Eastern Kentucky Fishing Report

This fishing report was compiled for the week of Sept. 24, 2012

Editor’s note: Local rains in the past week have stained some of the headwaters. However, the fishing has continued to improve. Musky catches were reported all week long on Cave Run. If you get on the water this week, let me know how you did. I also want to give a call out to the Bow Hunters: Bag a big one, and then send your pictures to: trimmer308@windstream.net

Cave Run Lake: was hot! This week both bass and musky were active. The water level is .3 ft. over summer pool. Good color is reported in most areas, with some staining in the headwater areas. Musky: Good to excellent. The musky have been active this past week, as the water has cooled to the point that the musky have return to the banks. Fish the laydown trees, channel edge standing timber and weed edges. Baits that reported success were crankbaits, spinnerbaits, top water buzzbaits and topwater prop-baits. The low-light periods are still the most productive times.  Bass: I got no reports on smallmouth this week. If you fished for, or caught smallmouth on Cave Run drop me a line and tell how you did. Largemouth Bass: The bass are active but you must fish a fall shad pattern. The bass are staged to feed on shad at the pass staging areas. These are channel trees both standing and lying long ways. From the deeper banks use deep diving crankbaits with a pause and retrieve cadence. Slow the bait down after the pause. White Bass: There were more reports this week of white bass showing up in the jumps in the heads of the major creeks and river. Use small in-line spinners and small crankbaits casting past the breaking fish and reeling through the breaking fish. We also caught some white bass in the heads of creeks where shad were working. Crappie: We had reports of crappie being taken on live bait fishing channel trees as well as crankbaits in schooling shad near the mouth of creeks.

Chris Leffer and his 40 inch musky caught on Cave Run last week. (photo submitted)

Grayson Lake: The lake is stable and clear in most areas. The fishing is improving. Fish wind protected coves looking for shad. These cove will be holding fish. Bass: Continues to be fair to good. The bass fishing is best during low-light periods. Use topwater, jerkbaits and creature baits. Fish the cove points and channel bend above the bridge for the best results. Crappie: fair. Fish swim jigs around down timber. Let the jig fall into the 10 to 12 foot range. Yellow 1/8 jigs have had the best success this week. Catfish: good. Fish live bait using drop lines and trotlines in head-water areas.

Greenbo Lake: The lake is in good shape, clear and stable. Bass: Some reports came in this week of bass being taken on topwater in the early morning hours, fishing the dam area. Trout: We had a few reports this week of trout being caught below the dam using corn and inline spinners. Catfish: good. Good fishing continues to be reported very early and at night. Fish live bait, chubs, small bluegill and cut bait.

Ohio River: We didn’t get any new reports on the Ohio River this week. If you fished the river let me know how you did.  White bass: Good, watch for breaking fish in mouth of creeks. Use inline spinners and small crankbaits. Largemouth Bass: Good. The key this past week has been using small baits, crankbaits, and small spinnerbaits fishing discharge areas and creek points. Below the Dam: Sauger and Walleye are reported fair. Use crankbaits and live bait. Bass: fair to good. Fish early before the water temperature has a chance to warm up. Fish points, weeds and laydown trees. Spinnerbaits and ¼ oz. buzzbaits have produced fish this week. Catfish: good. Reports of catfish are still coming in, however, while drop-lines and trotlines report the most success we got a few reports this week of good catches from bank fishermen using cut bait fishing just after sunrise.

Yatesville Lake: Continues to produce good catches in both ends of the lake. The Rich Creek area also reported some good bass were active this week. Bass: Some of the largest bass caught this week that were reported were caught on topwater both early and late. Pop R and Spooks claimed the big fish this week. Fish old road beds and coves containing standing timber. Crappie: good. Fish the edges of flats in channel bends and old fish attractors using 32 oz. white crappie jigs tipped with live minnows. We have also had some reports of catches fishing at night under lights using live bait. Reports suggest the crappie are in 15 foot of water near channel points.

