Six must-visit places for fishing fanatics
Fishers in East Tennessee have long been used to world-class trout and bass fisheries. These days, they are learning how to catch musky, too.
Muskellunges are native to Tennessee but are found in only a few rivers, mostly on the Cumberland Plateau. Six years ago, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency stocked 5,000 musky from Pennsylvania in an attempt to jump-start a new fishery on Melton Hill.
Melton Hill Call it a success.
Melton Hill has now developed into a destination lake for musky fishers from across the United States. A recent meeting of the newly formed Volunteer Musky Club in Knoxville drew more than 70 anglers either active in musky fishing or wanting to learn.
"I think we have the potential for a world-class fishery on Melton Hill," said Ed Caudill, journalism professor at the University of Tennessee and a longtime musky fisherman. "And it's no secret. Word is getting out about musky fishing on Melton Hill Lake."
Nine months out of the year, the musky are dispersed throughout the lake, with the best fishing in an area just above and below Dr. Herman Postma Solway Memorial Bridge. During the winter, musky congregate in the warm-water discharge below Bull Run Steam Plant, and anglers congregate on the bank and in boats trying to catch them.
Even though the fishery is up and coming, veteran musky chasers like Caudill say you hunt musky as much as you fish for them.
"Can you name another type of fishing where just having the fish follow your bait makes for a good day?" he said. "But when you hook into one, it's something you don't forget."
Fishers with a boat and some time can find what they're looking for and never drive more than an hour.
Cherokee Lake
Located amid rolling farmland, this 30,300-acre reservoir boasts good fishing for a variety of species. Striped bass abound near the dam in summer months. In the spring, stripers run upstream to the John Sevier Steam Plant discharge. Jigs and crank baits take largemouth bass from rock outcroppings during the winter. Crappie fishing is excellent in the large creek embayments.
Douglas Lake
Nourished by three rivers, this 30,400-acre reservoir is the premiere crappie lake in East Tennessee and is considered statewide to be second only to West Tennessee's Reelfoot Lake. Despite an average annual drawdown of 48 feet, fertile creek hollows and an ample supply of stump beds provide hot crappie fishing year-round. Bass fishing is best in spring. Although a fisher can catch a few 8-pounders, the lake is overpopulated with largemouth, so there is no minimum size limit.
Norris Lake
The first reservoir constructed by TVA, this impoundment of the Powell and Clinch rivers was completed in 1936, creating a lake of 34,200 acres. The annual fluctuation can exceed 45 feet. In the winter, Norris is popular with smallmouth bass fishers. Striped bass exceeding 50 pounds lurk in the lake, making fall and spring runs far into the headwaters. The lower half of the lake is best for winter and summer striped bass fishing. Walleye are stocked annually.
Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes
Near Knoxville, these two reservoirs are joined by a canal near their respective dams. Tellico is a deeper, clear-water reservoir fed by the Tellico and Little Tennessee rivers. The French Broad and Holston rivers supply warmer, more turbid water to Fort Loudoun. Every spring, several huge largemouth bass are caught on Tellico, most of them falling prey to spinners or crankbaits. Bat, Clear and Island creeks provide excellent pre-spawn bass fishing. On Fort Loudoun, white bass and crappie are caught in the springtime in Little Turkey, Sinking and Ish creeks and near Louisville Point Park. Cat fishing is excellent in Fort Loudoun.
Watts Bar Lake
Probably the best lake in East Tennessee, 38,000-acre Watts Bar has the best of just about everything. Largemouth and smallmouth are the big draws, with the April-June period providing the peak fishing for largemouth and October-December being best for smallmouth. Although the lake is subject to the same summer doldrums that plague other Tennessee reservoirs, nighttime bass fishing in July and August ranks with the best in the state. Crappie fishing in the spring is also very good on Watts Bar, as is the sauger fishing. October and November are the best times for striped bass, but big stripers are caught year-round. In August and September, white bass fishing is second to none in the state.
