West Fork Recreation Area

85 excellent scored 53 min ago how is this scored?
Bass 85
Catfish 78
Water: River
Regime: River / Creek (River / Creek)
Location: Rutherford
Target: Longnose Gar, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass
Nearest Access: West Fork Recreation Area (35.83890,-86.44440)
Sun: 7:07 AM – 5:51 PM (CDT)
River / Creek West Fork Recreation Area Conditions
Level Stable
Flow / Discharge Unmeasured Reach Local Hydrology
Water Temp Pending Telemetry Thermal Lag Model
Generation State Unregulated flow Natural Drainage
Barometer Trend — NWS Station Barometer

What to throw right now

Fly anglers
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.

Lightly pressured backwater largemouth here. 8 wt and a #4 deer-hair frog skipped under the laydowns on outside bends at first light.

8 wt rod, integrated intermediate or floating line, 8 ft of 16-20 lb fluoro tapered down (4X butt to 0X bite). #4 deer-hair frog or #4 popper on calm warm mornings; #6 Clouser in chartreuse/white or olive Game Changer on overcast days or deeper. Cast tight to cover (overhung wood, dock corners, weed edges), let the popper sit 4-6 seconds, then a sharp pop. For sub-surface: cast across to the bank, let the streamer fall, then 2-3 ft strips with hard pauses. Strip-set hard; bass jaws are bony and you need the line tight to drive the hook.
Spinning / casting anglers
ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.

Texas-rigged worm pitched into the laydowns and undercut banks. Slow everything down — these are lowland-river fish, not active reservoir fish.

Medium-heavy 7' rod, 20 lb braid + 12-15 lb fluoro leader (or straight 12 lb fluoro on a baitcaster). Texas-rigged 7" watermelon-red worm with a 3/16 oz tungsten weight + 4/0 EWG hook is the all-conditions standard. For active fish: 1/2 oz spinnerbait slow-rolled along points + drop-offs. For deep summer suspended fish: 3/8 oz football jig + craw trailer hopped along 12-18 ft ledges. Post-front shutdown: switch to a weightless wacky-rigged 5" Senko in green pumpkin, work it dead-slow next to cover.

Per-species breakdown & tactics

Pick a fish, then Fly, Spin, or Colors. Your last pick is remembered.

Best window: morning

ON THIS WATER (West Fork Recreation Area): Slow lowland river in Rutherford County. Long flat pools with sandbar drops, mussel beds, and a few deeper holes around bridge pilings. Big gar reported in the shallow sun-warmed flats; cats in the deep holes after dark; carp on the mussel beds.

7-8 wt and a #6 backstabber carp fly. Sight-fish tailing carp on the mussel beds. Lead by 2-3 ft, drop the fly soft (any splash spooks them), let it sink to bottom on slack line. Strip an inch when the carp gets within a foot.

7-8 wt rod, floating line, 9 ft tapered leader to 12 lb fluoro. Sight-fish tailing or mudding carp like bonefish. Lead the fish by 2-3 ft, drop the fly soft (any splash spooks them), and let it sink to bottom on slack line. Strip the fly an inch when the carp gets within a foot of it; the strike is a slow head-down 'pickup', strip-set on weight. Mulberry pattern under an overhanging tree in June is the highest-percentage carp opportunity in TN.

Flies: Backstabber Carp Fly #6, Hybrid Carp Fly #8, Mulberry Fly #8

In a few hours

Fly
58%
Lure
38%
Bait
70%
Hatch: 44% (midge) Light activity. Some bugs in the air, but fish aren't committed yet.
Conditions Match Breakdown
  • + water temp in target range+16
  • + barometric trend+9
  • + cloud cover+4
  • + in season+4
  • + pre-front feeding surge+4
  • + solunar major window+4
  • + wind speed+4
  • + dissolved oxygen+3
  • + flow band+3
  • + new/full moon amplifier+1

Next 24 hours · weather forecast

Scroll for hourly temperature, wind, and precipitation.

7PM
70°
10 SE
7% rain
8PM
67°
10 SE
11% rain
9PM
64°
10 S
7% rain
10PM
64°
10 SE
8% rain
11PM
63°
10 S
6% rain
12AM
62°
10 S
11% rain
1AM
61°
10 S
14% rain
1AM
59°
5 S
21% rain
2AM
57°
5 S
34% rain
3AM
56°
10 S
46% rain
4AM
55°
10 SE
55% rain
5AM
54°
10 SE
60% rain
6AM
53°
5 SE
83% rain
7AM
52°
10 SE
80% rain
8AM
54°
10 SE
79% rain
9AM
57°
10 SE
81% rain
10AM
59°
10 SE
74% rain
11AM
60°
10 SE
56% rain
12PM
60°
10 SE
57% rain
1PM
63°
10 SE
52% rain
2PM
63°
10 SE
48% rain
3PM
63°
10 SE
42% rain
4PM
64°
10 SE
35% rain
5PM
61°
10 SE
32% rain

