JUNE
West Tennessee Family
Fishing Lakes
Largemouth Bass
It's no secret that most of Tennessee's moving water and reservoirs lay east of the state capitol. When the TWRA decided to create a series of family fishing lakes in Middle and West Tennessee, they were onto a very good thing.

There are now 18 Family Fishing Lakes, with 10 of the 18 lying in West Tennessee. The lakes, which are managed by the TWRA, are open year 'round for fishing and outdoor recreation. The agency said they are designed and regulated especially for family fishing.

The 10 lakes located in West Tennessee range from 87 acres to 560 acres in size. To find a wealth of information about TWRA Family Fishing Lakes.

In West Tennessee, Brown's Creek Lake is located in Henderson County. Here spinnerbaits are highly favored bass lures. Carroll Lake lies between McKenzie and Huntington. The largemouth bass fishing success here is found with plastic worms and Rat-L-Traps.

Garrett Lake is outside of Dresden in Weakley County where topwater baits, spinnerbaits, plastic worms and plastic lizards are noted bass baits. Glenn Springs Lake, located in Tipton County, is where crankbaits draw a lot of attention from largemouth bass. Lake Graham is in Madison County near Jackson and offers good topwater fishing for largemouths.

JULY
Dale Hollow Lake
Nighttime Smallmouth Bass
After-dark fishing is always special, but when it's accompanied by a smallmouth bass coming out of a grassbed to hammer a jig or spinnerbait, it's unforgettable. That's Dale Hollow at night.

Dale's crawfish population spawns in the rocks with every full moon. On a bright moon, fish rocky points and bluffs. During the dark of the moon, you'll find smallies over grassbeds.

You'll find the majority of rocky points and bluffs on the lower half of the lake and most of the grassbeds from the midsection up. Early on, key nighttime depths are 5 to 15 feet. As things heat up later in July, concentrate on the 12- to 24-foot depth ranges.

Early in the month, work structure with spinnerbaits and jigs. In late June, stick with 1/8-ounce jigs but quickly switch to 1/4-ounce baits as the bass ease deeper in July. On nights with bright moons, throw lighter colored lures like jigs in green and orange. Dark nights require employing darker colored lures, such as blacks and blues.

Expect to catch as many as 12 bass per night -- sometimes more, sometimes less. In that mix of 12 or so fish, most nights you can expect to boat a couple of 4-pounders. Just like with winter fishing, the occasional 5- or 6-pounder will show up.

AUGUST
Gatlinburg Streams
Trout
People travel to Gatlinburg for many reasons ranging from the cool mountain air to the scenic overlooks. Few of them arrive knowing of the great trout fishing both within the city's boundaries and just outside the city limits.

Gatlinburg should be proud of its very active stocking and breeding program that requires a special licensing permit. The "Catch-and-Release" program is in effect from Dec. 1 through March 31 every year. Possession of any trout is prohibited. Fishing in Gatlinburg is permitted with single hook only and with no more than one hand-held rod.

In the summer months, you can use bait such as corn, bread, minnows, worms or PowerBait. These are all good options for getting kids involved. However, keep in mind that casting a spinner-type trout bait isn't difficult, and the flash provided by the blade often provides more strikes.