After getting blanked on Table ROCK LAKE while fishing with a top guide, my fishing partner and I stopped at a local baitshop to chat with the regulars. Our bull session revealed that the fishing was slow all over Table Rock, but that Bull Shoals was hot. I wondered about such a marked discrepancy, since both deep, clear impoundments are on the White River chain and literally share water.

Anglers periodically encounter this scenario on other reservoir chains throughout the country. Despite their proximity, reservoirs linked together by dams often have differences that can make fishing on one far better than the others at different times of year.

Water quality, clarity, lake levels, available cover, and fishing pressure play key roles in determining which lakes are hot. Here’s a look at some of the best bass fishing reservoir chains and what makes the action hot or cold on their component waters, through the eyes of local experts.

Coosa River Chain, Alabama

Renowned for spotted bass, the Coosa River links 6 Alabama impoundments: Weiss, Neely Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell, and Jordan. “Lake Jordan is probably the best because of the way it’s set up,” says Alabama touring pro Russ Lane. “It has two dams so a lot more current is generated through it, which is beneficial for spotted bass. It also sees a lot less fishing pressure because it’s not close to a metropolitan area like Birmingham.”

Since Logan Martin tends to be drawn down more than other lakes on the chain, it’s probably the best wintertime impoundment of the bunch. “The drawdown creates more exposed banks on Logan Martin, so when wind and current increase, they add a lot more color to the water which causes bass to hold shallower in winter,” says Lane.

“During summer, however, Lay Lake tends to be best because it has more offshore cover on river ledges with standing timber, which none of the other lakes offer.” Water clarity can dictate which Coosa River reservoir shines  in spring. If heavy rains pelt Alabama, the waters of Logan Martin, Neely Henry, and Weiss muddy up fastest, so the most consistent fishing usually is on the lower lakes (Mitchell and Jordan), which tend to clear faster.

Tennessee River Chain, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee

This massive river actually contains two chains, consisting of 6 lakes. The northern chain connects Kentucky and Barkley lakes and the southern chain links Pickwick, Wilson, Wheeler, and Guntersville.

The Kentucky-Barkley combination is unique because the lakes are fed by two separate river systems flowing from different directions, but are linked by a mile-long canal. Kentucky pro Mark Menendez notes that Tennessee River waters flowing from the south into Kentucky Lake generally are warmer than the eastern flow from the Cumberland River drainage that enters Barkley. As a result, Menendez prefers to fish Kentucky Lake in spring and fall since it’s warmer than Barkley in the cooler seasons.

“This situation makes Barkley better in summer,” Menendez says. “As summer advances, decomposition in the deeper waters of Kentucky Lake consumes dissolved oxygen so its famed ledge-fishing declines. As the thermocline rises, deep areas become less hospitable to bass. Eventually, offshore bass get hard to catch because they’re suspended. On Barkley, though, ledge-fishing remains good because prime structure on the main lake is shallower. Good shallow structure is still available at Barkley while on Kentucky Lake most of that productive structure is deeper.”

Various factors affect fishing success on the southern lakes of the Tennessee River chain, but fluctuating water levels affect bass populations more than anything. “Wheeler fluctuates more than the other lakes, and when it rises or falls during the spawning time, that’s not good,” says Jimmy Mason, who guides on all 4 of the lower Tennessee River lakes. The Alabama guide also notes that other lakes on the chain sometimes produce better year classes of bass than Wheeler because Wheeler’s lake level often is drastically dropped during rainy springs, while bass are spawning among flooded bushes.

The emergence or disappearance of aquatic vegetation can turn a lake on, and this has fueled current hot bites at Pickwick and Guntersville. “Pickwick has boomed over the last 3 to 4 years because the grass has increased greatly,” Mason says. “Vegetation also seems to have helped spawning success. On Guntersville, however, fishing has been phenomenal lately because the grass has declined, which has pushed bass from their weedy hideouts and made them easier to catch. The difference is that Pickwick had little vegetation, so increased grass has helped. Guntersville tends to get choked up with it, so some reduction helps the bite there.”

Mason believes Pickwick and Guntersville are the two hottest lakes on the chain because both contain plenty of grass-laden flats along the river channels. The flats are ideal spawning areas and provide plenty of cover for bass fry as well as tiny baitfish, improving survival rates and growth.

He notes that fishing pressure affects which Tennessee River lakes become hot or cold as well. “The word gets out about superb fishing and it draws a crowd. This tends to make bass tougher to catch. Also, heavy fishing during the spawn might reduce production of young fish, compared to other lakes with less pressure,” he adds. “The next year, bass are larger on the untouched lake, so the fishing gets better there than on the lake that got hammered the previous spring.”