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Never a bad time to be out on the lake but the next few weeks will put anglers in a front row seat to fall’s colorful parade. Colors are fast changing and should reach their peak as late October rolls and around and November sneaks in the door.

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene has been riding the temperature roller coaster lately. After a dramatic cool spell that brought talk of the season’s first frost and had anglers donning overcoats and coveralls, it appears warm days will return by this weekend.

Time to dig the short sleeve shirts back out as temps are forecast to be in the low to mid 70’s next by this weekend. Warmer than that next week.

Lake levels this week were up a few inches from last week with readings in the 355.8 range. At midweek the reservoir crested. Water color is clear in the Big Sandy and West Sandy sectors and sporting a good color around the Paris Landing sector with some stain out in the main Tennessee River channel area.

Surface temperatures have cooled a bit since the start of the week when cold nights and chilly days entered the fishing scene. Breezy northwest winds delivered a few whitecaps some days but the water cooled down to the 69 to 71 degree range.

Tennessee Valley Authority had diminished discharge rates earlier in the week but has since increased them to 40,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) through Kentucky Dam at midweek.

A feel of fall definitely filled the air this week when temps dipped below normal a few days.

Crappie fishing has been fair and should show some improvement for anglers seeking more activity in shallow areas. Not many nice stringers have been taken in the 4 to 8 foot depth range this fall as high surface temps likely had a negative impact on the shallow bite.

Watch for that to improve quickly as more crappie should move up in the aftermath of the cool front. Those shallow stakebeds and brushpiles up on shallow main lake areas or in the backs of some bays that haven’t been producing should start paying off.

Most of the crappie lately have been taken deeper in 12 to 15 feet with some coming from 17 to 20 at times. That deeper bite has been more productive for anglers vertical fishing jigs and minnows.

Some anglers prefer casting jigs in the deeper venues. They’ve had success with jig skirt colors such as Bobby Garland’s Monkey’s Milk, Mayfly, Threadfin shiner and purple/chartreuse just to name a few.

It’s always a good idea to keep an arsenal of colors in your tackle box and experiment from time to time.

Live minnows have been producing too. Not a bad idea to keep that minnow bucket handy during fall outings and let me fish tell you what they prefer.

It’s past time for the shallow bite to turn on. Casting a minnow or jig over shallow structure with a slip bobber is another technique that normally works well during the fall months.

Catfishing out on the main Tennessee River channel should be showing improvement as TVA has been pushing enough water lately to stimulate the bite. The rate of discharge should enhance the catfish to move about and feed on the roaming schools of shad.

Bass fishermen are still slugging it out on main lake ledges and some secondary flats where bass are chasing schools of shad. Tossing chrome/blue Rattle Traps and similar lure variations has produced as have swim baits, crankbaits in black/chartreuse, chrome, chartreuse/black and shad variations.

Watch for increased shad activity and surface feeding sprees now as both white bass and largemouth should start busting the surface on calm days. Those shallow sandbars can be productive.