Reports and pictures of your catch can be submitted to: trimmer308@windstream.net

This fishing report was compiled for the week of Sept.17, 2012

Editor’s note: The water temperature in all the reported lakes fell to under 80 degrees with some locations falling to the mid to low 70’s. This has turned many locations on, and the fishing across the board has improved this week. I also want to give a call out to the Bow Hunters: Bag a big one, then send me your pictures! 

Cave Run Lake: The fishing remains good and is getting better. I personally fished this lake in the past week, and fishing has improved. Both musky and bass are feeding on shad. The water is stable at summer pool.  Musky: Good to excellent. The musky has been active this past week as the water has cooled to the point that the musky have return to the banks. Fish the laydown trees, channel edge, standing timber and weed edges. Baits that reported success were crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater buzzbaits and topwater prop-baits. The low-light periods are still the most productive times.  Bass: Smallmouth: I received no reports on smallmouth this week if you fished for or caught smallmouth on Cave Run drop me a line and tell how you did. Largemouth Bass: The bass are active but you must fish a fall shad pattern. The bass are staged to feed on shad as they pass staging areas. These are channel trees, both standing and lying long ways from the deeper banks. Use deep diving crankbaits with a pause and retrieve cadence. Slow the bait down after the pause. White Bass: More reports this week of white bass showing up in the jumps at the heads of the major creeks and rivers. Use small in-line spinners, small crankbaits casting past the breaking fish and reeling through them. We also caught some white bass in the heads of creeks where shad were working.

Scott Erwin with one of 34 bass caught on Cave Run in early September. (Photo by Chris Erwin)

Grayson Lake: The lake is stable and clear in most areas, and the fishing is improving. Fish wind protected coves. Look for shad, these cove will be holding fish. Bass: continues to be fair to good. The bass fishing is best during low-light periods, use topwater, jerkbaits and creature baits, fishing the cove points and channel bend above the bridge for the best results. Crappie: fair. Fish swim jigs around down timber. Let the jig fall into the 10 to 12 foot range. Yellow 1/8 jigs have had the best success this week. Catfish: good. Fish live bait using drop lines and trotlines in headwater areas.

Greenbo Lake: The lake is in good shape clear and stable. Bass: fair. Fish were reported being taken using crankbaits, lipless crankbaits and swimbaits fishing the heads of coves.  Trout: We had a few reports of trout being caught below the dam using corn and inline spinners. Catfish: good. Good catches are being reported very early and at night fishing with live bait, chubs, small bluegill and cut bait.

Ohio River: Little has changed this past week on the river. I’m looking for more reports on the river. If you fished it, let me know how you did. White bass: good. Watching for breaking fish in mouth of creeks. Use inline spinners and small crankbaits. Largemouth Bass: Good. The key this past week has been using small baits, crankbaits, and small spinnerbaits fishing discharge areas and creek points.  Below the Dam: Sauger and Walleye are reported fair. Use crankbaits and live bait. Bass: fair to good. Fish early before the water has a chance to warm up. Fish points, weeds and lay down trees. Spinnerbaits and ¼ oz. buzzbaits have produce fish this week. Catfish: good. Reports of catfish are still coming in, however, while drop-lines and trotlines report the most success, we got a few reports this week of good catches from bank fishermen using cut bait and fishing just after sun-rise.

Yatesville Lake: We had a couple tournaments on this lake this past week and it took about 13 lbs or better to win the tournaments. Fishing was good in the lowlight periods. Bass: From the reports we got this week the bass were active using crankbaits, swimbaits and jerkbaits fishing areas where active shad could be seen along with points and standing trees. Crappie: good. Fish the edges of flats in channel bends and old fish attractors using 32 oz white crappie jigs tipped with live minnows. We have also had some reports of catches while fishing at night under lights. Use live bait. Reports suggest the crappie are in 15 foot of water near channel points.

