Tenoroc Fishing Forecast

It’s officially Summer, and the Lepomis sunfish action is heating up along with the weather! The bream (bluegill & redear sunfish) spawn is in full swing, so the best chances of finding heavy concentrations of fish will be near overhanging cover, man-made structure (such as piers or docks), submerged timber, fish feeders (at Lakes Pine and Derby), artificial fish attractors (at Lakes A, Cemetery, Derby, Fish Hook, Halfmoon, Pine, and Picnic), and vegetation throughout the day, peaking in early morning and late afternoon. Sunfish are sensitive to lunar cycles so keep an eye on full or new moons for heavy action. Keep your nose up in the air as panfish emit a musky, fish-like odor when on bed. If fishing from a boat, try looking for concentrated panfish between 5 to 10 feet off the shoreline or just behind humps, ledges, and points. The best baits are natural baits (crickets, night crawlers, red wigglers, grass shrimp, grasshoppers, cut hotdogs, and even minnows for bigger individuals) suspended 6-12 inches under a bobber or free lining with a split shot weight. They are too enticing for any fish to pass up. The best artificial lures (rooster-tails, road runners, beetle spins, fluorescent-colored grubs) and flies (poppers, rubber spiders, dragonflies) are go-to tackle for seasoned panfish anglers. Lakes Butterfly, Cemetery, Derby, Halfmoon, Horseshoe, Hydrilla, 10, 2, 3, 4, 5, B, Legs, Picnic, and Pine are good places to target Tenoroc’s bream.

Catfish are still being caught aplenty at Tenoroc FMA, and as temperatures rise this summer so will the catfish bite! Fishing with a piece of chicken liver, cut bait, commercial stink baits, cheese balls, night crawlers, red wigglers, and even cut hotdogs around humps, holes, vegetation, fish feeders, or any moving water will produce the best action. Lakes Coronet, Derby, Halfmoon, Horseshoe, 2, 3, 4, A, B, Legs, Picnic, and Pine are good places to target Tenoroc’s resident catfish species.

Largemouth bass fishing has been positively consistent this summer with most fish being caught in the twilight hours near dusk & dawn. In the heat of the day, target shaded areas that provide ambush cover for bass seeking relief from sunlight. If fishing from a boat, target the deep-water points, humps, drop-offs, and ledges many of these lakes offer by utilizing your depth finder. Bass can also be caught around any vegetation, submerged lumber, man-made structure (such as piers or docks), artificial fish attractors (at Lakes A, Cemetery, Derby, Fish Hook, Halfmoon, Pine, and Picnic), and overhanging cover if fishing from the bank. Be on the lookout for cover located near structure and pay close attention to water temperature as it affects largemouth bass metabolism and when they feed. Shad, bream, and golden shiners are a few of the most common prey species found at Tenoroc, so try imitating their colors with artificial lures such as deep diving crankbaits, buzzbaits, topwater lures, heavy spinnerbaits, jerk baits, and frogs. Bass have great eyesight, so wisely choosing the lures color and retrieval at depth can be the difference maker. Fishing with plastic worms, ribbontail worms, single or double-tailed plastic grubs, crawfish, flukes, and lizards slowly can entice a bite. These lures in junebug, red-shad, white, chartreuse, black, blue, green pumpkin, and watermelon colors with red glitter have been successful. Lakes Butterfly, Fish Hook, Halfmoon, Horseshoe, Hydrilla, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, A, B, F, G, Legs, Long, Lost Lake East, Lost Lake West, Picnic, Shop, Waterlou, and Wetland Wandering Trail are good places to target Tenoroc’s largemouth bass. Numerous TrophyCatch submissions of bass larger than 8 lbs. were caught and released in 2021/2022 so your trophy still swims at Tenoroc! Check out the TrophyCatch website for details!

Black Crappie (speckled perch) fishing will slow down this summer due to the higher temperatures, forcing fish into cooler depths or deep shaded banks. The bite will still be on at peak feeding times near dusk and dawn. Use depth finders to locate dredge holes, structure, fish attractors, humps, drop-offs, ledges, or submerged timber and continue to fish them until you find the one holding the specks. These fish like to school up, so once you’ve hooked one, you’re most likely on the spot that holds others. You can occasionally find a good crappie bite in or near vegetation, around points with large underwater shelves, or suspending in the deep open water. Drifting live minnows or small shiners in 10 to 20 feet of water or trolling small jigs or spinners at various depths will produce bites. Anglers have noticed specks preferring live baits over artificial, so plan accordingly. Remember that a slow retrieval looks more natural. Lakes Cemetery, Halfmoon, Horseshoe, Hydrilla, 4, 5, B, C, Legs, & Picnic are good places to target Tenoroc’s black crappie.

Check with staff regarding boat launching conditions and lake closures due to habitat restoration activities as well as current fishing reports when you are planning your trip. Tight lines!