|
|
J.
|
|
Resource Manager's Office |
|
Date: Friday, March 12, 2010 Fishing Information by Phone: (615) 883-2351 |
|
|
Scroll down for water and boating safety information.
Winter Fishing: Winter fishing at J. Percy Priest Lake can be a great place to enjoy the great out-of-doors. Weather can be harsh but many winter days on Priest can be comfortable and pleasant. This is also the time of year the lake is not very congested.
Crappie fishing is productive during the day around submerged structure, stumps, drop-offs, and other cover in the rivers and creeks. In the winter, crappie also can be found around bridge pilings, submerged structure in 15-20 feet of water, and along the tops of standing timber and stump rows. Crappie can be caught using medium minnows and white or chartreuse jigs. Small Mouth Bass can be located around the portion of the lake from Poole Knobs to the dam. This area often has clearer water and an abundance of rock/gravel shoreline with patches of woody cover and other good habitat. Jig n’ Pig combos and drop shot rigs, both in natural color patterns should be productive. Another good pattern is to use large tuffy minnows or small shiners around ledges and sharp drop-offs. Tight lining live bait can also trigger other fish to hit, so who knows what you’ll catch! Large Mouth Bass will hit artificial baits such as crank baits, jigs, and plastic worms. Natural baits such as crayfish, earthworms, and minnows will also produce fish. Largemouth bass can be found throughout the lake, but the best fishing can be found on the upper portion of the lake near Fate sanders Marina. Largemouth bass can be found near rocky areas, submerged logs, brush, stumps, aquatic vegetation, and other structure that provides shade, security and places to ambush smaller fish and other aquatics. Largemouth bass can also be caught with similar tightlining techniques during the winter months. Rockfish and Cherokee Bass can be found suspended in cooler water in depths of 25-30 feet in the winter months. Prime locations are deeper areas in the lower ends of larger creeks such as Suggs Creek. Rockfish can also be taken in the upper reaches of the lake around the confluences of Spring and Fall Creeks. Action can be good throughout the day using a variety of methods. Jig/Sassy Shad combos (1/4 oz) and buck tail jigs are frequently used. Live bait anglers should also have good results running flat line rigs baited with shiners. Low-light periods such as early morning produce the best results. Catfish should be caught on cut bait, liver, night crawlers, and scented baits along sharp drops and around tributary creeks after rains. Bottom fishing is normally good with worms, minnows, cut bait and "stink" bait. The banks that have chunk rock running shallow to deep should offer good habitat to catch catfish. They should also be found in the riprap at the dam and Hobson Pike Bridge. Bluegill can be caught with small spinners, crickets, mill worms, and red wigglers around deep cover and structure. This time of year they start to school in deeper water around cover. White Bass should hit spoons and small jigs (white and chartreuse- 1 inch best). White bass can be found from Hobson Pike Bridge to the dam on sandy gravel bottoms casting to the bank from the river channel. Look for shad activity. Another good bank should be straight across from the Smyrna pumping station in the lower end of the lake. Trout are stocked in Priest in the winter months. They are released in the tail waters below the dam and at Nice Mill Dam. Trout are regularly taken on a wide range of baits. Small spinner baits and power bait are the most popular with anglers.
Tail water fishing conditions for crappie, hybrid, white bass, and others should be good during periods of generation. Please use caution near dams. Hazardous conditions may develop without warning. Water Elevations: The headwater elevation is 483.40 feet above mean sea level, and the tail water elevation is 386.70 feet above msl. Normal winter pool is 483.33 feet above mean sea level. Normal summer pool is 490.00 feet above mean sea level. For weekend information and up to the hour elevations and releases, call 1-800-238-2264 or visit the TVA Website.
Average Hourly Discharge 0 cfs (cubic feet per second)
Temperatures: The surface water temperature is approximately 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
For current fishing tips please visit the TWRA
Region 2 Fishing Report at:
http://www.state.tn.us/twra/region2fish.html Water and Boating Safety Information: If you see someone drowning or in trouble, Call 911, then use the Reach, Throw, Row - Don’t Go! method.
Reach: Reach to that person with something near you such as a fishing pole, towel, boat oar, t-shirt, stick, or any other object that can be used to reach to the person.
Throw: Look around the area you are in for items such as an empty milk jug, an empty cooler, or ring buoys that can be thrown to someone in the water. Keep in mind the object must float.
Row: Use the boat oars to row to the person in trouble if you are not close enough to reach or throw something to them. Remember to never go near someone in the water with the boat motor running.
Don't Go!: Never go into the water to help someone. Without expert training and experience in lifesaving techniques, you could put yourself in danger along with the person you are trying to help.
Summer Water Safety Tips
1. Make sure everyone in your family learns to swim well. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Enroll in age and ability-appropriate Red Cross water orientation and learn-to-swim courses. 2. Always swim with a buddy; never swim alone. 3. Swim only in areas designated for swimming. 4. Read and obey all rules and posted signs. 5. Never leave a young child unattended near water and do not trust a child’s life to another child; teach children to always ask permission to go near water. 6. Watch out for the dangerous "too's" - too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity. 7. Set water safety rules for the whole family based on swimming abilities (for example, inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep). 8. Be knowledgeable of the water environment you are in and its potential hazards, such as deep and shallow areas, currents, depth charges, obstructions and where the entry and exit points are located. 9. Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather. 10. Never dive into unknown waters. Too many swimmers are seriously injured every year by entering headfirst into water that is too shallow or rocky. Use feet-first entry into water. 11. Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance, and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body's ability to stay warm. 12. Don't swim after heavy meals. You won't be able to move and react as quickly. 13. Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies. 14. Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone. 15. Maintain constant supervision. It only takes a moment of distraction for something bad to happen. 16. Have appropriate equipment, such as reaching or throwing equipment, a cell phone, life jackets and a first aid kit.
Always Wear an Appropriate/Approved Life Jacket When in or Around the Water.
Boating Safety Message of the Week- Make sure you have a float plan - let a friend know when you're leaving, where you're going when you expect to return, what to do if you don't, and a description of your boat.
|
|
|
Generating Schedule |
|
|
1 Generator from 0600 hours-2400 hours
This schedule is subject to change at any time without notice or warning. Please use caution near dams. Hazardous conditions may develop at any time. For weekend information and up to the hour elevations and releases, call 1-800-238-2264 or visit the TVA Website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Corps Watch: For information leading to the prosecution of anyone committing crimes against US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) property. Hotline 1-866-413-7970 Up to a $1,000 Reward! Callers can remain anonymous. |
|
|
Submitted by: |
Date: |
|
Ben MacIntyre, Park Ranger |
March 12, 2010 |
|
Schedules are subject to change without notice. For TVA
information, call: 1-800-238-2264 |
|
|
|
|
|
The Point of Contact for this page:
Ben MacIntyre, CELRN-OP-JPP-R Questions about this website: |
|