Lake level: 1065.16 (5.84 feet below full pool)
Water temps: 84-86 degrees
Water clarity: Clear on the main lake

Summer fishing is still here, and it is very good. Stripers are scattered across deep creek and river channels, making trolling the easiest and most consistent way to keep fishing while you locate them. The bait bite remains productive when you find concentrations of fish.

How the Pattern Will Change This Month

The September pattern will remain similar to August, but the fish will generally be deeper. Concentrate your search in 90–140 feet of water when fishing live bait. Trolling will be especially effective while fish remain scattered because it lets you cover water and keep baits in the water instead of spending most of the day driving and searching.

Where Fish Will Set Up

Focus on:

The sides and middle of creek channels in 60–130 feet of water
Big Creek, Two Mile, Young Deer, and Bald Ridge
The area from each creek’s intersection with the river channel to about halfway back into the creek
The river channel from Big Creek to the dam in 100–150 feet of water

Use your Humminbird APEX graph to identify the depth of the fish, then adjust your trolling spread or downlines accordingly.

What Will Work Consistently

Lead-core trolling
Pull your spread at 2.5–3 mph and set it 9-11 colors back, depending on the depth you are marking fish. Each lead-core color represents approximately 2.5 feet of depth with the lighter underspins and approximately 3.5 feet when pulling the Mini Mack.

Capt. Mack’s Chipmunk Jig
Use the standard 1.5-ounce Chipmunk in white/silver, white/chartreuse, or chartreuse/blue. Pair it with a 4-inch shad body or 6-inch U-tail trailer in white, chartreuse, or pink.

Underspins and Mini Macks
The 1 1/2-ounce Capt. Mack’s Underspin Bucktail in white/silver or white/chartreuse is another strong option. You can also troll a Mini Mack with blades paired with a 1/2-ounce Striper Tackle Pro Ultra Swimbait Head in white, pink, or blue and a 3-inch white or chartreuse curl-tail trailer.

Live-bait downlines
When you find a concentration of fish, downline herring on a 9–11-foot, 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. Herring are not living well on the hook below 30 feet, so take plenty of bait and change it often.

Drop baits after a trolling bite
When you hook a fish, watch your graph and stop the boat while bringing it in. The school will often follow and it is easier on the hooked fish. Drop a downlined herring or Striper Tackle Boss Hawg Spoon to the fish for an extra bite. Stopping also helps you land the hooked fish faster and reduces stress on it.

What Will Stop Working

Relying on one fixed depth
Fish are scattered across a wide depth range. Let your electronics determine how far back to set your trolling spread and where to place your live bait.

Keeping tired herring on the hook
Herring do not survive well below 30 feet in hot water. If your bait is no longer lively, replace it.

Driving past scattered fish
September fish may not always gather into one large school. Trolling lets you cover productive creek and river channels while your baits remain in the water.

Key Takeaways for Anglers

Troll lead core at 2.5–3 mph with your spread 9-11 colors back.
Search creek channels in 60–130 feet and the river channel in 100–150 feet.
Use your electronics to match your presentation to the depth of the fish.
When fish gather under the boat, switch to downlined herring or a Boss Hawg Spoon.
Use 9–11 feet of 10-pound fluorocarbon leader for the live-bait bite.
Bring plenty of herring because bait will not last long below 30 feet.

What to Expect Heading Into October

Through September, expect the deep-water summer pattern to remain dependable. Continue watching your graph for changes in fish depth and concentration, and be prepared to switch between trolling and live bait as conditions dictate. Also tie on your favorite top water lure. In the last couple of years, the top water bite has started in September. Keep an eye on the cooler weather and water temps dropping into the low 80’s to high 70’s.

Captain Ron’s Final Thoughts

September is still a hot month, so take plenty of water. Keep your baits moving while the fish are scattered, trust what your electronics are showing you, be ready to stop and drop when a school follows a hooked fish to the boat, and keep your eyes open for top water action.

Get out there and catch them up!