Fish
Some folks are bank or kayak fishing for fish concentrated in creek and river pools. Catfish have been biting in the creeks and river. It's a little early for white bass. Use baits and lures appropriate for your target fish (ex. soft plastics for bass, jigs for crappie, natural baits for catfish).
All fishing regulations remain in effect. It is a good time to take pictures or waypoints of bottom cover or habitat for when the lake refills. Be very careful around steep, muddy banks or soft bottomed areas. Some fish should survive in the main lake, sloughs, and in deeper holes in creek and river channels.
Winter fishing can be good since the fish often school tightly and/or are concentrated by low water. Fish bite better after a few warm, sunny days. Unlike summer, best bet is to fish midday on sunny banks. Check water level trends; except for catfish, fishing is usually better on a slow fall than a fast rise. Even in cold weather, catfish will feed in rainfall runoff.
The extended drawdown is allowing vegetation to colonize exposed areas, providing habitat, cover, and food for fish, aquatic invertebrates, waterfowl and other wildlife when re-flooded. Flooded vegetation also settles sediment out of the water.
Views from Hernando Point ramp (bottom left) and across Hurricane Creek bottom Sept 7 (bottom right).
