The warmup to spring fishing has started early this year.
Anglers who are itching to wet a line should keep an eye on weather trends and water levels so they’ll be ready when fishing conditions are at their best. Spring officially begins in 11 days, on Sunday, March 20. But, more importantly, daylight savings time starts this weekend, on Sunday March 13. Anglers will be gaining a hour of fishing light at the end of the day. The hours leading up to dusk are usually the best time to fish in the spring because air and water temperatures are the warmest.
March offers good fishing opportunities for many fish species, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, striped bass, walleye and sauger, and trout. Fish begin moving up shallow and feeding aggressively during this month, prior to spawning.
The best fishing days are when water conditions are optimal.
Wet, Early Spring
It’s shaping up to be an early, wet spring. In recent days fishing conditions have been excellent in ponds and small lakes, which warm up first.
This week temperatures are predicted to be near or above 70 degrees, with rain possible for several days.
The extended outlook is calling for above average temperatures on 13 of the remaining 21 days of March, with the possibility of rain on 10 days.
It’s been a wet winter, with above normal snow totals throughout much of the state. The ground is saturated so localized flooding is a possibility if we get heavy rains. River levels have been yo-yoing up and down in recent weeks. Lakes are still at winter pool so lots of water is being discharged into tailwaters after rains in their basin.
High waters create dangerous wading and boating, and poor fishing conditions. Wait until the high water subsides, and levels stabilize, before attempting to fish.
Optimal Fishing Conditions
Here’s some observations on how weather affects fishing in the spring:
* The worst fishing conditions are high, muddy, cold waters, followed by a bluebird (clear, high pressure) day. Cold fronts push fish deeper.
* The best fishing conditions are stable and clearing waters, with a slight warming trend and overcast skies.
* Rapidly falling water levels pull fish out into deeper water.
* Bright sun warms up stained or turbid waters, drawing fish into the shallows.
* The best fishing begins when water temperatures push into the mid-to-upper 50s.
* Rain is not all bad. Warm rain entering a cold lake concentrates fish where the run-in (creek) enters the lake.
* Fish follow water level rises into the shallows.
* Windblown points, and shorelines in bays can be productive fishing spots because winds push schools of bait up against the bank.
* Light, warm winds raise the temperature of the surface layer of water.
Weather Trends
Keep an eye on weather trends and you’ll be ready when fishing conditions are best. Get the daily weather forecast this site.
Kentucky Streams and Rivers
Anglers who fish Kentucky streams and rivers can get a lot of information from the US Geological Survey website. For current water data visit here. Click on Statewide Streamflow Table.
There are 211 reporting stations. Water levels and discharge rates in cubic feet per second are plotted on graphs. Water information can be organized by Kentucky county or major river basin.
Cumberland Tailwaters
The 75-mile Cumberland tailwaters below Wolf Creek Dam, is home to Kentucky’s premier rainbow and brown trout fisheries.
Some of the best trout fishing of the year is in late winter/early spring as daily discharges stabilize and waters warm into the 50s. The most popular stretch of the river with trout fishermen is from the dam to Burkesville, Ky. Click here for current water conditions.
Call (606) 678-8697 to hear the generation schedule at Wolf Creek Dam.
Additional information on how to fish the Cumberland tailwaters, and the details of river access (put-in and take-out points) in the upper 16 miles, are located here.
Major Reservoirs
For daily water conditions — lake level, water temperatures and fishing reports — on Kentucky’s major reservoirs, click on the links.
Barren River Lake, 10,000 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 552. Winter pool is elevation 525. (270) 646-2122.
http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/Lakes/BarrenRiverLake.aspx
Buckhorn Lake, 1,230 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 782. Winter pool elevation is 757. http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/Lakes/BuckhornLake.aspx
Cave Run Lake, 8,270 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 730. Winter pool elevation is 724. (606) 784-9709.
http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/Lakes/CaveRunLake.aspx
For more outdoors news and information, see Art Lander’s Outdoors on KyForward.
Dale Hollow Lake, 27,700 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 651. Winter pool elevation is 631. (931) 243-3408.
http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Locations/Lakes/DaleHollowLake/Recreation/Fishing/DailyFishingUpdate.aspx
Green River Lake, 8,210 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 675. Winter pool elevation 664. (270) 465-8824.
http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/Lakes/GreenRiverLake.aspx
Herrington Lake, 1,860 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 730. Winter pool elevation is 715. (859) 748-4685.
For information visit: http://www.hlcl.org/. For lake level visit:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ky/nwis/uv/?site_no=03286000&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00062
Kentucky Lake, 160,300 surface acres (49,511 in Kentucky) at summer pool, elevation 359. Winter pool elevation is 354. To check daily elevations and projected levels of Kentucky Lake call (800) 238-2264, select lake No. 33.
http://www.explorekentuckylake.com/weather.htm
Lake Barkley, 57,900 surface acres (42,020 in Kentucky) at summer pool, elevation 359. Winter pool elevation is 354. (270) 362-8430. http://www.explorekentuckylake.com/weather.htm
Lake Cumberland, 50,250 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 723. Winter pool elevation is 673. (606) 678-8697.
http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Locations/Lakes/LakeCumberland/Recreation/Fishing/DailyFishingUpdate.aspx
Laurel River Lake, 5,600 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 1,012. Winter pool elevation is 982. (606) 878-9298.
http://www.lrn.usace.army.mil/Locations/Lakes/LaurelRiverLake/Recreation/Fishing/DailyFishingUpdate.aspx
Taylorsville Lake, 3,050 surface acres at summer pool, elevation 547. Winter pool elevation is 545. (502) 477-8606.
http://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/Lakes/TaylorsvilleLake.aspx
Large reservoirs warm up slowly so the best early spring fishing is typically in ponds, small lakes and the tributary streams of large rivers. With water temperatures poised to warm up fast this month, spring fishing could start early this year, but there’s lots of rain in the extended forecast, so beware of dangerous water conditions.
Art Lander Jr. is outdoors editor for NKyTribune and KyForward. He is a native Kentuckian, a graduate of Western Kentucky University and a life-long hunter, angler, gardener and nature enthusiast. He has worked as a newspaper columnist, magazine journalist and author and is a former staff writer for Kentucky Afield Magazine, editor of the annual Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide and Kentucky Spring Hunting Guide, and co-writer of the Kentucky Afield Outdoors newspaper column.