Fishing Report Fontana Lake, Lake Glenville, Lake Chatuge and More! 06/23/17

Summer is HERE and fishing is WEIRD! The lakes across the mountains of Western NC and North GA are fishing a little odd for this time of the year but it's coming around! Water temps are raising rapidly and the fish are starting to stack and become easier to pattern! All the lakes are fishing a little different but all of the lakes are fishing similarly in a few ways. Here are the current conditions and reports for the lakes of Western NC and North GA!

Lake Chatuge
Water Temp: 81*
Clarity: 6ft
Lake Level: 0
Pattern: There are some big spots and hybrids breaking in the mornings and pushing bait on points, shoals and humps. Largemouth on secondary points are doing similar things in the morning. Largemouth are cruising back waters, wolf packing bream beads and pushing the banks when the sun comes up. Occasional big bass on docks. Big spots randomly pushing herring periodically through the day. Fishing slow on points can produce some good bites! Frogging and glide baits will produce for some good largemouth where they are.

Lake Glenville
Water Temp: 75*
Clarity: 6ft
Lake Level: 0
Pattern: There is still a herring  spawn happening early in the morning! Top water is working well in the mornings and continues to work with cloud cover. A drop shot on deep brush and deep rock will produce well. Waterfalls are fishing well and doing extremely well during rainy conditions! A senko down the bank will catch some big fish randomly. Cruising fish are staying on the banks looking for last few spawning herring and bedding bream.

Fontana Lake
Water Temp: 80*
Clarity: 15ft
Lake Level: 0
Pattern: There was a recent threadfin shad hatch on the lake and there are clouds of bait in the back of every creek! Big smallmouth are schooling on the small threadfin and big largemouth are in back waters. A frog will put some decent largemouth in the boat as well as a Keitech and spybait in the areas where bait is present!

Bear Lake
Water Temp: 77*
Clarity: 10ft
Lake Level: 0
Pattern: A lot of bream spawning and a threadfin up in the water column! Breaking fish are showing up towards the bottom of the lake near dam. Both largemouth and trout are in these schools! Frogging and throwing soft plastics around overhangs are catching numbers of fish and good size mixed in! Drop shotting points and a jig in deep brush will catch above average fish!

Nantahala Lake
Water Temp: 75*
Clarity: 15ft
Lake Level: 0
Pattern: Just like Glenville there are a few herring spawning on hard rocky shorelines. Fish are pushing shallow on overhanging banks and rocky points. Top water will produce numbers and some size! Drop shotting points and fishing deep brush will catch some solid fish. Creek heads and frogging go hand in hand! There are some solid fish in the cooler water! 

Lake Burton
Water Temp: 80*
Clarity: 6ft
Lake Level: 0
Pattern: There are some big spots breaking in the mornings and pushing bait on points, shoals and humps. Largemouth on secondary points are doing similar things in the morning. Largemouth are cruising back waters, wolf packing bream beads and pushing the banks when the sun comes up. Occasional big bass on docks. Big spots randomly pushing herring periodically through the day. Fishing slow on points can produce some good bites! Frogging and glide baits will produce for some good largemouth where they are.

Fishing Report Lake Glenville, Lake Chatuge, Lake Burton and Fontana Lake 4/24/17

We highly considered riding the boat to work today with all the rain we've had! It's been a weird year and the spawn is still on! I'd expect one last big wave of fish to get on bed with the next full moon on every lake but there are a ton of fish in the post spawn period! I'll break it down into estimated percentages with where the fish are in regard to the spawn on every lake.

Lake Glenville
Temp:62*
Clarity: 6ft
Level: Even
Pattern: 25% Prespawn, 50% Spawn, 25% Postspawn
Fishing Staging on wood and docks. Jig, spinnerbait, whooper plopper, worms and jerkbaits still playing. Top water season is here!!!!..... Kind of! They'll definitely eat a popper or walking style bait but we are a week or two out from some serious top water action!

Lake Chatuge
Temp:66*-70*
Clarity: 6ft
Level: -4
Pattern: 10% Prespawn, 20% Spawn, 70% Postspawn
It's almost time for the herring spawn to come on HOT! Fish are eating top water and swimbaits! When the shad spawn happens it's hard to beat shad imitating baits! You can always catch them on a worm or jig!


Lake Burton
Temp: 65*-68*
Clarity: 8ft
Level: -2
Pattern: 15% Prespawn, 25% Spawn, 60% Postspawn
Very similar to Chatuge, the herring and shad spawn is going to be picking up in no time and the fish will be feeding up heavy to get healthy after the spawn. Spinnerbaits, top water and swimbaits should play pretty well!

