Fishing Report Late May: Lake Chatuge, Lake Glenville, Fontana Lake and Bear Lake

General Notes: The month of May has continued to be fantastic fishing in all of the lakes around the Smoky Mountain region! The spawn is just about finished up as I believe about 99% of the fish are done spawning. In 4 trips this week we counted a total of 1 bass still on a bed. So what does that mean? It's time to pattern post spawn bass and bass in transition to their summer patterns! This time of the year can be one of the most amazing times of the year while also being one of the most difficult times of the year! There are a lot of bass guarding fry up but that too is about to end quick. Many of those fish are heading back out deep!

Lake Chatuge:

Temp: 71-74

Clarity: 3-7ft

Topwater and some more topwater and swimbaits and topwater! Fish are packing up and schooling on herring across the lake. With water still relatively comfortable for fish, look for a bite at the top of the water column. Big largemouth are shallow and stay shallow! Big spotted bass will be nomadic and chasing bait in creek mouths, points and wind blown bays. The occasional largemouth will be in those fish. Big bass get big eating big forage! Big forage is at the top of the water or in shallow water mimic the big forage and get some big bites!

The Jackson County Shop with a Cop fundraiser tournament is June 4th out of Ledford's Chapel! $50 entry and should be a great turn out! A great way to give back to the community and support our police officers that keep us safe! and I think 19lbs 8oz will win!

Fontana Lake:

Temp: 72-75

Clarity: 8ft-12ft

If you want to avoid small bass go to the backs of creeks! The largemouth are there in abundance! Swimbaits, frogs, wacky worms, finesse worms, flukes and cranking the channels going back to them will produce above average Fontana fish! Wolf packs of giant largemouth are around, if you can be at the right place at the right time you can put a Fontana FREAK in the boat! There are still some old ancient hammers swimming in there!

Lake Glenville:

Temp: 67-71

Clarity: 3ft-5ft

The spawn is over! Bass are in tree's eating bream, up shallow eating bream or out on points feeding on blueback herring! Flukes, walking baits, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits are catching them off of points. You can go shallow and press your luck, won't get many bites but they will be good! There are herring schools everywhere! The bass are right behind them!

Bear Creek Lake:

Temp: 71-73

Clarity: 15ft

The lake has fish swimming shallow everywhere! There is an abundance of shallow bait over top of tree's and load of bass on the banks! I like big wake baits, buzz frogs and hollow body frogs!

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Fishing Report 5/4/16: Lake Chatuge, Lake Glenville, Fontana Lake and Bear Lake

General Notes: This entire spring has been absolutely incredible and I personally believe the best days are still to come! Right now we are starting to see the next seasonal transition take place, spawn to post spawn. There are still a lot of fish on beds and there will continue to be fish on beds until a little after the next full moon which is at the end of the month! But now that a solid 50% of the fish have spawned you can do some serious post spawn patterning in preparation for KNOCKING THEIR LIGHTS OUT! The shad spawn just weeks after the bass spawn (in roughly 70* water) so get your top waters, flukes, spinnerbaits and swimbaits ready... EVERYWHERE!

Lake Chatuge:

Temp: 67-71

Clarity: 3-7ft

When you are fishing Lake Chatuge you have to take in account that Lake Chatuge is one of the most densely populated lakes with baitfish in the southeast! There are threadfin shad, gizzard shad and blueback herring with blueback herring being the staple food source. Herring and shad spawn on long points with a hard bottom or in very specific area on the points! Some points on Chatuge are primarily clay but they do have gravel mixed in! BURN your flukes, work your walkers and steady reel your swimmers and you'll get chewed up! Largemouth will be mixed in but a majority of your big 'uns will be in shallow back water!

Fontana Lake:

Temp: 68-70

Clarity: 8ft-12ft

Fontana is still filled with little dinky fish and probably will be until the department of fish and wildlife decide to implement some kind of fish management program. You will run into your decent fish by going for decent fish, you'll still manage to catch some dinks but you just have to believe it's going to happen! We like staying shallow and hunting for big fish with frogs and swimbaits!

Lake Glenville:

Temp: 64-66

Clarity: 3ft-5ft

It's about that time of the year up at Glenville! Top water is the only thing you need to throw starting in a couple weeks! This lake has the mojo when the herring spawn is on!

Bear Creek Lake:

Temp: 61-65

Clarity: 15ft

The lake has fish swimming shallow everywhere! There is an abundance of shallow bait over top of tree's and load of bass on the banks! Bed fish, flip and swim some baits next to tree's and it'll be on!