4 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Don't get me wrong,  I love KY lake. But when the water temp is approaching 90, all the good fish are on the main river ledges.  If they're pulling current,  I can catch em.  If there's no current,  it's tough.

It’s the same here on the lower end of the lake but the upper end has Rapids that you have to drag a canoe through when it’s really low. The smallies love that cold water especially in July-september when they start dropping Douglas and Cherokee lakes. When they fill those lakes up in spring there isn’t much flow and the water can warm quickly but when they generate, it comes out cold from the bottom of the deep lakes. I have seen people wakeboarding downtown in August wearing wetsuits 

I got to go fishing today. First time out in almost three weeks. Hit Taylorsville Lake. About 3500 acre lake. Temp when I put in 84 at 10:15. When I left at 4:30 it was about 90.

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

It’s the same here on the lower end of the lake but the upper end has Rapids that you have to drag a canoe through when it’s really low. The smallies love that cold water especially in July-september when they start dropping Douglas and Cherokee lakes. When they fill those lakes up in spring there isn’t much flow and the water can warm quickly but when they generate, it comes out cold from the bottom of the deep lakes. I have seen people wakeboarding downtown in August wearing wetsuits 

When I retire I hope to fish the upper end of the Tennessee.  I've never fished above Nickajack.  

17 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Well they have cut back the flow from Douglas and Cherokee dams so it may start warming up where I live. The lower end of ft Loudoun is up into  the 80s I'm  sure, I just always fish the upper end because it's so close to home. The top end of chilhowee lake is always ice cold, makes a crazy fog sometimes in summer

Wow...area's I don't seem to make it to...maybe someday.