Greers Ferry September Fishing Forecast

[Cody Smith]

Hello folks! At the time of this forecast Greers Ferry is hovering around normal pool of 461.3 ft above msl. Surface temperatures on the lake are ranging from 84 - 88 degrees depending on time of day and location on the reservoir.

August brought heavy lake traffic with the school kids getting in a few last trips to the water before starting back full time. Overall we had slightly above normal rainfall and below normal average temperatures for the month. Look for the wet weather to continue into the fall with the current El Nino weather pattern we are experiencing. Another factor to consider this month is tropical storms and hurricanes always bring us some rain during a typical September. The reservoir can rise multiple feet per day with above average rain and thunderstorms during this month.

I look for this September to be a great start to an awesome fall of fishing here on Greers Ferry. Water temperatures and bait fish locations this month will rule the roost. We will start the month with water surface temperatures in the mid 80's with lower water temperatures into the mid to upper 70's by the last couple of weeks during September. Once water surface temperatures reach that 78 degree mark there will be an extremely good bite on all species.

The Largemouth bass population will start to push into creeks and pockets off of the main lake during this month. Look along timber edges on flats with small to medium size rock, old roadbeds and secondary points in the 6 - 14 feet zone. We are starting to see some really nice 2 - 4 lber's showing up in these location's already. These fish are coming in fresh to these areas that have not been widely used since mid to late spring. These locations are now harboring bait and a bit more dissolved oxygen with the cooling water. The early morning top water bite has been really good all summer and will only get better this month. Stick with your top waters early and late, transition with your swim baits and small profile crank baits at opportune times and during the middle portion of the days go deep with your offering. If live bait is not an option a few lures to keep on hand this month will be Strike King Bitsy Bug's (1/Oz.) paired with a Net Bait Paca Chunk trailer, medium profile swim baits, Large Pop-R's in natural colors, shaky head rigged finesse worms and Carolina rigged french fries or fish Dr.'s.

Our small mouth and spotted bass here on Greers will still be a tad deeper than there cousin's the largemouth this month. Look for these fish to be really relating to wind blown points and bluffs that are holding the majority of our thread fin shad population. Early morning and later in the evenings the fish will school up pretty tight, baby flukes and Pop-R type baits will get a better bite than walk the dog type baits like the sammy or spook when considering top water presentations. The bitsy but and shaky head will be top producers this month while the fish are deeper and holding tighter to structure during the peak of the day. Fish thorough and slow to maximize your bites in one location. If there is moderate to heavy wind blowing in on one of these key areas a drop shot rig with a live crawler or finesse worm can not be beat.

Now for our toothy friend the walleye; they will be on the move this month. If we get cooler than normal water temperatures the bite will pick up fast as they will be feeding up before the winter months. Look for here today, gone tomorrow type scenarios with our eyes. Depths of 22 - 34 feet will be the major target zone. Location's to note when pursuing this specie are bluffy points with both rock and wood. Longer gravel points with chunk rock that leads into a main channel location and sharp channel swings along bluff lines in major creeks and on the main lake. A whole night crawler fished on a bottom bouncer rig or lead head jig will get the most attention near structure. When you come across suspended fish, custom made spoons (Fred's Fish Dinner Lures (501) 362-5303) will shine.

The hybrids and white bass have been somewhat troublesome this summer. There is a lot of bait scattered throughout the reservoir and you never quite know which school they are going to work on. Early mornings and late evenings have been and will continue to be the best time to pursue the active schools until later into October and November when these fish typically put on a predictable show throughout the day. Large Fish Dinner Lure custom 1/2 oz. in-line spinners and spoons are tops when pursuing these fish. The large in-line spinners are very effective because of the range you can cover with them. Long cast are a must, stay off the top of the schools and you will have a much more positive day on the water.

Catfish are a plenty right now in Greers Ferry. Night Crawlers, Prepared baits, Liver and whole sun fish are the top choices when pursuing our whiskered friends. Trot-lines along creek channels, Jugs in the 15 - 22 feet range on flats and the inside portion of main lake points are holding eating size fish. As we get closer to fall and cooler temperatures take over there will be an even bigger surge of feeding activity. The larger trophy size blues are going to be deep, 55 - 75 feet of water in main channel turns with standing timber will produce some monsters in the lb. + class.

Our Bluegill are holding in the deeper water of the bays and pockets just off the main lake. Depth's of 18 - 26 feet are holding the large gill's. Red wigglers and half night crawlers on a 1/8 oz. lead head jig will get the stringer weighted down.

With average rain, temperatures and condition's September will be a great time to be on the water. There will be a lot less recreational traffic this month and the fishing will be heating up as the temperatures recede. Good luck out there and I will see you on the water <;><. If you have any question's about this report or would like to book a day on the water with myself, please contact me via e-mail or phone at:smittyc888@hotmail.com or (501) 691-5701, Fishing Greers Ferry Lake and The Little Red River, Cody S. Smith