On the lower end of the lake, the two major creeks, Indian Creek and Holmes Creek, are big bream hotspots. There is a tremendous amount of territory in these two huge creeks. There are many points and pockets to explore where bream will often mass in large numbers. Again, because of the clear water, you may have to fish deeper than on some lakes, but the bream are usually of excellent size.

Percy Priest Lake is an outstanding fishery for a number of species. While loaded with excellent bream fishing, this is one fishery that perhaps is overlooked by the huge corps of Nashville-based anglers that fish this lake.

Located on the Stones River, the lake is chock-full of great bream habitat. My personal preference has always been the upper portion of the lake for panfish of any species. The Stewart, Spring and Fall creeks have traditionally produced outstanding bream fishing, especially during spawning times.

However, the lower end of the lake is equally productive for many anglers, with Suggs and Hamilton creeks providing great action.

Some anglers will wade-fish the flats near one of the many Corps of Engineers recreation areas. Wading and casting beetle spin-type spinners is highly productive. Plus, it does occasionally enable an angler to hook up with a feisty smallmouth bass as well.

Of course, the traditional bait of worms or crickets will perform very well here.

The pockets and coves located throughout the lake are ideal for the full-moon bedding periods. The moderately sloping rock-and-mud combination banks, along with the steep bluffs, will produce quality fishing when the fish are not on the beds.

Another way to catch a pile of bream from this lake is to drift-fish the upper end of the Stones River in johnboats or canoes. You’ll need to identify put-in and take-out points, easily figured by using a Corps of Engineers map of the lake (which also depicts the road network).

Using small spinners on ultralight tackle, as well as live bait if you prefer it, drift with the current and cast to rock or wood targets as you drift along. Typically, by the end of the trip, you’ll have a cooler of hefty bream and some bonus black bass.

Barkley Lake is often overshadowed in the bream fishing department by nearby big sister Kentucky Lake, which flows almost parallel only a few miles to the west. However, the portion of Barkley Lake in Tennessee is a bream-laden body of water that is often overlooked in this portion of the state.

While there is excellent fishing in some of the larger creeks, there are scads of small creeks and coves fed by small trickling streams that hold countless bream, especially during the prime spawning month of May.

Much of Barkley Lake, in the Tennessee portion of the impoundment, is not the wide expanse of water found on the Tennessee portion of Kentucky Lake. When looking at it on a map, it may give the impression there are not many places for bream fishing. On the contrary, the huge number of shallow-water coves and pockets make it an outstanding bream fishery.

Also, there’s normally not much bream fishing pressure, even during the prime bedding season. Bass and crappie anglers are often out in force, but bream fishermen usually have plenty of elbowroom.

One large tributary on Lake Barkely is Saline Creek, not far from the Tennessee and Kentucky state line. This is a prime location for bedding bream during the spring. Actually, excellent fishing will be found in this area throughout the summer.