Cold Water Fishing in Tailwaters

Tailwaters are the discharge from dams that hold back water for flood control, hydro electric power, or just for recreation. In Kentucky, many tailwaters are stocked with trout, mostly rainbow trout but some with brown trout too. When the dam discharges water, it is pulled from the bottom of the water column. This means the water is about 50 degrees (behind lakes that are larger than 2,500 acres or deeper 200ft) and their is also high oxygen level in these waters. This means that some tailwaters will not be affected by the outside are temperature as much as you will be. The good thing about tailwaters in Kentucky is the winter doesn't effect the water temperature as much. Harrington Lake tailwaters (Dix River) and Lake Cumberland's tailwaters can offer good opportunities to catch some trophy size trout (20-23 inches).
Trout can be caught on a variety of baits including cheese and corn. The lure that I use the most is a crank bait (small fish interrupter's). They usually float and have a bill at the head of the bait. This bill is clear and helps the bait dive toward the bottom of the lake as you reel it in. I like these baits because you can catch trout even in high pressure tailwaters(tailwaters that get a lot of fishing). These lures also work so well in tailwaters is because they catches all kinds of aggressive fish ranging from the bass family to the trout family and even walleye and musky.

Their is some risks of fishing in tailwaters. For one their not the best place to bank fish unless you stay by the dam. The rocks are usually covered in algae and slick as shit. Also, most of the dam's around here have a automatic discharge when their is no precipitation. This means that until you know the tailwaters discharge schedule you don't want to wade and not get close to the dam. When the dam opens say after a rainfall of 1 inch. The discharge level will increase fast, the closer you are to the dam the faster and greater of the effect. This can make it extremely dangerous and you could drown in just a few minutes. Know if your in a boat its a little different. Boat don't get close enough to the dam to see high levels extremely fast. When i went up Laurel lake tailwaters in a boat i notices that the water went up 3 to 4 ft from when i started to when i finished. Now I was in slack water(water with no current because its deeper) so I'm sure current could make it harder to keep your boat out of the rocks. But rocks are the reason that tailwater fishing in a boat is dangerous. Their has been several death's in Kentucky due to people driving to fast and not watching for big rocks. So don't be scared of tailwater fishing but just aware and call the dam people for information about the discharge. I reside to tailwater fishing in the winter because they offer the most aggressive fish. Get online and read about Kentucky's tailwater opportunities.