Lake Russell Fishing Report July 2011

Russell: Level: 0.7 feet below full pool. Temp: Low 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Fair. When the fish set up in their summer patterns, the big largemouths can be tough to catch on Russell. However, there is no shortage of spotted bass, and they can be a lot of fun to catch if you’re interested in a lot of action from smaller fish. When they are moving water, you can set up on main-lake structure and wear the spots out by cranking down with a deep-diving crankbait, dragging a Carolina rig or vertical jigging with a shaky head or drop shot. Rocky points with brushpiles, the reef markers around the dam or vertical structure like bridge pilings can all be good. Try picking off a few fish with your crankbait. Then slow down and pick apart the structure with your finesse-worm rigs once you locate some fish. Watermelon is always a good color, and redbug will also produce on Russell.