Fishing reports and pictures of your catch can be submitted to: trimmer308@windstream.net

This fishing report was compiled for the week of Sept. 11, 2012

Editor’s note: The heat may be better, but the 90-degree days have slowed the progress of the fall patterns. As nighttime temperatures fall into the 50s, we should see the fall pattern start to develop. I also want to give a call out to bow hunters, bag a big one, and send me your pictures! 

Cave Run Lake: The fishing remains good and is getting better. However, the successful periods have been short lived in many areas. The water is stable and just .4 feet below summer pool.  Musky: Good, and improving. Last week the fishing was still reported the best just after daylight. Lures that reported success were: jerkbaits, inline spinners, and buzzbaits. Fish weed edges, lay-down trees and creek heads.  I got one Smallmouth report this week of a 3 ½ lb. fish caught along the rip-rap in the dam area. The fisherman used a lipless crankbait, letting the bait fall into the 10 to 15 foot area then slow rolling the retrieve. Largemouth Bass: The bass have still been very fickle this week. The reports are as different as night a day. Some fish were taken on topwater, while others only had success in deep water using jigs. As the water cools, the fish will become more predicable. For now, you must be ready to change what ever you’re doing if you don’t find success quickly. White Bass: There were more reports this week of white bass showing up in the jumps at the heads of the major creeks and river. Use small in-line spinners and small crankbaits. Cast past the breaking fish and reel through the breaking fish.

Grayson Lake: The lake is stable and clear in most areas. The water temperature has been changing as much as 20 degrees during the day. When the water reaches close to 80, the fishing has been tough. Bass: fair to good. The bass fishing is best during low-light periods, using topwater, jerkbaits and creature baits. Fish the cove points and channel bend above the bridge for the best results. Crappie: fair. Fish swim jigs around down timber. Let the jig fall into the 10 to 12 foot range, yellow 1/8 jigs have had the best success this week. Catfish: good. Fish live bait using drop lines and trotlines in headwater areas.

Greenbo Lake: The lake is in good shape, clear and stable. Bass: slow. Some fish were reported taken this week using 7-inch plastic worms fishing a Texas rig and a 3/8 slip sinker. The report indicated that the last hour of daylight produce the most fish. Trout: We had a few reports this week of Trout be caught below the dam using corn and inline spinners. Catfish: Good, fishing very early and at night with live bait, chubs, small bluegill and cut bait.

Ohio River: Little has changed this past week on the river. I’m looking for more reports here, if you fished it let me know how you did. White bass: Good, watch for breaking fish in mouth of creeks. Use inline spinners and small crankbaits. Largemouth Bass: Good, the key this past week has been using small baits, including crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Fish discharge areas and creek points. Below the Dam: Sauger and Walleye are reported fair. Use crankbaits and live bait. Bass: fair to good. Fish early before the water temperature has a chance to warm up on points, weeds and lay-down trees. Spinnerbaits and jigs have produced fish this week. Catfish: good. Reports of catfish are still coming in, however, while drop-lines and trotlines report the most success we got a few reports this week of good catches from bank fishermen who were using cut bait and fishing just after sun-rise.

An Ohio River drum, caught by Sam Morris. (Submitted).

Yatesville Lake: Some good fish were reported this week but like other lakes as the water temperature raises the fishing got tough. The lake is stable and clear, with some staining in the hard water area. Bass seem to be in pockets of deeper water than we expected. Fish jigs, slow roll spinnerbaits and creature baits on points and at down timber. Most fish were reported to be in about 12 to 15 feet of water. Crappie: improving. Fish the edges of flats in channel bends and old fish attractors using 32 oz. white crappie jigs tipped with live minnows. We have also had some reports of catches fishing at night under lights using live bait. Reports suggest the crappie are in 15 foot of water near channel points. Bluegill: fair. Fish hard bottom areas with red worms and 64 oz. back jigs.

