Berkley Lake Breakdown - 2026 Chickamauga Lake

By Pete Robbins 

 

Throughout much of the south the bass experience a period of “post-spawn funk” when they’re done with their mating rituals, but on Lake Chickamauga there’s nothing of the kind. If anything, the fishing just continues to be superlative. That’s evident from the string of Big Bass Tour events that have been held there every may since 2016, which have produced some of the tour’s biggest winning weights. 

 

The biggest question, it seems, is whether the 10-pound mark will be breached. It’s happened two of the past three years and five of the last eight. Twice there were three double-digit bass weighed in and two anglers went home surprised and confused – paid but not towing a new boat. 

 

Local pro Casey Majni said that while the lake level is down, the fishing is excellent. It’s consistently taking in the twenties to win five-fish derbies and 7-pounders are showing up regularly. While there may be a few spawners left, most of the bass are post-spawn, which puts them in predictable locations. 

 

“Those big females will pull out to points in the 10-to 15-foot range,” he said. “You want something slow that still allows you to cover water but isn’t coming through there at mach 90. My go-to right now is a Berkley Magnum Hit Worm. You’re trying to get a bite and nothing does it better.” When fish prove to be more aggressive, he may switch to a crankbait like a Berkley Dredger, but he’s adamant that the true giants are loners, not likely to be found in sizeable schools. 

 

There’s also a shad spawn going on around floating docks, rocks and other hard cover. With the water down, it’s also happening on bars out in the lake closer to the dam. For those fish, he likes a Berkley SlobberKnocker, Cull Shad and a Cane Walker, all in natural baitfish colors. It’s a bite that typically only lasts a short while first thing in the morning, so be sure to start on what you perceive as your most likely target. While most of the shad can be seen with the naked eye, it’s also possible to use forward-facing sonar to find it on the offshore bars. 

 

Additionally, there are fry guarders on offshore stumps in 5- to 10-feet of water. Again, the Magnum Hit Worm would be his offering of choice. It’s big enough to tempt the largest Chickamauga bass but also simply gets bites. 

 

He’d also have a glide bait like a Berkley Chop Block or Nessie tied on. In a tournament where you’re likely looking for one big bite, that’s a great way to tempt giant females. But that’s not all. 

“When in doubt, go flip a Creature Hawg,” he added. “The best areas are creeks with rockier banks, and usually some wood cover. Sometimes they’re on the rock, sometimes they’re on the trees, but usually if you have both of them together that’s the best.” 

Top dog should be a fiercely-contested battle – the one and only time the field did not pass 9 pounds was in 2016, when 8.98 won the top prize. But even when fish are big, a single spit-up shad can make a difference. For example, in 2023, the top two bass weighed 10.06 and 10.05, respectively. That’s why it’s critical to watch the live leaderboard closely to weigh in your fish in a manner that optimizes payout.