Eastern Kentucky Fishing Report

This fishing report was compiled for April 30 – May 4th, 2012

Editor’s Note: Would you like to see that big catch displayed here? If you catch a big fish send us the picture. We will be publishing some selected photos in the fishing report over the next few weeks. Please tell us your name, the size, weight and body of water that you caught them from. Send your pictures to trimmer308@windstream.net

Cave Run Lake: The water level is stable at a 1.5 feet below summer pool. Surface temperature is 63 to 68 degrees. Fish have started spawning in some parts of the lake while other parts of the lake have regressed somewhat as temperatures fell some this past week. Musky: Good to excellent. The musky have completed going through the motions of spawning, all of the guides reported catching fish this week. The PMTT tournament is coming up and it looks to be a really good one this year. Use, topwater buzzers, jerkbaits, bulldawgs, gliders rattle lipless crankbaits and inline spinners. Bass: Smallmouth fishing is fair. These fish are starting the spawn. Largemouth fishing is reported good. Use crankbaits, swim baits, tube jigs and rattletrap types baits. As the fish start to spawn, we look for the fishing to slow down until the spawn is completed. Crappie:good. Some excellent size crappie were caught this past week, fishing small in-line spinners on mud flats near feeder creeks. Also try live bait around brush-piles on flats. The white crappie are finding cover near spawning beds.

Grayson Lake: The water level is stable at 1.5 feet below summer pool. The lake is stained but clearing in the dam area, with water temperatures warming to 62 to 66 degrees. Bass: Slow, some fish have been spotted cruising spawning locations. Jigs, plastic worms and flukes have been the most productive baits this week. Crappie: fair. Use live bait, fishing down trees near the channel. We also got a few reports that crappie were caught along roadbeds and sunken trees in channel areas.

Greenbo Lake: The lake is mostly clear and the water surface temperature is 68 degrees and stable. Bass: good. As this lake goes into a post spawn pattern, fish have been taken on live bait, crankbaits and AC Shiners. Trout: Fair to good, fishing inline spinners, Berkley Power Bait, blade baits, and red worms. Most of the action has been in the ramp area from the bank. Crappie: Improving, fish jigs and inline spinners.

Ohio River: The Ohio River Greenup pool is in good shape this week. The water is clear in most areas and the fishing was reported good. White Bass: We had some reports of white bass catches this week. Fish with crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Fish were reported in creeks. Largemouth Bass: Improving, use crankbaits, jerkbaits and small spinner baits, fishing the mouth of coves and shallow water coves. The river bass are staging, but the water needs to become a little warmer for the bass to start the spawn. Below the Dam: Sauger/Walleye were reported fair. Use crankbaits and live bait. Bass: fair to good. The bass have been active this week. Use spinner baits and crankbaits. The bass are getting ready to nest and some backwater areas have produced some good fish this week. Catfish: Good, fishing spawning beds and creek heads. Strippers: Hot this past week! Use live bait and topwater stick baits.

Yatesville Lake: The water level is reported rising and was 4 foot over winter pool at press time. The water surface temperature is 63 to 67 degrees. Headwater areas were reported clearing. The main lake is reported as slightly stained. Bass: fair. Some fish were reported to be in the spawn at the upper end of the lake. However, the dam area is still has active fish. Use early morning top-water crankbaits. In the afternoon, jigs have been the go to bait.  Crappie: good, fishing 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 using small in-line spinners casting the shallow flats as the black crappie start visiting these areas when the sun begins to warm the water surface. Bluegill: We had some reports this week that the bluegill are starting to show up in spawn areas. Look for the best bluegill fishing to start five days before the full moon beginning May 6.

Local area fishing reports can be submitted to trimmer308@windstream.net

This fishing report was compiled for April 23-30, 2012

Cave Run Lake: The water level is about 1.5 below summer pool. Surface temperature is 63 to 68 degrees. Fish could start going on the nest anytime, the cool snaps have stalled the bass a few times now, but they are ready. Musky: good to excellent. The musky have completed going through the motions of spawning. All of the guides report catching fish this week. Use topwater buzzers jerkbaits, bulldawgs, gliders rattle lipless crankbaits and inline spinners. Bass: Smallmouth fishing is fair. We didn’t get any reports on the smallmouth this week but this could be because these fish are starting the spawn. Largemouth fishing is good. Use crankbait, swimbaits, tube jigs and rattle-trap types baits. As the fish start to spawn, we look for the fishing to slow down until the spawn is completed. Crappie: good. Some excellent size crappie were caught this past week fishing small in-line spinners on mud flats near feeder creeks and live bait around brush-piles on flats. The white crappie are finding cover near spawning beds.

Grayson Lake: The water level is stable at 1.5 feet below summer pool. The lake is stained but clearing in the dam area, with water temperatures warming to 62 to 66 degrees. Bass: reported good and improving. Fish points using crankbaits and jerkbaits. Some fish are also reported active in shallow water spawning areas, use tube jigs and swimbaits here. Crappie: fair. Use live bait fishing down trees near the channel. We also got a few reports that crappie were caught along roadbeds and sunken trees in channel areas.

Greenbo Lake: The lake is mostly clear and the water surface temperature is 68 degrees and stable. Bass: good. Fish jerkbaits, jigs and plastic worms. As the bass finish the spawn on this lake, a few very large bass have been reported caught. Trout: Fair to good, fishing inline spinners, Berkley Power Bait, blade baits, and red worms. Most of the action has been in the ramp area from the bank. Crappie: Improving, fish jigs and inline spinners.

Ohio River: The Ohio River Greenup pool is in good shape this week. The water is clear in most areas and the fishing was reported good. Bass: We have some report of white bass catches this week. Fish crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Fish were reported in creeks. Largemouth Bass are reported improving. Use crankbaits, jerkbaits and small spinnerbaits fishing the mouth of coves and shallow water coves. The river bass are staging but the water needs to become a little warmer for the bass to start the spawn. Below the Dam: Sauger/Walleye: fair. Use crankbaits and live bait. Bass: fair to good. The bass have been active this week. Use spinnerbaits and crankbaits. The bass are getting ready to nest and some backwater areas have produced some good fish this week. Catfish: good. Fish spawning beds and creek heads. Strippers: Hot this past week! We have got a few reports that the Strippers have been active on live bait and topwater stick baits. Some good fish have been caught this week.

Yatesville Lake: The water level is reported rising at four foot over winter pool. The water surface temperature is 63 to 67 degrees. Headwater areas are reported clearing and the main lake is slightly stained. Bass: good. Use flippin jigs, swimbaits, crankbaits, and jerkbaits fishing points and creek headwaters. We also have had a few reports of bass moving into shallow water spawning areas. This shallow water activity should improve as bass begin spawning.   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 using small in-line spinners, casting the shallow water flats as the black crappie start visiting these areas when the sun begins to warm the surface. Bluegill: We had some reports this week that the bluegill are starting to show up in spawn areas.