FISHING REPORT: Plenty of good fishing left

This time of the year most of you have your minds on things other than fishing.

Many of you have to get the little crum snatchers back in school and football season is around the corner.

This is also the time of the year I stop writing the weekly article and Lee County Lake fishing report. This will be the last article until next spring.

I will attempt to put in periodic pictures and updates through out the fall to keep you informed if space allows.

Just because we discontinue the article for awhile, doesn’t mean the lake is closed. We will be here through November. As the spring and summer fishing season comes to an end, there is plenty of good fishing left for the year.

Although there are a couple of months of warm weather remaining, the fall season is upon us. Already the nights are longer and the days shorter.
Many anglers will argue the point that fall fishing is better than spring.

We actually look for the same water temperature change in the fall as in the spring except the temperature will be falling instead of rising.

Fish tend to be more active when the water temperature is moving, whether up in the spring or down in the fall. The magic water temperature for both seasons seems to be between the low 60s to the high 70s.

Catfish is the only species that fall has a negative impact on. As the water temperature falls into the low 60s, Mr. Whiskers becomes less active.

However, it seems to have the opposite affect on bass, crappie and bream. As the water temperature reaches the magic number there is no thermo cline to contend with.

Last year, the crappie season was actually better during the fall.

We may not catch the numbers of bream and bass during the fall but the quality and size is better.

So if you are looking for that lunker bass or slab crappie and bream, you need to try fall fishing.

As always I want to thank the Opelika-Auburn News for allowing us to publish the Lee County Lake Report as a public service to you. I hope you have enjoyed the Lake Report and look forward to seeing you at the lake through November.

Thanks, folks.

LAKE HOURS: Sunrise to Sunset, closed Monday and Tuesday.
AMENITIES: Boat Rental, cabins, fishing pier with feeder, boat ramp, restrooms and bait house.
OPEN LABOR DAY: We will be open for you convenience.
NIGHT FISHING: Every Wednesday night until 10.
KING CAT TOURNAMENT: Win a boat through Sept. 30.
WATER LEVEL: 4 inches low.
VISIBILITY: 20 inches.
WATER TEMPERATURE: 85 degrees at 2 feet.

FISHING REPORT:
As you can see by the picture in this article, bluegill are doing great. Johnny Beasley caught his limit two days straight averaging about ½ pound each.

Robert Justice has accused me of feeding the bass at night so they won’t bite during the day. They have been slow, but hopefully the longer nights will cool the water a little and turn things around.

Catfish naturally do better during the warm weather. With the water dropping they are moving around the lake a little more in the hunt for food.

Every now and then someone catches a nice mess of crappie. Unless you are a skilled summer crappie angler, you would probably do better now targeting bream or catfish.