall transition. The bass reports are still decent for quality but the numbers of bites have fallen. Some folks are still struggling to get those quality bites. It took just shy of 38lbs to win a two day tournament out of Pickwick Landing State Park, TN this past weekend. Multiple patterns are still going right now, but the key to this transition bite is to cover enough water as to find actively feeding fish. Many anglers are reporting catching one fish on a hole and having to fish 2-5 other holes to find another bite. The schooling bite continues to be decent early in the day and throughout the day if overcast and relatively calm water conditions persist. Walking and popping baits are the popular choice for these fish. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. Look for this bite to get progressively better over the next several weeks as more and more fish get into that fall feeding frenzy. For those who choose to fish the submerged grass, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For matted grass, frogs and punch rigs are the go to techniques. The bigger fish are still holding a bit deeper on some of the ledges and humps. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. Catfishing is still decent and should get better when TVA starts pulling water for the winter drawdown. It seems the closer you get to Wilson Dam the better the bite gets. Anglers are using a variety of baits. Anything from whole shad to cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seems to be working. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Heavy swimbaits and spoons are working for those big stripers. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.18 ft at the time of this report. Water temps are in the 80s, but look for them to start dropping a little due to the cooler nights. As the days are getting shorter, fish are starting to make that fall transition. Over the next week or two, TVA will begin their annual draw down which also helps trigger fish to start their fall transition. The bass reports are decent, but some folks are still struggling to get those quality bites. It took 40lbs to win a two day tournament out of Florence, AL this past weekend and while it took a 20 pounds-a-day weight to win, most anglers were doing good to break the 10 pounds-a-day mark. Multiple patterns are still going right now, but the key to this transition bite is to cover enough water as to find actively feeding fish. The schooling bite continues to be decent early in the day and throughout the day if overcast and relatively calm water conditions persist. Walking and popping baits are the popular choice for these fish. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. Look for this bite to get progressively better over the next several weeks as more and more fish get into that fall feeding frenzy. For those who choose to fish the submerged grass, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For matted grass, frogs and punch rigs are the go to techniques. The bigger fish are still holding a bit deeper on some of the ledges and humps. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. Catfishing is still decent up towards the Natchez Trace Bridge. It seems the closer you get to Wilson Dam the better the bite gets. Anglers are using a variety of baits. Anything from whole shad to cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seems to be working. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Heavy swimbaits and spoons are working for those big stripers. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.36 ft at the time of this report. Water temps are in the 80s. As the days are getting shorter, fish are starting to make that fall transition, but with the extended heat and humidity the fishing action has gotten a bit tougher. Over the next couple of weeks, TVA will begin their annual draw down which also helps trigger fish to start their fall transition. The bass reports are spotty. Some anglers have had some decent days while others have struggle. Many patterns are available, but the key to this transition bite is to cover enough water as to find actively feeding fish. The schooling bite continues to be decent early in the day and throughout the day if overcast conditions persist. Walking and popping baits are the popular choice for these fish. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. Look for this bite to get progressively better over the next several weeks as more and more fish get into that fall feeding frenzy. For those who choose to fish the submerged grass, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For matted grass, frogs and punch rigs are the go to techniques. The bigger fish are still holding a bit deeper on some of the ledges and humps. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. Catfishing is still decent up towards the Trace bridge. Anglers are using a variety of baits, but cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seemed to be the baits of choice. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Heavy swimbaits are working for those big stripers. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.8 ft. at the time of this report. Water temps are still holding in the mid 80’s, but look for it to drop a little if we get a lot of rainfall from hurrincane/tropical storm Isaac later this week. The bass fishing is still spotty right now as some anglers are having great success and others not so much. Anglers are having to cover a lot of water to find fish willing to bite. A number of patterns are going right now from shallow ledge fishing, to chasing the schooling fish, to throwing frogs and plastics around the matted hydrilla. The schooling bite continues to be decent early in the day and throughout the day if overcast conditions persist. Walking and popping baits are the popular choice for these fish. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. For those who choose to fish the submerged grass, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For matted grass, frogs and punch rigs are the go to techniques. The bigger fish continue to hold a bit deeper on some of the ledges and humps. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. Catfishing is still good up towards the Trace bridge. Anglers are using a variety of baits, but cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seemed to be the baits of choice this past weekend. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.

For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to

http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.59 ft. at the time of this report. Water temps are holding in the mid 80’s. The bass fishing can be considered spotty right now as some anglers are having great success and others not so much. It took almost 22 pounds again this week to win a local tournament, with one angler catching a 9 pounder. A number of patterns are going right now from shallow ledge fishing, to chasing the schooling fish, to throwing frogs and plastics around the matted hydrilla. The schooling bite continues to be good early in the day and throughout the day if overcast conditions persist. Walking and popping baits are the popular choice for these fish. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. For those who choose to fish the grass, spinnerbaits, senkos, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For the quality bite, the bigger fish are still holding on some of the ledges and humps. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. The matted hydrilla is holding fish, but it can be a chore catching them as a lot of anglers are keying in on this bite. Frogs are a good choice, but during the day you may want to go to T-rigged style punch rig to get to where the bass are. This past weekend was good for catfishermen up around the Trace bridge as several good reports came in. Anglers are using a variety of baits, but cherry and strawberry flavored chicken and liver seemed to be the baits of choice this past weekend. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.62 ft. at the time of this report. Water temps have dropped a bit due to the evening scattered showers that have hit the Tennessee Valley over the past week or so. The bass fishing has picked back up over the past week as a few quality fish are being caught along with the schoolers. It took 22lbs to win a local club tournament this past weekend. The winning sack was anchored by a 9lber. A number of patterns are going right now from shallow ledge fishing, to chasing the schooling fish, to throwing frogs and plastics around the matted hydrilla. The schooling bite continues to be good early in the day and throughout the day if overcast conditions persist. Walking and popping baits are the popular choice for these fish. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. For those who choose to fish the grass, spinnerbaits, senkos, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. For the quality bite, the bigger fish are still holding on some of the ledges and humps. Crankbatis, jigs and Carolina-rigs are the techniques of choices there. The matted hydrilla is holding fish, but it can be a chore catching them as a lot of anglers are keying in on this bite. Frogs are a good choice, but during the day you may want to go to T-rigged style punch rig to get to where the bass are. We are still getting some decent catfish reports from anglers targeting the shallower ledges and humps. Any current will improve this bite. Best depths will be 15 to 25 feet deep, with deeper water in the river channel nearby. Nightcrawlers, wigglers, liver, and cutbait are all catching catfish. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Some white and yellow bass are showing up with the schooling largemouth along the shallow flats.

