Concentrate on fishing around structure such as behind large rocks, logs and below riffles. Trout also tend to congregate above and below waterfalls, in and around deep pools and undercut banks. Rainbows tend to occupy faster moving water while browns may be found in more slack stretches. Trout face upstream to wait for insects to appear above them. Fly fishermen should try to fish with flies that resemble the insects and crustaceans that are most seasonally abundant.
Fishing often improves a few days after stocking when trout have adjusted to their new environment.
A small, thumbnail size mussel with a zebra-like pattern of stripes known to greatly impact the environment has been found in the state, prompting concern by state and federal officials. Zebra mussels have been found inside the locks at both Robert S. Kerr and Webbers Falls along the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System. Due to their high reproductive rate and the limited number of natural predators, zebra mussels can significantly populate a body of water in two or three years. They can cluster together with hundreds of thousands per square meter. By altering the food chain and water chemistry, as well as through sheer numbers of mussels, native aquatic species may be adversely impacted.