Summer 2003 Issue

For the second installment of our Sunday Afternoon Lakes series, Kentucky Afield profiles Spurlington Lake in northern Taylor County, Chenoa Lake in Bell County and Hematite Lake, located in Trigg County at Land Between the Lakes. These public lakes offer excellent fishing opportunities for anglers in canoes, small johnboats, float tubes or just walking the bank.

Cast the banks of Spurlington Lake with a grub or lizard and let the bait slowly fall into deeper water. Just hold on, because this 36-acre lake has the bass — a lot of bass.

Bass spawn on the gently sloping east bank of the lake. This is a good place to probe with a plastic worm, grub or lizard in the late spring and early summer.

Bass relocate as the heat rises. "The left (west) side of the lake is a steeper bank with deep water access, so in the summertime it may be a little more reliable," said Eric Cummins, fisheries biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Plastic worms, spinnerbaits and jigs are good for summer largemouth bass. Cummins also recommends a top-water lure such as a buzzbait during dawn, dusk and at nighttime.

Local anglers also chase the lake’s fat bluegill. "The bluegill are pretty decent here of late in Spurlington," Cummins said. "In the late 1990s, there was a decline, but now they are on the rebound. We saw some good quality 8- to 9-inch bluegill in our recent sampling of the lake."

Bluegill spawn on the weedy shallow flats in the upper third of the lake. Work these areas in the early summer with Popeye jigs tipped with wax worms or redworms suspended under a bobber.

As the water temperature rises, bluegills move deeper along weedlines and submerged treetops. Target these areas with curly-tailed grubs or tube jigs.

Foot access is mainly confined to the dam because of the lake’s steep sides and overgrown banks. The lake is perfect for a small johnboat with a trolling motor, a small two-man plastic bass boat or a canoe. Use of gasoline motors is prohibited on the lake.

Author Lee McClellan with a
bass taken on a grub at
Spurlington Lake.

Although this 37-acre lake lies at the base of Pine Mountain in Bell County, it more closely resembles a western Kentucky lake.

Aquatic vegetation thrives in this shallow lake. "It has a lot of watershield, which is like lily pads," said John Williams, southeastern district fisheries biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "The vegetation provides a lot of cover for fish."

The fish hiding under this vegetation are mainly largemouth bass and bluegills. "Chenoa is always good for some 4- to 5-pound bass," Williams said. "We see quite a few fish over 20 inches."

Recommended bass lures for Chenoa Lake include plastic worms, lizards, or heavy jig-and-pigs capable of punching through surface mats of heavy vegetation to reach fish hiding below.

Chenoa’s weedbeds are a food factory for the lake’s bluegill and redear sunfish because aquatic insects living in the weeds provide good forage for panfish. "We see a lot of bluegill in the 6- to 7-inch class," Williams explained, "and we’ve found several 7 inches or better. We also have some 8- to 9-inch redear sunfish."

Chenoa Lake’s small size make it a great lake for a johnboat, float tube or canoe. Bank access exists near the boat ramp and along the northeast corner of the lake.

Hematite Lake, located within Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky, has shallow water, lily pads, weedbeds and big bass. "It looks like Florida with all of the lotus and coontail," said Dave Dreeves, fisheries research biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. "I’ve caught a lot of big fish from Hematite."

Summertime bass fishing in Hematite is tough because of heavy vegetation. Try heavy lures like a jig-and-pig or a plastic lizard with a pegged ¼-ounce bullet weight. Good lures for early morning and dusk include plastic frogs or buzzbaits worked on top of the weeds.

Hematite Lake’s extensive weedbeds harbor an expanding population of panfish. Biologists transplanted bluegill and redear sunfish from Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley during the past few years. Recent population sampling at Hematite revealed many 5- to 8-inch bluegill and redear sunfish.

Anglers should use heavier lures to reach panfish hiding under the weeds. Good choices include 1/8-ounce tube jigs or curly-tailed grubs, or small safety pin spinnerbaits like the Beetle Spin.

Most anglers fish Hematite from the bank. The lake, although too weedy for float tubing, is a good place for a canoe, kayak or small johnboat with a trolling motor. Gasoline motors are prohibited on Hematite Lake.

Bank fishing season on Hematite Lake starts March 16, while boats are allowed on the water beginning May 16. The lake, a designated waterfowl refuge, is closed to fishing from November through March 15.

Copyright 2003 Kentucky Afield Magazine.  All rights reserved.