Tuttle Creek Lake Fishing Report

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

White crappie are being caught using new technologies, reducing the amount of time it takes to locate schools. Forward-facing sonar is allowing anglers, fishing from a boat, to locate schools and focus fishing time on areas with good numbers of crappie. Anglers fishing from the bank still have to search via test casting, until a school is located. Then, they are catching crappie as anglers have for many decades, long before the new electronics were available. Light tackle, with 4 lb to 8 lb line, is a popular choice.

SUMMER. Water temperatures get quite warm, and crappie fishing is usually pretty good. They feed in 8 to 15 feet of water early and late in the day, until the hot Summer sun causes them to retreat to depths of 12 to 20 feet. Also, some white crappie have embedded in the shade of slightly shallower vegetation. This is a good time to focus around brush piles, standing timber, deep lay downs, bridge pilings and deeper docks. Some of the best fishing is early morning, late evening, or night. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep structure and around creek channel edges, using fish-finder electronics.

FALL. As Fall begins cooling the shallows, baitfish, move into shallow flats, coves and bays, which draws crappie into these areas. They will be feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter, in 8 to 15 feet of water. Minnows, hair jigs, and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon. Late Fall which turns the shallows cold, starts pushing crappie deeper, toward winter holding areas. Small flutter spoons, fished in 10 to 12 feet of water, are a good option during this transition. Good results typically come around points, creek channels, and brush piles.

WINTER. The water temperature drop into the 30's and low 40's. The shallows turn cold, causing crappie to migrate to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. Typically they are caught using a very slow presentation, in 10 to 25 feet of water. Most are caught around creek channel bends, submerged timber, deep brush piles, and main-lake structure. Good reports often come from anglers targeting standing timber and brush piles. When they suspend in open water, they often relate to some cover, or structure change, directly below them. During warming trends, especially warm afternoons, they are drawn into slightly shallower water to feed.

SPRING. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 6 to 15 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 2 to 6 feet of water. Vegetation, docks, brush and wood are where most anglers catch crappie using small crappie jigs or live minnows. After the spawn, crappie typically move outside the spawning area and hold on cover close by, in 6 to 12 feet of water. Once they move out of the shallows, anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

Current Fishing Report: Good

The use of new technology is helping anglers catch more white bass. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently one of the the best way to locate schools of fish, especially when they hang out in deep water. Once located using these sophisticated fish finders, white bass are being caught by trolling, casting or jigging,

SUMMER. Summer finds white bass congregating in the main lake area, following and feeding on baitfish. Early in the morning they tend to stay in 3 to 10 feet of water, moving up and down the water column with the baitfish, out along ledges in 15 to 25 feet deep as the day warms. The may move slightly deeper in July, even deeper in August. Often they will chase baitfish very shallow, for short periods. They are being caught on small, slow-rolled spinnerbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, spoons, blade baits and small crankbaits, depending on the depth of the baitfish. Middle of the lake channel edges, points and flats hold most bait and white bass in the warmest months.

FALL. Early Fall finds white bass following baitfish into shallow coves and bays, into 8 to 20 feet of water. Spoons, jigs, underspins and minnows are catching good numbers of whites. Later, once the shallows cool considerably from chilly Fall temperatures, schools of white bass and baitfish, move deeper. They will relate to most any structure, which includes drops, humps, brush, and creek channels. Mid to late Fall they move slightly shallower. Trolling small crankbaits and spoons, or casting spoons and swimbaits, will catching them feeding on schools of baitfish.

WINTER. Winter fishing techniques for white bass, is a continuation of Fall patterns, except slightly deeper, around 15 to 30 feet, staying toward the deeper areas in Midwinter. Typically, they are somewhat inactive, but will bite. They are still caught on underspins, spoons, jigs, and live minnows, using a slower presentation. They often concentrate in the main lake basin, around drop offs, points and humps. Good reports often come from anglers fishing around the dam area during the cold months.

SPRING. The Spring run, when white bass move into the river sections of the lake, inflowing creeks, or along windy points, is where they gather for several weeks to spawn. Spring fishing for white bass last year was quite good, especially toward the backs of pockets in the Tuttle Creek State Park Fancy Creek area. They stage in 8 to 15 feet of water. Live minnows on a bobber, underspins, small swimbaits and small crankbaits all work for white bass in the shallows. White bass start their spawn run in 1 to 6 feet of water, once the water temperature reaches the mid 50's. Early Spring is a prime time to fill the livewells with some fat white bass. Spinnerbaits, curly-tail jigs, underspins, small crankbaits, small jerkbaits, and most any lure that resembles baitfish, will catch these feeding whites. As the water temperatures continues warming, they move out of spawning areas, into slightly deeper water. Look for them in 6 to 15 feet deep. Also, watch for feeding frenzies when they chase schools of bait to the surface, at which time the fishing can be spectacular.

Current Fishing Report: Good

Tuttle Creek Lake is considered one of the top lakes in the area for channel catfish, especially for fish exceeding 8 pounds. Although forward-facing sonar and other high-tech fish finders were designed for bass fishing, many catfish anglers, who fish from a boat, are now using them to locate channel catfish. With this, they are now catching more catfish by focusing on productive water. The catch rate has increased considerably, and anglers are picking their targets to catch the bigger cats. New baits, line and rigging methods have also improved success for bank fishing enthusiasts. Savvy anglers, who study catfish life cycle and patterns, are still managing to catch nice fish, with or without these new tools.

SUMMER. In Summer, slow-moving water, at the river end of the lake may draw catfish to feed. Otherwise they are scattering, locating cover in slightly cooler water. Reports indicate the most successful anglers are using nightcrawlers, cut bait, minnows or shrimp. In June, most channel cats hold in 5 to 15 feet during the day, and more shallow during the night. They spawn in May or June, in 2 to 10 feet of water. Fishing from late in the day until midnight produces some of the best results, as this is their prime feeding time.

FALL. Fall is one of the better times of year for catching channel catfish. Early in Fall they cruise the shallows in 8 to 18 feet of water, in search of food. Later in the season they migrate shallower, to flats and channel edges on the main body of the lake, in 6 to 15 feet of water. Come November they can typically be found from 10 to 20 feet deep. Fishing for channel catfish is often productive around any kind of structure. Road beds, stumps, wood, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin. Drift fishing or slow-trolling baits along mid-depth structure is popular and generally productive. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig setup, with cut bait, nightcrawlers, shrimp or prepared baits. They typically remain in these areas and feed aggressively in preparation for Winter.

WINTER. Cold Winter weather drives channel catfish to gather in deep pockets, ledges and holes. They become virtually dormant, especially once the water cools into the mid 40's to mid 50's. They hole up in pockets, along river channels, ledges, deep holes, and structure in the basin areas from 12 to 25 feet deep, slightly deeper in January. Here, they await the warmer water of Spring. Slow presentations, especially cut bait, can still entice strikes. Often during mid day, through the afternoon, anglers report catching them a bit shallower on the same structure.

SPRING. Water temperatures have typically risen into the high 50's, and channel catfish are migrating into coves, and up into the river. Early in the season, look for them 5 to 15 feet deep during pre-spawn. They hold here, and feed aggressively, around relatively shallow cover until water warms into the mid 70's. At which time (usually May or June) they begin the spawn process. They spawn in 2 to 10 feet of water. Following the spawn, they move out toward the basin in 5 to 15 feet of water. Anglers are using slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs to get, and keep, the bait close to the bottom. Later in Spring focus on shallower flats, during late evening and into the night.