Lake Chatuge Fishing Reports – July 2021

Chatuge: Level: 0.2 feet above full. Temp: 77-81 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports: “The lake is full pool, which means the bass have moved out to where they will spend the summer. When fishing Chatuge, you need to make sure you have a topwater bait tied on and on the front deck of the boat all day. You never know when the bass might start chasing bait. 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, Whopper Plooper and Berkley Cane Walker. Chrome and 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-rig finesse worm in green pumpkin or watermelon. You can fish docks, trying to target the ones that have a drop or access to deep water. Fish these with a shaky head, drop shot or 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, then on out you will find the deep summer brush in 25 to 35 feet of water. Target with the same lures. Then you have your offshore fishing, looking 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 Live Target, it’s like watching a video game.”

Linesides: Guide Jeremy Seabolt reports, “The hybrids are stacked up in some big schools. We have been catching a lot nice fish around Points 8 and 4 and around the dam, but the bigger schools of fish are in the Point 8 cove. We have been downlining herring 20 to 40 feet deep over 60 feet of water. Going into July, the hybrids will move out over deeper water.”