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Lake levels are back to normal range as water color improves. The overall Kentucky Lake fishing scene has improved for most anglers who are glad to see normalcy return.

The reservoir is now dancing around the summer pool mark after weeks of high muddy water. Falling lake levels last week pulled a lot of the muddy water out of big bays and the open water areas are improving too.

Surface temperatures this week rose to the upper 60’s. Across the Paris Landing sector the lake is in good shape. Slight fluctuations have been occurring but the reservoir is in the range of normal summer pool, which is 359.

Shoreline fishermen are beginning to see an improvement in both bluegill and shellcracker (red ear sunfish) activity this week as the powerful panfish move up in preparation for spawning.

Once surface temps reach the low 70’s bluegill will begin their early phases around shallow weedbeds, gravel banks and bushes. By next week anglers can expect increased activity. They’re already moving shallow and biting but active spawning phases are still on the threshold of kicking in.

The first full moon in May occurs May 12 this year. Look for peak phases of spawning to be underway in that time frame.

Some nice size shellcracker have already been taken by anglers working grassbeds, buck bushes, blowdowns and those pea gravel mud mixed areas back in pockets off the main lake.

Most credit their catches to waxworms, redworms and nightcrawlers fished on the bottom or with bobbers set at a depth where the bait is right at the bottom.

The bite should hold up for the next few weeks.

Bass anglers have been busy tossing spinnerbaits, Texas rigged craws and worms around buck bushes and dead grassbeds or various stickups. A few credit their catches to floating worms and various jerk baits as the topwater bite has improved.

There’s always a few boats backing off the shorelines and fishing sloping points and ledges as some post-spawn bass slowly head back out from shallow spawning territory. Secondary sandbars back off the shorelines are holding bass now.

Successful lure choices have ranged from Carolina rigged worms and craws to crankbaits and swimbaits. Texas rigged worms and craws have worked too in colors ranging from green pumpkin pepper to red-shad and Tequila sunrise just to name a few.

There’s still lots of bass relating to shallow shoreline structure. Pitching and flipping techniques are still worthy of consideration as a jig and craw tossed in the right spot will pay dividends.

Catfish continue to prowl shallow shoreline structure and that will last for a few more weeks. Soon the catfish will target rocky bluffs and shoreline crevices for spawning. Signs of that are already underway actually.

Rocky banks along the shoreline such as rip-rap limestone on levees and roadbeds will be good choices.

Crappie anglers have been playing cat and mouse for several weeks as the reservoir was unstable as to both lake levels and water color. High winds have played havoc with a lot of open water crappie fishermen this spring as well.

Since lake levels have settled down fishermen are finding most of their fish in the 7 to 14 foot depth range. Several crappie have been taken by such methods as drifting, slow trolling Road Runner style jigs and pushing the multipole spider rigs out over shallow main lake flats as well as back in the bays.

Just exactly when the peak of spawning phases occurred the last few weeks has been somewhat confusing to a wide range of anglers. While some had hoped to find fish moving up to shoreline buck bushes and stickups that party never really occurred like they hoped it would.

It appears most of the fish spawned in midrange structure out away from the shoreline in manmade fish attractors that were scattered in midrange depths that ranged from 8 to 14 feet. Some fish have move up to 4 to 8 foot depths up Big Sandy but it seems more were taken out a bit deeper as fishermen vertical fished jigs over structure while others trolled over suspended schools of baitfish and found the crappie roaming with the balls of baitfish.

Warmer days and more stability are now in the cards for the Kentucky Lake fishing scene. Late April and May usually offer nice fishing conditions. Bring it on!