Fontana Lake
Temp: 68*-71*
Clarity: 10ft
Level: -18
Pattern: 15% Prespawn, 15% Spawn, 70% Postspawn
Spots will be schooling along with largemouth and smallmouth. Big bass will be pushing to the cool water in backs of creeks! Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and top water should be the ticket!

3/23/17 Bass Fishing Report: Lake Chatuge, Lake Glenville, Fontana Lake, Lake Burton

I personally believe SPRING HAS ARRIVED!!! Last weeks frigid temps appear to be the last ones on the extended forecast into April! We have totally been slacking on updated fishing reports as we have been super busy at Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply with getting ready for our first spring! It's been more time in the shop and less time on the water. But let's dive into what is happening!

It is HARDCORE PRESPAWN!!! There are a ton of fish shallow and waves of fish moving shallower by the day! The daily temps are climbing and so are the water temperatures. We currently have a waning moon but when the moon begins to grow again at the beginning of April and the water warms to above 58* the spawn will be on! So whats happening now?

Lake Chatuge

Water Temp: 53-57

Clarity: 7ft

Water Level:-5

Pattern: The fish are feeding up heavy for the spawn and it's about to bust WIDE OPEN! Lots of fish, big fish, every fish! They are staging for the spawn. Getting in and around structure and cover before they move up to their beds! Anything shad looking covering water will play well! Spawning flats with visible structure and cover will be holding some fish! A pig and jig is always a good way to catch a big one this time of the year!

Lake Glenville

Water Temp: 48-52

Clarity: 9ft

Water Level:-3

Pattern: The fish are still running a lot of shad on points and pockets! Swimbaits and jerkbaits playing a good bit on bigger fish. A weedless craw style or jig style lure in wood will catch some studs at the same time a finesse worm style presentation will catch a few nice fish around docks.

Fontana Lake

Water Temp: 54-58

Clarity: 10ft

Water Level:-38

Pattern: Finesse jigs, drop shot and shakyhead will catch #'s of fish. Bluff walls and structure in the water will be holding a majority of bigger fish. Big largemouth are moving back to the flats in the backs of creeks to spawn and are getting on laydowns and cover. Jigs, floating worms and some swimbaits can catch the fish moving back.

Lake Burton

Water Temp: 53-57

Clarity: 8ft

Water Level:-3

Pattern: Docks are holding big fish while some big fish are still roaming and schooling. Big spots are packing herring back on flats and starting to move shallow as well. Swimbaits in a few different styles, jigs and jerkbaits catching some fish as well! Spinner baits playing well too! Look for Big bass in back water moving forward!

Frigid Freaks! Tips for Catching Bass in the Winter!

As I am typing this at Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply the temperature outside is a whopping 14* and I can barely feel a small draft of could air squeezing through crack between the front doors... It's COLD!!! This time of the year can be intimidating, overwhelming and down right tough to fish! I thought it'd be great to highlight some of the best ways to catch some FREAK sized fish when the temps are FREAKY frigid!

1) Go Deep!

Deep water is one factor that can add to the intimidation of WINTER! Growing up beating the bank I learned to fish structure, cover, docks, blow downs and everything I could, never DEEP WATER. People would tell me, "the bass go into hibernation in the winter, that's why they don't eat." Although I'm trying to catch fish that are bear sized, the fish aren't bears so they don't hibernate, they migrate! They head to deep water where the FRIGID, FROZEN surface temperatures don't affect them. In the past 2 weeks I have consistently found a majority of the fish in DEEP WATER and I'm talking deeper that 40 with a majority being around 55ft-60ft.

2) Throw Simple!

When the fish are unbelievably deep and you're marking them with AMAZING Lowrance electronics, you can catch them with extremely simple techniques. Simple action, simple lures and simple presentations! A drop shot, hair jig, shaky head and ice jig/ jigging spoon.

3) Hunt!

If you're anything like me I love to catch GIANT fish. These fish are still active feeders in the winter! They live where you think they live and we love to throw BIG BAITS! Don't hesitate to hunt for these areas! IF you can mix a day filled with solid fish and #'s out deep and then combine it with a trophy fish you've had a DREAM DAY! Hunt for areas where local DNR does trout stocking in your lake, hunt for big rock and big cover! The FREAKS will EAT!

Come visit us a Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply! 21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC 28779!

Western North Carolina Best Fishing Lake Rankings

We have so many lakes here in Western NC and most of them are extremely deep and extremely clear! Every lake provides anglers with different opportunities for different species. Some lakes are more diverse, some lakes have larger fish and some lakes have more fish! This is the where they stack up against one another!

