The lake level is 600.10. Normal summer pool is 599.7 so about three -inches. Water temps have really shot up from low seventies to now around 82 with all the heat. This has started a huge algae bloom. For those of you running Livescope and having problems this is most likely the culprit. The water is very dense with the green algae.

Eventually this will be a good thing. I will explain. About mid July we will get a thermocline and this algae will grow and become heavy and will sink down to the thermocline. Which will hold it there at about 15-18ft. All the baitfish feed on this and will drop down to the thermocline as well. This sets up the perfect scenario. All the predators like crappie will position themselves in the top of a tree, brushpile, laydown, cube at the perfect depth. 15-17ft. down in much deeper water. Wind will push the balls of bait right to them as they hide in cover. No better presentation than a simple slip bobber and minnow. With this you can stay back 25ft. or more and cast upwind and allow it to drift across the top of said cover. Absolutely deadly and I have been doing this for years. My boat was set up for just this style of fishing. Big tiller lots of room for four anglers including myself. All fishing out of the side of the boat with three huge bait tanks to handle 15-20 dozen minnows and built in air to handle this much bait. So unlike a lot of lakes Shelbyville has excellent crappie fishing all summer long. Due to it’s depth, water clarity and a constant southwest breeze to both keep you cool and push those bait balls.

Crappie>>> I am using a slip bobber rig to fish stumps on edges of flats when the wind is blowing. The crappie and big channel catfish are using these areas but soon it will be too hot and they will need heavier cover. If it is calm I am fishing cubes that had wind on them yesterday. Pretty simple just move around a lot to constantly get bigger fish. I am also using my 12ft. B&M Diamond to pendulum over said cover. Both work but right now I prefer to be about 25ft. back so the slip bobber gets the nod. This pattern will be tweaked as we get the thermocline.

White Bass>>> They are busting every morning on the flats due to warmer temps. I am using a 1/4oz.Big Dude to make long casts and chase these busts. Problem is they only stay up for a few minutes. About 7am. it is done then they become ghosts. Once we get into late July, August, September they use steep drops and push bait up against them and then they school up. My jigging spoon is deadly on them. Those hundred fish white bass days will have to wait a few weeks.

Walleye>>> Every year about this time it gets very tough to catch a walleye. High skies, lots of boat traffic I believe has them feeding at night. Same areas we were catching them a month ago. I cannot check this theory since I have guide trips everyday from 7am -3pm.

Check out my Book A Trip section on my website LakeShelbyvilleGuide.com for open dates and give me a call at 217-840-1221. Many have so I wouldn’t wait long.

Steve Welch
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