Fishing Report For Pickwick Lake, TN

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Pickwick Lake is one the Bassmaster Top 100 bass lakes in the country, top 10 in the Southeast USA. Smallmouth over 7 pounds are occasionally caught here, and smallies over 6 pounds are fairly common.

WINTER. Winter has isolated smallies around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. They are are being caught in water from 15 to 40 feet deep. Locals report catching nice fish in the area of the Natchez Trace Parkway bridge. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs are tempting smallmouth to bite in deep water. I like to work these deeper haunts very slowly, as the bass are somewhat sluggish. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING.When water temperatures rise into the 50's, smallmouth move from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They feed heavily in 8 to 15 feet of water at this time, and are typically caught on jerkbaits, crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into shallower water, 8 to 10 feet deep and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Some of the better spawning areas include protected, shallow flats and points in the area from the dam to the Tennessee state line. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 10 to 15 feet of water, and feed aggressively. Crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, plastic worms, spoons and swimbaits are catching smallies during this period.

SUMMER. Smallmouth bass typically feed shallow early and late in the day, in 8 to 15 feet of water. They are caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish, gizzard shad, threadfin shad, and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. Popular Summer holding areas include rip rap at the dam, as well as rocky points, humps and structure near the thermocline. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 20 to 40 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some fast action. Anglers fishing the main river channel edges, are reporting good catches.

FALL. Once Fall arrives smallmouth move into coves and bays 15 to 25 feet deep. They thrive in the cooler, shallow water, which is an ideal environment for them. Locals report that tube jigs, and drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics, are popular in 10' water or deeper. Worms, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits, are also successful, when bass are shallow to mid depth. Later in Fall, smallies move to slightly deeper water, around 20 to 30 feet deep.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

WINTER. The current water temperature is in the mid 30's. Now that the shallows have turned cold, crappie have migrated to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. Currently they are being caught using a very slow presentation, in 20 to 30 feet of water. Most are caught around creek channel bends, submerged timber, deep brush piles, and main-lake structure. Good reports are coming from standing timber, channel edges and brush piles, around creek mouths like Mill Creek, Indian Creek and Bear Creek. 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 12 to 18 feet of water to feed. Light tackle, with 4 lb to 8 lb line, is a popular choice.

SPRING. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 12 to 18 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as both black crappie and white crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 3 to 12 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 slightly deeper water. Once they move deep, anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

SUMMER. Water temperatures get quite warm, and crappie fishing is usually pretty good. They feed in 15 to 20 feet of water early and late in the day, until the hot Summer sun causes them to retreat to depths of 15 to 30 feet. Also, a few 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 with shade. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep structure and around creek channel edges, using fish-finder electronics.

FALL. As Fall begins warming 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 10 to 20 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 15 to 20 feet of water, are a good option during this transition. Good results typically come around points, creek channels, and brush piles.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Blue cats grow exceptionally big here, with plenty of fish exceeding 100 pounds. The upper reaches of the lake, in deep holes along the river channel, is where many of the larger cats are being taken.

WINTER. Now that the cold Winter has set in, big blues are being caught in deep holes, around 25 to 45 feet deep. Prime areas are in the main river channel and on deep channel ledges. Good reports are coming from the river channel around the State Line Deep Trough. Here these catfish await warmer water in Spring. They are less aggressive now, but slow drifting, or dead sticking baits, can still trigger bites. Cut bait, or live bait taken from this lake are the top bait choice. Use slip sinkers, 3-way rigs, or Carolina rigs with enough weight to keep the bait bumping bottom as you drift or slow troll.

SPRING. Spring begins the aggressive feeding, in preparation for summer. Blues in early Spring are typically caught 18 to 30 feet deep in bays and coves, on shallow flats and along shallow ledges where baitfish school. Hot spots on this structure includes channel bends and sharp depth breaks. Transition zones between the main channel and secondary creek channels, and flats around creek mouths are also popular areas. In late Spring blues will stage for the spawn in water 6 to 15 feet deep, then spawn around cover. Cut bait is the ideal bait this time of year, with locals preferring cut shad.

SUMMER. Early Summer is post-spawn season for big blue catfish. They follow big schools of baitfish, and feed heartily. Live shad is the preferred bait at night, while cut bait is catching nice blues during the day. Stay around channel edges and fish areas that have concentrations of bait. Once Summer weather has warmed lake water into the 80's, blue catfish move closer to the main basins. During hottest months blue cats commonly suspend along the thermocline where it intersects channel ledges. They hold in deeper feeding areas, 5 to 20 feet deep, preferring to remain in slow-moving current when available. Blues, including some of the bigger ones, are caught while slow trolling, or drifting ledges, adjacent to river channels, or within the channel along the edges. Big blues, 25 to 70 pounds, are regularly caught. Anglers fishing from the bank are catching a few fish, but boats are the preferred approach. Late Summer, if the water temperature rises above the high 70's, they become less active, and fishing can slow down.

FALL. Fall is one of the better times of year for catching blue catfish. Early in Fall they cruise the shallows in 10 to 30 feet of water, in search of food. Areas with good reports include points and channel bends around Bear Creek and the state line trough. Later, in the season they migrate away from the shallows and current, to moderately deeper holes in the main body of the lake, around 25 to 50 feet deep. They remain in these areas and feed aggressively in preparation for Winter.