Latest readings

Live telemetry
Air temp (°F) 73.0°F
Cloud cover (%) 94%
Dew point (°C) 8.3°C
discharge cfs 27 cfs
gage height ft 2.13 in
Relative humidity (%) 40%
Chance of precipitation (%) 3%
Barometric pressure (mb) 1,024.8 mb
Rain past 6h (in) 0.00 in
Wind direction SE (135°)
Wind (mph) 10.0 mph

Reading freshness

Source update lag
Barometric pressure (mb) 6 min ago openmeteo
Wind (mph) 6 min ago nws
Cloud cover (%) 6 min ago nws
Air temp (°F) 6 min ago nws
Rain past 24h (in) 3840.1 h ago openmeteo stale
Rain past 6h (in) 5.1 h ago nws

Hatch matcher · this month

Active aquatic insect emergences & suggested imitations.

Midge Sizes 18–24
Recommended patterns: Zebra Midge #20

Year-round on tailwaters/lakes

Next few hours · best species

Prime windows for active feeding over the next 12 hours (CDT).

Sat 8:00 PM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 55
Sat 9:00 PM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 56
Sat 10:00 PM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 59
Sat 11:00 PM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 59
Sun 12:00 AM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 59
Sun 1:00 AM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 62
Sun 1:00 AM best window today
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 69
Sun 2:00 AM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 68
Sun 3:00 AM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 65
Sun 4:00 AM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 63
Sun 5:00 AM
Largemouth Bass (after dark) 69
Sun 6:00 AM
Largemouth Bass (first light) 67

7-day forecast

Composite spot scores over the coming week.

Sun Nov 1
56 fair
Sun Nov 1
55 fair
Sun Nov 1
56 fair
Sun Nov 1
59 fair
Sun Nov 1
59 fair
Sun Nov 1
59 fair
Sun Nov 1
62 fair

10-day weather & pressure outlook

NWS forecast where it reaches, Open-Meteo beyond it. Days run midnight to midnight, spot time.

Day High Low Wind Cloud Rain % Pressure Source
Sat Oct 31 79°F 55°F 7 mph SE 89% 11% 1,024.5 mb nws
Sun Nov 1 64°F 52°F 8 mph SE 96% 83% 1,026.4 mb nws
Mon Nov 2 74°F 52°F 10 mph SSE 82% 22% 1,023.2 mb nws
Tue Nov 3 77°F 56°F 15 mph SSE 64% 29% 1,018.1 mb nws
Wed Nov 4 72°F 60°F 11 mph S 97% 76% 1,012.1 mb nws
Thu Nov 5 71°F 54°F 5 mph NW 95% 53% 1,010.4 mb nws
Fri Nov 6 70°F 49°F 5 mph NW 53% 20% 1,009.3 mb nws
Sat Nov 7 67°F 44°F Calm 72% 4% 1,011.2 mb nws
Sun Nov 8 57°F 48°F 10 mph WSW 77% 9% 1,009.6 mb openmeteo
Mon Nov 9 58°F 42°F 7 mph WNW 55% 17% 1,011.4 mb openmeteo

Hover chart points for telemetry details. Gold dot represents latest reading.

Barometric pressure (mb)

Water temperature (°F)

Fishing regulations (TWRA)

Statewide creel and length limits. Confirm the current rule on TWRA before you keep a fish.

These are statewide defaults only. Many waters have their own creel, size, or season rules that override this list. Check the water you are fishing on TWRA before you go.

TWRA fishing regulations · Water-specific exceptions

Statewide defaults (19 rules)
Statewide creel and length limits by species
SpeciesRule
Alligator Gar No harvest allowed. Must be returned to water immediately.
Black Bass (includes Largemouth, Smallmouth, Spotted Alabama And Coosa) No more than 5 black bass per day in any combination may be taken. | None
Catfish Only one (1) catfish over 34 inches may be harvested per day. No harvest limit on catfish less than 34 inches.
Crappie 15 | 10 inches
Lake Trout Only 2 of your 7 total trout may be lake trout. | None
Muskellunge 1 | 36 inches
Paddlefish Paddlefish may be harvested from April 24 through May 31. Daily creel limit is 2 fish per day with no size limit. Culling is prohibited. Exceptions on Center Hill, Cherokee, and Watts Bar reservoirs.
Redear Sunfish (shellcracker) 20 | None
Redear Sunfish Or Shellcracker 20 | None
Region 1 Crappie Exception: Unless Otherwise Noted For Specific Waters. 30 | None
Rock Bass Or Redeye And Shadow Bass 20 | None
Sauger Or Sauger/walleye Hybrids 10 | 15 inches
Shovelnose Sturgeon No harvest allowed. Must be returned to the water immediately.
Skipjack Herring 100 | None
Striped Bass Or Hybrid Striped Bass (any Combination) 2 | 15 inches
Trout (all Trout Species Combined) 7 | None
Walleye 5 | 16 inches
White Bass 15 | None
Yellow Bass, Bluegill, Warmouth, Bream, Bullheads, Pickerel, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, And Nongame Species no limit | None

Field reports & historical notes