What you need to know about fishing Fort Loudoun Lake

Fort Loudoun Lake is a nearly 15,000- acre reservoir located in East Tennessee with 379 miles of shoreline. The lake is connected to the Tellico Reservoir by a small canal but it’s a much warmer reservoir with better forage and, as a result, grows bigger bass. Fort Loudoun has lost much of its aquatic vegetation for several reasons over the years but recently milfoil has made a comeback. Although it is labeled as a lake, it looks and feels like a river. Dozens of boat ramps throughout the lake offer easy access to the surrounding areas on all sides. Bass, Crappie, walleye, stripers, white bass and sunfish are in abundant supply. Lake levels fluctuate with a 4ft drop for the winter drawdown and are heavily dependent on the seasonal rain throughout the year. The TVA also has the ability to pull water through the dam at different speeds for regulation purposes, causing changes in water level and current to be a factor in locating fish. In the spring for bass, focus on creek mouths and river channel points with hard surface. Parallel the bank with shallow running crankbaits, jigs, and spinnerbaits. During the summer months key in on flats, ditches, and humps on main river channel points with deep diving crankbaits and Carolina rigged soft plastics. During the colder months for crappie look for creeks that may be a couple degrees warmer than the main river channel. In the warmer months go to creek mouths and find submerged brush piles near open water. Quality baits to use for crappie are jigs, grubs, and minnows.