Fishing reports and pictures of your catch can be submitted to: trimmer308@windstream.net

This fishing report was compiled for the week of Sept. 4, 2012

Editor’s note: We had a lot of reports this week. While some are having success, fishing is still up and down. Your best chances is still in the very early hours of the day while the water temperature is at its lowest. If you have success this week send me your pictures. I also want to give a call out to the Bow Hunters. Bag a big one, and send your pictures to trimmer308@windstream.net

Cave Run Lake: The fishing has been a little fickle this weekm leaving a few of my sources scratching their heads. Many anglers did have success though. The lake is in good shape with most areas reporting clear to slightly stained water. Musky: Good, the period just after daylight has continued to be the most productive. Musky are being reported active during the low-light periods during the day. Lures that were successful this week were spinnerbaits, early morning jerkbaits, crankbaits and Bulldawg lures. Creekheads, weed edges and laydown timber all reported activity. Smallmouth Bass: I got no reports on the smallmouth this past week. If you fished this lake last week and caught smallmouth, drop me line. Largemouth Bass: The largemouth went deep this past week. We normally see largemouth getting more active in the upper water table this time of year. However, this past week most of the reported success was using football jigs in 15 feet of water. Some fish were also being taken in trees suspending in about 12-15 feet of water. Use spinnerbaits and crankbaits. White Bass: We got a few reports this week that the white bass were showing up in the jumps in the heads of the major creeks and rivers. Use small in-line spinners and small crankbaits. Cast past and reel through the breaking fish.

Grayson Lake: The lake is stable and clear in all areas except the headwater areas where showers have added some color to the water. Bass: fair to good. The bass fishing is best during low-light periods. Use topwater, jerkbaits and creature baits. Fish cove points and the channel bend above the bridge for the best results. Crappie: slow. Use live bait around channel structure. Catfish: good. Fish live bait using drop lines and trotlines in headwater areas.

Greenbo Lake: The lake is in good shape, clear and stable. Bass: We only had a few reports this week from Greenbo. The bass fishing was reported slow. Use worms and jigs. Trout: We had a few reports this week of trout be caught below the dam using corn and inline spinners. Crappie: No reports. If you had success, drop me a line and let me know how you did it. Catfish: good. Fish very early and at night with live bait including chubs and small bluegill or cut bait.

Ohio River: While most lakes were clear this past week, the river was stained and it did have some effect on the fishing. White bass: good. Watch for breaking fish in the mouth of creeks using inline spinners and small crankbaits. Largemouth Bass: Good, use small spinnerbaits and ¼ oz buzzbaits baits around weeds, brush and lay-down trees. The best success has been in the early morning hours. Below the Dam: Sauger and Walleye are reported fair. Use crankbaits and live bait. Bass: Fair to good. Fish early before the water temperature has a chance to warm up, at points, weeds and lay-down trees. Spinnerbaits and jigs have produce fish this week. Catfish: good. Drop lines and trout lines report the most success. We did get a few reports this week of good catches from bank fishermen using cut bait and fishing just after sunrise. Stripers: I didn’t get any reports on Stripers this week.

Yatesville Lake: We got a few reports this week on bass, crappie and catfish. While the low-light periods remain the best time to fish, it breaks down like this: Bass seem to be in pockets of deeper water than we expected. Fish jigs, slow roll spinnerbaits, and creature baits, on points and down timber. Most fish were reported to be in about 12 to 15 feet of water. Crappie: improving. Fish the edges of flats in channel bends and old fish attractors using 32 oz. white crappie jigs tipped with live minnows. We have also had some reports of catches fishing at night under lights using live bait. Reports suggest the crappie are in 15 foot of water near channel points. Bluegill have been reported a fair fishing hard bottom areas with red worms and 64 oz. back jigs.

Fishing reports and pictures of your catch can be submitted to: trimmer308@windstream.net

This fishing report was compiled for the week of Aug. 28, 2012

Editor’s note: The nights remained cooler than just a few weeks ago, and it’s producing better fishing in most of the eastern Kentucky lakes. If you get on the water or get a chance to fish from the bank, send a picture of your catch, and we might just use it here.

