Cherokee Lake

Published: Nov 1, 2018Updated: Nov 5, 2025

Species

Smallmouth Bass

Season

Winter (Current)

42 Fishing Reports

598 Followers

Overview
Current Conditions
Fishing Reports (42)
Techniques

Cherokee Lake Overview

SLOWWind (mph)FAST

01020406080100

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Top Techniques Reported for Smallmouth Bass + Winter

Drop Shot
1
Soft Body Swimbaits (Large)
1

Total Fishing Reports

Top Species Reported for Winter

Largemouth Bass2 Reports
Smallmouth Bass2 Reports

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Fishing Reports

42 Reports on Cherokee Lake

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STEVE OUELLETTE
Gold Ambassador
11/19/22
- Species
  Largemouth Bass
- Season
  Fall
- Technique
  Spinnerbaits
- Structure
  Rock Pile
- Forage
  Shad
Launched out of 25E Boat ramp and fished the western end of the lake primarily in coves. Air temperature was 27 at launch and rose to around 38 before starting to drop at 3 or so. Winds went from 0 to 10 mph throughout the day. Water temp ranged from 54 to 55 degrees. Found plenty of baitfish schooled and sporadically was able to find a few smallmouths hugged to the bottom below the schools in 5 to 12 feet of water. Was able to catch a short smallmouth on a 3/8 oz Damiki Vault in Black Halo color by casting out and after it reach bottom, I would slowly raise it off the bottom maybe a foot or two, flutter down on semi slack line and let it sit a few seconds before repeating. Bass would hit it on the bottom. Bottom composition was red clay with small rock intermixed. After a few hours we parallel the bank in a cove that had large rocks in 1 to 5 feet and I would cast a 1/2 oz River2Sea Bling spinnerbait with a 3.8 Keitech in electric shad as a trailer. Caught my 1st 4lbs 8 oz Largemouth keeper 2 reel turns into my retrieve as it came over a large rock. 3 casts later with same bait on the inside corner of a floating dock I was able to catch a 1 lbs. 9 oz Largemouth. Ended up with 6 more bites continuing this pattern until it was time for weigh-in. The Vault worked well with little to no wind, but the spinnerbait was the key when the wind started to pick up.
Adam Boothe-Hanna (Anglers of the Corn)
Gold Ambassador
11/2/24
- Species
  Largemouth Bass
- Season
  Fall
- Technique
  Structure Jigs
- Structure
  Points
- Forage
  Crawfish
- Water Temperature
  65°
Got on the water with Nathan Mountain. Check him out, Nathan Mountain Outdoors, super good dude. Put us on fish when we didn’t see many other folks catching. Found them on rocky points typically around brush. Ott Defoe even ran past us, so you know we were in the right area. Saw some crappie scopin’ but they were very finicky and wouldn’t commit. Fun and beautiful day on the water!
Matthew Mattingly
Blue Ambassador
10/21/21
- Species
  Striped Bass
- Season
  Fall
- Technique
  Topwater Walking
- Structure
  Shad
- Forage
  Shad
Cherokee is loaded with huge Stripers and Hybrids and fall is a great time of year to catch them using conventional bass tackle. Focus on looking at main lake points and islands around creek mouths. I have had the best luck riding and looking for schooling fish gorging on shad around the dam area. Mornings and evenings are best, some anglers even sit still on the main lake looking for schoolers, kind of like hunting. Grab you a topwater and go find them. Once you found them, keep you bait wet and have fun!