Story by Hunter Sales | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
After leaving DeLand, Florida on Tuesday the 24th, I headed back towards my East Tennessee home expecting to shelter from the effects of Hurricane Helene. While I was fortunate to avoid any personal loss or damage from the storm, it has been unbelievable the amount of destruction that has occurred in the mountain towns to the east. The death toll has climbed upwards of 135 with over 1,000 people still unaccounted for. While it’s hard to find bright spots in tragedy, I have been proud of the way Appalachia has joined together to help neighbors.
Volunteer stations are overstaffed, and supplies are flowing in from the generous donations of so many. Another bright spot is the way that TVA has managed the water flow. Through their system of flood storage in Jefferson County lakes (Douglas and Cherokee) and the increased flow through the entire Tennessee River system, they were able to prevent billions of dollars of flooding and devastation.
Douglas Lake was receiving over 1.2 million gallons per second of inflow from the Nolichucky River alone, let alone the massive flooding that came from the French Broad and Pigeon rivers. This caused the lake to rise over 21 feet in three days, which equates to 182 billion gallons of water — enough to fill Neyland Stadium over 600 times. From the start of the storms until now, Douglas Dam is discharging 450,000 gallons per second and Cherokee Dam is discharging 37,000 gallons per second. This 487,000 gallons per second is being passed through the entire Tennessee River system and dumped into the Mississippi.
The increased current flow has fish biting very well, with over 20 pounds winning in every tournament throughout the system this weekend. It will be very interesting to see the long-term effects of this sustained high-current flow and flooding. Major floods have always affected river systems by displacing sandbars, moving logs and trees, and redirecting river channels. Douglas Lake will likely be affected most by this, as the upper end of the lake saw more water flow than ever before in history.
Currently, Douglas Lake is chock full of floating trash and as muddy as it has ever been. It will be interesting to see what all has changed once the river section becomes navigable. I am predicting that the fishing will be as good as it has ever been this fall, as the record current flow should position fish really well. The high water late in the year should provide shallow fish with current that hasn’t been available in years past and allow anglers to get higher up the river. These fish should be ready to feed as the water clears over the next few weeks. I would advise anglers to make sure their insurance is up to date for the next few months as floating debris begins to clear out!
I’ve not been able to get on the water very often through this storm, so I am fully invested in tackle preparation for Lake of the Ozarks. That event should be interesting. The Progressive Angler of the Year race is tight! I thank God for allowing his love to be shown through the service of his followers in response to the devastation our area experienced and pray that he will continue to be near the broken-hearted as they attempt to rebuild.
Hunter Sales – Angler Profile
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