#1) Lake Chatuge, Hayesville NC
Without question Lake Chatuge is one of the most diverse fisheries in Western NC! Filled with all kinds of baitfish species it makes for one of the healthiest predatory fish habitats! Filled with gizzard shad, threadfin shad and blueback herring, Lake Chatuge largemouth, spotted bass and hybrid stripers grow to trophy sizes!

#2) Lake Glenville, Cashiers NC
Lake Glenville is the highest lake in elevation east of the Mississippi River. It's cold deep water is a nice home for GIANT smallmouth and big largemouth! The blueback herring in the lake make for great forage for big walleye, brown trout, rainbow trout and the occasional spotted bass as well!

#3) Lake Apalachia, Hiwassee Dam NC
This little whole in the wall lake in Western NC is full of GIANT bass! Smallmouth and largemouth gorge on trout and blueback herring in Apalachia! This fishery has some tanks and they stock trout to help control the herring population. It's well worth the adventure!

#4) Lake Hiwassee, Murphy NC
Tucked in the very west corner of North Carolina is a lake filled with a ton of beautiful views, different fish species and GIANT FISH! Lake Hiwassee is thick with baitfish species! Threadfin shad, gizzard shad, blueback herring, trout, bream, perch and crawfish! There are giant stripers, largemouth, smallmouth, spottedbass and walleye in Lake Hiwassee! Definitely one of the best lakes in the region!

#5) Nantahala Lake, Nantahala NC
Way up through the back roads of the Nantahala National Forest is a beautiful mountain gem filled with all kinds of amazing fish! Nantahala has a big threadfin shap population that feeds the present predatory fish that include, kokanee salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,

#6) Lake Junaluska, Waynesville NC
Lake J is 200 acres and filled with fish that will make you smile! The lake is suprisingly a phenomonal trohpy bass fishery and the local community stocks it with trout during the winter! It's a trolling motor only lake that doesn't see a lot of fishing pressure! It may be small but it is one of the best lakes in the mountains, don't let the size fool you!

#7) Fontana Lake, Bryson City NC
The mighty Fontana was known nationally as one of the most prolific big smallmouth fisheries in the country in the 90's and early 2000's! With the introduction of invasive spotted bass to Fontana the lake really spiralled out of control with the quantity of fish and lack of quality but there is no doubt that it is on its way back! Blueback herring have made their way into Fontana from Lake Glenville! The herring should help the grow GIANT largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass!

#8) Lake Santeetlah, Robbinsville NC
Located right next to Tail of The Dragon is the beautiful Lake Santeetleh! This lake has a very healthy population of largemouth bass and quite a few smallmouth! The size can be suspect as there are a ton of 1 pound to 1 1/2 pound fish in Santeetlah. Definitely a top 10 fishery of Western NC!

#9) Bear Lake, Tuckasegee NC
Bear lake is definitely a local favorite! Loaded with BIG bass and BIG trout Bear lake has a ton of trophy sized fish! This lake may actually possess the state record walleye too! The fish grow big in the deep clear water! This is a must fish if you've never fished it!

#10) Wolf Creek Lake, Tuckasegee NC
Wolf Creek sets up a lot like Bear Lake! Big walleye, trout, largemouth and smallmouth! Filled with threadfin shad and deep, clear water Wolf Creek can bring out the STUDS! It's beautiful shoreline, cliffs and beaches are great to fish for the different species! Way up 281 in Tuckasegee, it is well worth the drive!

Tell us what you think of our rankings and visit us at Dream Catcher's Fishing Supply!

21 Steeple Rd. Sylva NC

Lake Burton Fishing Guide

Lake Burton is an absolutely phenomenal fishery! It offers many great experiences for visitors and locals! We have been guiding on Lake Burton for roughly 5 years and it is without question one of best fisheries in the country! It is so abundant with bait fish and it makes for an incredible spotted bass fishery as well as a largemouth fishery! We provide a fun, exciting and energetic experience! We offer live bait trips and artificial trips! We can choose a lake or we can fish the lake of your choice! We will make your Dream Catch a reality!

Call us at 828-354-0250! Also visit DreamCatcherGuides.com for more information! We accept cash, checks and credit cards!

Lake Chatuge Fishing Guide

Lake Chatuge is an absolutely phenomenal fishery! It offers many great experiences for visitors and locals! We have been guiding on Lake Chatuge for roughly 5 years and it is without question one of best fisheries in the country! It is so abundant with bait fish and it makes for an incredible spotted bass fishery as well as a largemouth fishery! We provide a fun, exciting and energetic experience! We offer live bait trips and artificial trips! We can choose a lake or we can fish the lake of your choice! We will make your Dream Catch a reality!

Call us at 828-354-0250! Also visit DreamCatcherGuides.com for more information! We accept cash, checks and credit cards!