Although, I am a summer kind of guy by far. I hate snow and cold weather but, the smallie fishing is the best in cold water, thats for sure. Thank goodness for snowmobile suits,lol. Just before the turnover when they go on that feeding frenzy for a week or so, which is usually around the end of September here, then the lull when the bite is tough until the water turns completly which is usually around mid to late Oct. here. When the water stabilizes, its on. When does the turnover start and stabilize in your neck of the woods?

The Tennessee River is a commercial system, relatively shallow and moves a great deal of water continuously through the various reservoirs. As a result, the lakes never develope a thermocline. Lake waters are mixed due to flow and perhaps the generation of electricity from turbins operating from the bottom of each dam. Right now the surface temperature below Pickwick Dam is 92 degrees!

However, the "system" cools down in the fall. In this part of the country our seasons almost perfectly match the calander. Smallmouth "season" begins 9/21 and runs through most of March. Primetime is October through February.

I didn't think that rivers stratified, am I mistaken about this?

Well, reservoirs on some rivers do. Most of the lakes on the White River have thermoclines (Table Rock and Bull Shoals for sure). Some of the lakes on the Tennessee are nearly as long as those, but I think the water moves through them fast enough to keep it "mixed."

good info guys. thanks