Thread: Watts Bar

Capt .... It concerns me, as well. Like you, I haven't caught many "short" fish over the last several years, and the last two mid April trips have yielded fish mostly 13"-15" ... still with full egg sacs and no where near the shallow water (even though the water temps were prime for spawning).

"Something" is going on, and I'm not really sure what I'd like to blame it on the screwy weather patterns of recent years, but I can't because I've had success during those same conditions in years prior. The only thing I can pinpoint a "probable cause" on is the TVA changing the times for the pool levels. But, I'm not the only one, according to this : Watts Bar Lake users want answers from TVA officials - The Herald-News: Local News
and this: TVA Approves New Water Level Plan Over Objections - Chattanoogan.com
.... and evidenced by this : https://www.tva.com/Environment/Lake...perating-Guide

Caught lots of shorts in the spring. May want to look at Tnfish.org. This is the site that the biologist give the ETCC last evening for where they put their data on all the reservoirs.

I think there are a couple of things going on. The last two springs, we basically didn't have spring. The water temperature went from 55 to almost 80 in just a few days. It wasn't gradual. I think that messes up the fish. I have placed brush piles all over this lake, many of which are in prime pre-spawn locations, and have produced great in the past, during pre-spawn. The past two years, the fish didn't show up there like they normally do. Secondly, and more importantly, crappie on Watts Bar have lost a ton of spawning habitat to development. In the Caney Creek area, ugly, white, rip-rap has replaced fallen trees in places that I used to load the boat with crappie. One bank, just down the river from Caney Creek, had about 15 trees, and was a place you could get your limit in no time. A developer bought the property, ripped out all the trees, and then didn't even develop that portion of the subdivision. To date, the subdivision is nowhere near where this habitat was destroyed, and for the life of me I can't understand why they did that. You can't even see that bank from the houses they built. I believe this is why crappie on the bar have begun to relate more to docks than they used to, in the past. A dock is okay, but it can never replace a fallen tree for habitat. Yes, I know erosion is a problem from the monstrous pleasure boats that plow up and down the lake in the summer, but rip-rap isn't needed in the backs of coves, well away from the main river channel.

Captain Scott I'm going to send you a PM so keep your eyes open.

Actually, Capt .... I quit fishing Caney Creek after they started expanding the park. There just didn't seem to be any fish there, anymore
I moved on down the lake to the White's Creek area, and some foray's down to the Piney area.

And you're right ... the water temps were way higher these last two Spring trips !! My notes from 2009 (mid April) say the water temps were in the mid 50's and the fish were in 12-18fow, just off the bottom, and the eggs were not ready to drop. The last two years we've encountered water temps in the low to mid 70's during mid April, & caught fish anywhere from 8-20ft deep, some in brush & some suspended out over deeper water, with eggs ready to drop or nearly ready ... and few, if any, male fish in the shallows of the normal spawning banks.

CP....I still fish out of Caney Creek, mainly because it's easier for my clients to find, and I like the ramp. The TWRA did a good job building that one. But, I run out of the creek, most of the time, just because it is so crowded. There are tons of small coves that hold fish that most people never fish. I would encourage you to try the Rockwood area, as well. I have loaded the boat flipping the docks in that area; even in summer time.

Originally Posted by Captain Scott

CP....I still fish out of Caney Creek, mainly because it's easier for my clients to find, and I like the ramp. The TWRA did a good job building that one. But, I run out of the creek, most of the time, just because it is so crowded. There are tons of small coves that hold fish that most people never fish. I would encourage you to try the Rockwood area, as well. I have loaded the boat flipping the docks in that area; even in summer time.

If you're talking about King Creek, yeah ... we've been there. But that was decades ago, back when we were slow trolling minnows. Only fished it during the Spring, and had most of our success along the right hand bank (going into the creek) in the cut-thru to the mouth of River Branch. We didn't know anything about "dock shooting" back then.

Back when we fished Caney Creek, we'd also hit Bullet Branch and Chapman Branch. Chapman Branch is as far "up river" as we've fished. Down the lake, on the West side from Pearl Harbor to the dam and on the East side in the Piney & Muddy River areas ... we've yet to really explore or fish to any extent, either.

We're usually only there in April & Oct ... and lodge at Arrowhead. That's usually a 3day stay, starting around midday on day one & ending around midday on day three (due to the 4hr drive to and from).

CP, I know it sounds crazy, but the summer crappie bite can be great on Watts Bar. Fish deep brush with minnows in many of the same places they congregate during pre-spawn. As a bonus, find any main river hump, and you can catch some huge white bass on jigging spoons. You should give it a try. I fish early in the morning or in the evenings just to beat the heat, but the fish can be caught all day. A lot of guys also pull crankbaits and catch crappie, too. It's just a cool lake to fish.