Fishing and Lake Report
Friday 10/23/26
Pre Draw Down Report
General Overview of Current and Coming Conditions.
The water temp has been steady at low 60’s …about 5 degrees over a typical late March. The conditions for the next 30 days are not easily forecasted because today officially begins a draw down much faster than any we’ve seen. Its not only a little earlier than years past but the volume drained is much faster. 8′ of water sucked out in about 2 weeks. We are nearing the typical “turnover” thats sets up in stages and the fish react accordingly. Depending on what layer they pull the water from, all this can turn on its head. Here is what we know….as the water warms all summer, the surface typically hits 80’s at the highest. The water with long days slowly warms to 60 degrees down 20 plus feet. Oxygen becomes lousy and fish go below the thermocline or stay very shallow. Dead water in the middle ranges….as the surface cools with much longer periods of darkness and colder night temps, the surface water temp drops dramatically and quickly. The dense fog is telling you the nights are cooler than the water. Usually around the 3rd week of Oct …now, we have surface temps in mid to upper 50’s. That is cooler than the depth below it for the first time since last winter…..cold water is heavier and more dense. Typically the fall fronts and windy days or nights (coming soon) will facilitate the “turnover”. Water rolls in pockets….cold water falls and warmer, low oxygen, stagnant, brown stained water comes to the surface. The new water to the surface with the wind creates a heavy foam at the waterline everywhere in the areas of turn over and temporary instability. That’s the visual along with the water looking stained like tea color.
Here is what the fish generally do….the river end of the lake, the deep inlet an coves are relatively stable. They are shallower, cool to the bottom faster, mix with any and all winds …the backwater and river are feeding cooler water each night. The main lake however becomes unstable just prior to a turnover. Fishing is typically good because of condensed populations wanting stable conditions. Stability is long coves and the “river” above 994 bridge. Not everything but, increased population. There are many that stay at 35 -40 underneath the layer of the entire process happening above them. Turnover on this lake is generally the top 30′.
This season has several variables that blows everything up….the fast draw down can cause many differences from the norm. Especially, depending on what layer of water they pull from. When the lake is lowered, its not overflow surface water. The dam and tunnel can pull many different layers of water. Sucking the middle layers out can make a clean turnover over a 2 week period non existent. It can effect the fishing dramatically. Since its a pre-turnover draw down, we dont honestly know if fish will commit to long coves or stay main lake that generally occurs with a water draw. It’s going to be a dice roll until we get stability again. A big draw down after turnover is much different than pre-turnover
I’m catching fish still at 30′ in general. Small fish are a little higher in the water column. Still catching lake trout 30′ down to 60′.
Aitch, Seven Points and Tatman run will close in 2 weeks. Be careful. I’m expecting some tough conditions with a few things working against each other…there are fish at the lower end that stay year around…they are exceptions to the increased population that go up lake. I know these down lake fish generally eat when the water is moving and they feel that rate current. The lower end will see lake trout and Stripers position as they should and thrive on bait moving toward them. Ugly couple weeks ahead. Will update when the lake stabilizes.
This report is provided by Trophy Guide Service, Inc.
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