Fish arrive and, finding everything they need and no further upriver movement possible, stick around. The Kentucky Lake tailwater is no exception. Most tailwater fishermen target big cats. Its size helps make the Tennessee River below Kentucky Lake one of the best catfish holes in the region. Blue cats, channel cats and flatheads move into the tailwater to feast on the innumerable shad drawn through the turbines.
Catfish action heats up in late spring and remains excellent throughout the summer.
Boaters working for big blue cats, hybrids and stripers typically drift fresh shad or cut bait on or near the bottom. The riverbed is cluttered with concrete and other remnants from the dam construction. This makes excellent fish cover but is hard on equipment. A bottombouncing rig using a threeway swivel can help reduce tackle loss. Rister conducted electroshocking surveys in the Kentucky Lake tailwater and was surprised at the concentration of largemouth bass crowding the rocks that line the banks.