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!