Cave Run Lake: The fishing has continued to improve this week. While the methods remain the same, the success rate is getting better. The lake is stable at summer pool. The water is clear in all areas around the lake, so it’s a good time to plan a trip.  Musky: good. The period just after daylight has been the most productive, with musky reporting active during the low light periods during the day. Lures that were successful this week were spinnerbaits, early morning jerkbaits as well as crankbaits and Bulldawg lures. Ceekheads, weed edges and laydown timber all reported activity. Bass: Smallmouth: We continue to get reports of smallmouth being caught in the first hour of the day. Fish creature baits in the dam area, walking these baits down deep ledges. Largemouth Bass: The largemouth have been the most active in the river system fishing standing timber at 10 to 12 feet using crankbaits and spinnerbaits. The outside bends have been the most productive. Crappie: Good, we had some reports this week that the crappie has been active around fish attractors, both at night and in the late hours of the day. Small jigs and live minnows are still reported as the bait producing the best catches.

Grayson Lake: The lake is stable and clear in all areas except the headwater areas where showers have added some color to the water. Bass: fair to good. The bass fishing is starting to improve as the water temperature continues to drop. The low light periods are the best time of success. Use topwater, jerkbaits and creature baits, fishing the cove points and channel bend above the bridge for the best results. Crappie: fair to good. Crappie have been easy to catch this week but the size of the fish has been small. Use live bait and small jigs around roadbeds and sunken trees. Catfish: good. Fish live bait using drop lines and trotlines in headwater areas.

Scott Doan displays the 4.5 lb. Largemouth Bass he caught Aug. 18, on Cedar Creek Lake. (Submitted)

Greenbo Lake: The lake is in good shape, clear and stable. Bass: fair. Many anglers are starting to fish the low light periods instead of fishing through the night. Early morning topwater and spinnerbaits have produced this past week. Trout: While the trout fishing is usually good on this lake, I didn’t receive any reports this week on the trout fishing. If you had success please let me know how you did. Crappie: no reports. If you had success, drop me a line. Catfish: Good, in the dam area. If you catch fish with worms in the meat we suggest you discard them.

Ohio River: While most lakes were clear this past week the river was stained and it did have some effect on the fishing. White bass: reported fair. Watch for breaking fish in mouths of creeks. Use inline spinners and small crankbaits. Largemouth Bass: Good, use small spinnerbait and ¼ oz. buzzbaits around weeds, brush and lay-down trees. The best successes have been in the early morning hours. Below the Dam: Sauger and Walleye are reported fair. Use crankbaits and live bait. Bass: fair to good. Fish early before the water temperature has a chance to warm up at points, weeds and lay-down trees. Spinnerbaits and jigs have produced fish this week. Catfish: good. Reports of catfish are still coming in. While drop-lines and trotlines report the most success, we got a few reports this week of good catches from bank fishermen using cut bait fishing just after sunrise. Stripers: I didn’t get any reports on Stripers this week. If you having success please send me an email.

Yatesville Lake: The big news on this lake is the water temperature. The first few hours of the day the water temperature has fallen into the mid 70s. The water remains clear in most areas of the lake.  Bass: The falling temperatures have improved the bass fishing. However, the locations for success remain in much of the same places. Fish timbered coves, creek areas and points in the low light periods of the day. Use crankbaits, worms and topwater baits. Crappie: improving. Fish the edges of flats in channel bends and old fish attractors using 32 oz. white crappie jigs tipped with live minnows. We have also had some reports of catches fishing at night under lights using live bait. Reports suggest the crappie are in 15 foot of water near channel points. Bluegill: fair. Fish hard bottom areas with red worms and 64 oz. back jigs.

Fishing reports and pictures of your catch can be submitted to: trimmer308@windstream.net

Southside Auto Trim

About mudfoot1 246 Articles
Carrie "Mudfoot" Stambaugh is the managing editor of KentuckyAngling.com. Carrie is an outdoor adventurer! She's an avid hiker and a burgeoning angler. Carrie and her husband, Carl, also enjoy canoeing eastern Kentucky lakes and rivers with their dog Cooper. The couple live in Ashland.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.