Kayak Trip Report, Ocoee River, TN

I spent the 22nd thru the 27th February in Tennessee on the Ocoee River chasing Yellow Perch. I booked the Airbnb and put in for leave from work over 6 months ago hoping for the best with weather. As is typically after a couple weeks of beautiful weather a cold came through on the 22nd. Here’s a summary of the week and a few things I figured out on my first time chasing Yellow Perch.

22nd – Drove to the Airbnb located between Benton, TN and Parksville Lake. With a little research it looked like Parksville was the nearest lake with a catchable population of Yellow Perch. Like most Tennessee River anglers that chase Crappie I catch 10 or 12 a year by accident. The ones large enough to clean and cook are always a pleasure, but you could spend a year trying to target them without success due to the low numbers in North Alabama. The 22nd was windy with falling temperatures so after dropping my stuff at the Airbnb I drove around Parksville to look for likely put ins for my kayak and stopped by the Marina to ask for free advice. Basically, I got that with the cold front it would be hard fishing but Greasy Creek was my best bet and to look for wood or vegetation with minnows and I might get a few. I informed that I fished from a kayak and only use artificial baits. That turned into “I probably would catch any”, LOL.

23rd – I decided to stay in the Airbnb and not even get on the water. Temperatures in the 20’s with winds 10 to 15 MPH, gust to 30MPH.

24th – I headed to Greasy Creek at 10AM, winds were still 10 to 15MPH and it was 26 degrees. Line kept freezing in the rod eyelets. Parksville was amazing clear with visibility of 6 feet plus even after the rain. The lake seemed to be devoid of any life on the fish finder, but not unusual in ultra clear lakes using down view. You’re simple scaring everything before you get to it. I fished till 5PM (high for the day was only 31 degrees) without a bite. Nothing shallow, mid-range or deep and I tried everything from bottom bouncing jigs to spinners and even small deep driving crank baits. I even tried single poling brush in 15 to 25 feet of water for Crappie, nothing.

25th – Above Parksville (Oconee Dam #3) is Oconee Dam #2 but it only has a small water holding area of about 15 acres. Above that is Oconee Dam #1 with about 360 acres of water, but no easy access. The road identified as the “upper put in” is actually below the dam and is used for white water rafting “put in” in the warmer months. The gate to the access road was also closed and locked. A search for public road access led to only one possible candidate. Tumbling Creek Campground is a remote, primitive campground located along FS Road 221 in the Cherokee National Forest. A search on Google Earth looking at winter photo’s (less foliage) show a trail following Tumbling Creek Campground to Ocoee #3 Lake.

I figured I’d drive 45 minutes to the campground and find the old trail blocked by the forestry service or down trees but figured I had nothing to loss. I arrived just after daylight and found the train (really a wagon rut following the creek] passable to where the creek opened up into the lake. No true launch and just enough room to turn around and park to leave. Again, the water was crystal clear (I was able to see the bottom in eight feet of water) with a mix of down trees and remnant grass on the bottom out to about 10 to 12 feet with water as deep as 18 feet. I fished for hours before finding a pattern, but finally caught my first Perch bottom bouncing a 1/20 oz jig head with a Z-man Baby BallerZ in Blue Glimmer Sparkle. The fish was on the weed edge in eight feet of water. I fished up and down the creek and anywhere I found a weed edge ending at around eight feet of water I’d pick up a few. I returned a hundred plus 6 to 8 inch Perch keeping 21 that were 10 to 12 inches. The water was 40 degrees (high for the day was 52 degrees and still windy).

26th – The weather forecast had been calling for rain all day Thursday, but was beginning to show clearing after lunch. I returned to Ocoee #3 Lake and of course got rained on several times, but kept a dozen more Perch. The water had warmed to 42 degrees and even with the rain the night before visibility was still around 6 feet.

27th – returned back home to Madison today, mid to upper 60s and calm winds. I just can’t win. Beautiful weather for two weeks and the cold front comes through the day I leave to Ocoee. Now the forecast is calling for warm weather the next two weeks, LOL! At least I succeed at catching some Yellow Perch on my first try and have a better idea for where to occasional search for them along the Tennessee River Lakes.

Attachment 514620

Good report and results. Looks like a nice cooler of groceries. Thanks for sharing

Thank for sharing

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Good report, thanks for the post.

This time of year E TN weather is truly "just wait 5 minutes and it will change". One weather front after another on what seems to be a constant/continuous basis.

Sounds like an awesome trip DB, despite the weather. I’d love to catch some of those. That’s beautiful country up there!

I'm reminded of the story about making lemonade when life gives you lemons, weather wasn't my friend, but at least I put some Perch in the kayak. I'll probably return the last week of February next year above Ocoee #3. This area being smaller provides a better chance of getting out of the wind in a kayak and is more isolated to my liking. The Perch were in prespawn so much like the Crappie that I usually chase the Perch were in predictable areas or just deeper off likely spawning areas. I stayed in one small arm of the lake this trip but now have a better idea of what I should be looking for next year. If the weather cooperates, I'll explore other similar areas next year and should do much better. Last year the Tennessee state record Yellow Perch came from this lake (2 lbs. 5 oz., 15.75 inches). With only the ability to launch a kayak, canoe or flat bottom fishing pressure should continue to stay very minimum.

Awesome

Sounds like you're getting a feel for those perch. Those will eat well!

Cool trip and story. I’ve caught just enough Perch in my life to say that I’ve caught em. They’ve all been in the Tennessee River except one. Biggest Perch I ever seen much less caught was on Tn River, I had it in the dip net, high fives my buddy and then the dang thing flopped out ofthe net back in the water. He was 12-14” I’d say. Fun day it was though.

seems like your luck is like mine with the weather you was dealing with. Kudos to you for sticking it out and making the best of the situation.

I cooked one of the bags of Perch with some Crappie tonight. My wife didn't like the Perch as much as the Crappie, but my daughter is ready to send me back to Tennessee to caught more. Maybe I need to get her to talk with my boss, LOL!

We are moving to TN, great report

How do they taste compared to crappie?


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Close to the same taste and flavor to me, light, flakey white meat with no fishy after taste. For me it's a tie, I'll take either.

I'm new to the Perch thing so my experience is limited to last week (and the timing was prespawn), but once I found the fish they were hitting every cast. Most were only 6 to 8 inches, but they weren't finicky about hitting a bait!

I may have to make a few trips over to Guntersville looking for Perch after the Crappie spawn, LOL!