Lake Chatuge Fishing Report – June 2021

Chatuge: Level: Full pool. Temp: 68-70 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports: “It’s that time of year that we’ve been waiting for. The lakes are at full pool, and the bass have just come out of their postspawn funk. You need to make sure you have a topwater bait tied on and on the front deck of the boat all day when fishing Chatuge. At daybreak, there is normally some topwater action happening around in the pockets and flats. My baits of choice are a Strike King Sexy Dawg, a Whopper Plooper and a Berkley Cane Walker. Chrome or white colors are hard to beat. If it’s a cloudy day, you can fish this pattern all day, but once the sun gets up, it’s time to start fishing deep. There are so many different ways to target fish on Chatuge. You can just run banks fishing laydowns with a Texas-rigged finesse worm in green pumpkin or watermelon. Target docks that have a drop or access to deep water. Fish these with a shaky head, a drop shot or a jig. Then you can just target points. There is some kind of brush on about every point on the lake. Sometimes there will be what we call shallow brush 12 to 20 feet deep and then farther out, you will find the deep summer brush in 25 to 35 feet of water. Target those fish with the same lures. Then you have your offshore fishing. Look for humps and brush that have access to deep water. Target these areas with some of the same lures, but try throwing a 1/2-oz. Carolina rig with a Senko. This is the best time of year to use your electronics, and if you have the new LiveScope or ActiveTarget, it’s like watching a video game.”