Thread: Duck River Area

For a number of years when I lived in TN, I spent a lot of time fishing that area of the Tennessee River/Kentucky Lake. It is a great area for crappie. Cuba Landing usually holds quality crappie most of the year, and across the river from it is an area (known as the "Tie Yard" to locals), which is one of the best trolling areas for springtime and early summertime crappie on the lake. Up river from Cuba Landing (on the other side of the I 40 bridge) are areas like "Fool's Branch": a great springtime crappie haven and deeper creeks like Morgan's Creek, Hog Creek and Crooked Creek.

You mentioned Duck River. I've caught crappie in Duck River a few times during winter months when the flow was low. We caught quality fish near the banks in eddies and places where deadfalls broke the current. I've never fished it at other times of the year, but I'm sure there are times when good fish can be caught.

One of my all time favorite "summertime" crappie places used to be the Wildlife Management area off KY Lake there at Hustburg. A levey separates the wildlife area from the Lake, leaving the wildlife area a crappie-rich area of flooded timber, open flats and stumps. In fact, we used to call that area "the stump hole". I can't begin to tell you the number of huge crappie (that I caught or that were caught by friends of mine) that I have seen come from that area. At one time the TWRA closed a major portion of that wildlife area (I think due to some endangered cranes that were nesting there) but in recent years have re-opened once again to fishing. It should still be a spot that holds good fish, especially given the way the Tn River and Duck River have flooded over into it. Though the water is not deep there, the stumps and trees used to hold good quality crappie that we caught during hot summertime months.

Another awesome spot in that same area for good crappie is Birdsong Creek. I did manage to make a trip down there this past winter and catch a limit of quality crappie, so I know the fish are still there.