That’s been proven by anglers like Connell and Salzman, who have taken advantage of afternoon flurries when the current ramps up. On the Tennessee River lakes, anglers can have fast and furious action for bass and other predator fish when the water is running. On riverine lakes, the current affects the entire body of water, but right below the dam, it’s all about moving water. Whether it’s below or above dams, fish in these lakes feed when the water is moving.” Tailrace Fishing Justin Lucas has made hay at Stage Five fishing the moving water right below Watts Bar Dam. “You have to wait for some areas to get right and the fish to set up. “You sometimes have to fish areas that aren’t your best (when current isn’t moving), maybe back in creeks or bays where the fish aren’t as current oriented,” he said. Current was nearly dead flat early in the day the first three days of Stage Five, starting out at 5,000 cfs before ramping up to 20,000-plus cfs in the afternoon. If the current isn’t running until later in the day, DeFoe will plan the rest of his day around that. “Natural headwaters always have some current coming in and they’ll hold the water until they have demand, but will also release water to keep the lakes stable.” “You want to see the schedule and all of the water coming into it – not just the discharge – because different parts of the lake can be affected by current,” he said. Water movement through the dams is regulated by the TVA, and DeFoe will religiously check the flow for the lake he is fishing, both coming in and flowing out of the lake. When the water isn’t moving, the bite can be nonexistent.” “It’s very important to keep up with the schedule and know when the water will be moving because the fish get conditioned to feeding during those times. “The TVA app is accurate and easy to use,” DeFoe said.

DeFoe checks the current information via the TVA app to plan his day when fishing these lakes. The power generation and current levels on the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) lakes are based on water inflows, rain, and power usage. Tennessee’s Ott DeFoe, who is well known for running up creeks in his aluminum river boat and generally seeks out current everywhere he goes, breaks down his approach to moving water. Current equals life this time of year on fisheries like Watts Bar Lake, and significant changes in water flow signal bass that it’s time to feed.Īll week long during General Tire Stage Five Presented by Covercraft, anglers like Dustin Connell, Justin Lucas and Ryan Salzman have found success fishing Watts Bar Dam when water managers increase flow through the dam. It’s summertime on the Tennessee River and terms like “inflow,” “outflow,” “discharge,” and “CFS” (cubic feet per second) are just as relevant as rods, reels, and lures.

Watts bar lake