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.86 ft. at the time of this report. Water temps have dropped a bit due to the evening scattered showers that have hit the Tennessee Valley over the past week. The bass fishing has slowed a little, but is still good for numbers. The schooling bite continues to be good early in the day and throughout the day if overcast conditions persist. Walking and popping baits are the popular choice for these fish. The average size of the schoolers are fairly small by Pickwick standards as most are in the 1-2.5lb range. After the morning bite dies down a bit, angler are either staying with the grass bite or heading a little deeper to the ledges and humps close to the flats. For those who go deeper, Carolina-rigged plastics, deep diving cranks, and heavy jigs are still the best bets. For those who choose to fish the grass, spinnerbaits, senkos, flukes and swimbaits are good bait choices. We are still getting some good catfish reports. Best depths will be 15 to 25 feet deep, with deeper water in the river channel nearby. Nightcrawlers, wigglers, liver, and cutbait are all catching catfish. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam.

For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to

http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data  

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.86 ft. at the time of this report. The bass fishing is starting to change up a bit due to the grass along the flats getting taller and thicker. For most people, catching numbers of fish is no problem, but average size has decreased. Early morning schoolers are a daily occurrence throughout the whole lake, but the size of fish is fairly small. That bite typically dies off around 8-9 in the morning. After that, there are two options: go to the ledges that have held fish since early May or stay relatively shallow and fish the continually growing hydrilla and coontail grass beds where this year’s hatch of shad are congregating. For the ledge fishermen, Carolina-rigged plastics, deep diving cranks, flutter spoons and heavy jigs are still the best bets. For those who choose to hit the grass, spinnerbaits, flukes, and swimbaits are good choices. It’s a good idea to keep a topwater bait handy as a stray school of fish might pop-up throughout the day. We are still getting some decent catfish reports coming in. Most catfish anglers are now hitting the gravel bars and other primary drop-offs with jugs and trotlines. Best depths will be 15 to 25 feet deep, with deeper water in the river channel nearby. Nightcrawlers, flavored chicken, liver, and cutbait are all catching catfish. Most of the good striper reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam, but the occasional catch out on the ledges is fairly common as well.

For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to

http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.8 ft at the time of this report. Water temps are in the mid 80s. Not much change to report from last week. The lake is fishing a lot like September vs. July as the early schooling bite up on the shallow flats is hot, but the size of the fish fairly small (not much over 2.5 lbs). Spook jrs. and other walking baits are good lures to throw for the schoolers. That action dies off at about 8:00 and it gets tougher to find fish willing to bite. The ledge/hump bite has slowed down some, but that is where the quality sized fish are coming from. Baits like Carolina-rigged plastics, deep diving cranks, and heavy jigs are still the best bets out on the humps and ledges. The nighttime bite is still decent for some quality smallies and a few largemouth. Black spinnerbaits and jigs have been the key baits here. We are still getting some good catfish reports. Most catfish anglers are now hitting the gravel bars and the river ledges. Best depths will be 15 to 25 feet deep, with deeper water in the river channel nearby. Nightcrawlers, wigglers, liver, and cutbait are all catching catfish. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Big bucktail jigs and swimbaits are the lures of choice there.

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.4 ft. at the time of this report. Water temps have fallen due to the all the recent rainfall and are now in the mid 80’s. The bass fishing has slowed some over past week. It took a 5 fish limit of 20.36 pounds to a local team tournament out of JP Coleman State Park this past Saturday. The winning team also had a 7.36lb lunker for the day as well. The fish are still holding of the ledges but the bites are becoming more scattered. If that particular school of fish aren’t biting, don’t waste much time and move on to the next hump or ledge. Carolina-rigged plastics, deep diving cranks, and heavy jigs are still the best bets out on the humps and ledges. If ledge fishing isn’t your cup of tea, go early or late to find some schooling bass along the shallow flats. Most bass here are under two pounds, but the occasional 3-4lber showing up. Sammy’s, Spook Jrs. and flukes are good bait choices for the schoolers. We’re getting some decent night fishing reports as some quality smallmouth are showing up more after dark on big, dark worms and spinnerbaits. We are still getting some good catfish reports along some of the same ledges as the bass fishermen are targeting. Best depths will be 15 to 25 feet deep, with deeper water in the river channel nearby. Nightcrawlers, wigglers, liver, and cutbait are all catching catfish, but don’t be afraid to experiment with baits like flavored chicken or catalpa worms. Most of the good stripe reports over the last week or so are coming from below Pickwick Dam. Big bucktail jigs and swimbaits are the lures of choice there.