Little help needed on Cherokee

Heading over to Cherokee next week and looking for any suggestions for fishing at night for crappie. Any help please???

Boat or bank? Upper end or lower end? Cherokee is a long lake, so any preferred area? From your screen name I assume you know the No Fishing Zone that is in place down near the Dam. From July 15 to Sept 15 you cannot fish in a designated area down there for any species from a boat.


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Hey friend, we're going to be staying at the lower end but my understanding is the crappie do not hang out there. I've heard upper end at poor valley is good but that's a long boat ride. I'm willing to taxi the boat up lake if needed though. Any help???

There are Crappie all over the lake, including the lower end. German Creek bridges and the three bridges inside that large creek are all good night time spots, with brush under most of them. Poor Valley is a good area to fish, and there is a boat ramp just a short distance away from that large creek area. There is a bridge that spans Poor Valley, Hwy 11w bridge and the water is about 30-40ft and deeper under that bridge. Green submersible lights and white lights above should do the trick. Minnows are the preferred choice but are hard to keep alive this time of year. When I do night fish it is usually mid lake along the bluffs where there are large deep lay downs near the main channel. When the Shad start circling the boat the fish will hopefully follow. Good luck and be safe. The lake has actually came up from last weeks rains and there is some debris floating but TVA should start pulling the plug and starting the annual drawdown soon which will beach the debris.


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So as far as the lay downs along the bluffs, how deep are they??? Or what would the preferred depth your mainly looking to find them? Also, thanks for the detailed info so far

Water depth along many of bluffs I fish is deep, anywhere from 25-45ft deep would be sufficient. Hard to fish around if much deeper but I do see boats anchored in much deeper water with the lights. They may be Striper or Hybrid fishing. The lay downs I usually target run down to about 20ft or so, some are deeper. This summer has been odd and a thermocline has not really set up in areas that I fish, no real long periods of hot dry weather. Surface temperatures were down to 80 last week, but supposed to get hot again. Water is clearer down the lake so fish may be a little deeper. One of my favorite places has about 40ft water, some visible and underwater lay downs nearby, and is on the end of a point. I tie a rope off to the bank, back out about 30-40ft and throw an anchor out the back. Drop lights and wait on the Shad. Crappie will move in and out through the light column, feeding at different times and depths. MAKE SURE you keep running and anchor lights on at all times when it is dark!!


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Stan do you mind if I PM you for any additional questions I my have? Thanks again

No problem with the PM, always glad to help get you started in the right direction. I have not night fished in a couple years, it bites getting old. My eyesight is not as good as it used to be at night.


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