# paint creek lake



## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

anyone know if the lake is open or not ?


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I dunno about Paint but I drove around East Fork yesterday and everything I looked at was still ice over. With these temps it can't last much longer (hopefully)


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

the water has fluctuated quit a bit back and forth at PC, last few days. I drove by on rt. 753 Sunday after noon went down to fish RF on docks a few hrs after church and the channel was open on PC but at that time everything was pretty much iced over. RF still had 2" on it, at least behind dam , and the docks. Hoping to do some open water crappie fishing this weekend.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

You just may be able to do it.
I was bored so a friend and I took a ride to RF to fish the docks. Only skim ice remains around the docks and there we plenty of openings and we could easily break out anything in our way. Didn't really check much of it but 1/2" was about the thickest we could find.
After that we took a ride over to PC. At the ramp off 753 the only water was in the channel and it's all open, down at the marina ramp it's all still iced in. The fog was so heavy it was really hard to see much in the lake but with all the rain and the next few warm days I would think more and more will open up.
Next was EF, we did find a few ramps open but we could see ice floating maybe 50 yards out.
Again fog was bad and visibility was bad.

Now with this incoming rain we're going to get over the next few days I would think most of the remaining ice down this way is going to be gone but the lakes will be up in the parking lots.
I sure hope this year isn't as wet as last year.


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

thanks, i just checked water level at Paint creek on the website and lake is already about 6' above winter pool ! im guessing wont be able to fish it this weekend with all the rain coming down.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

glasseyes said:


> im guessing wont be able to fish it this weekend with all the rain coming down.


 I was looking forward to fishing open water also,
I'm already thinking spillways, if the Scotia or Lmr river gets high enough sometimes army corp will back the valve back down to fishable levels, I'll certainly be checking Paint and CC outflows Sat a.m., might be the only place to fish ---- besides bluegills and farm ponds.
Good luck and good fishing !


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

Guys, I just drove around CC. Furnace shore ramp((faces south) is open water. Welmans that faces the north has ice around ramp and bank........ water isn’t muddy yet, supposed to have a break in the rain from 2-6 today....... I’m going


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## Harry1959 (Mar 17, 2011)

Went, only fished 2 hrs, played with my new Helix with SI. Didn’t catch any, too much ice around the areas I usually fish. Still good to get out


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Good for you Harry at least you got out.
I sat around the house pouting like a little kid all day.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

They really throttled back the area spillways, in fact paint is down to a trickle, Unfortunately that'll cause the lakes too climb to extreme levels and by the time I'm able to fish Sat everything will be a giant mess---(and forecast colder) here we go again


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

Paint creek lake is now 8' above SUMMER pool and still rising ! no fishing there for awhile.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

and more heavy rains coming later today. It's going to be a while.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

*Déjà Vu ? *
* I hope this doesn't end up a repeat of last springs rollercoaster water levels, guess I can always rabbit/shed hunt*


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## kycreek (May 31, 2006)

Here we go again...


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

So paint creek lake is now around 38' above summer pool. Or 48.2' above winter pool. Don't think I'll be fishing there for awhile


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

I wish it would do that during duck season, it's great hunting when it's a flooded mess.
Looks like the river has crested, they'll open it up soon but I won't be surprised if it climbs another ft or two.
Hope you can get on it soon.
Good luck and good fishing


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

Unfortunately with the Ohio River levels as high as the are it's going to be a while before they pull much water out of these lakes for a while.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

crappiedude said:


> Unfortunately with the Ohio River levels as high as the are it's going to be a while before they pull much water out of these lakes for a while.


 I'm free too fish this W/E, I'm guessing they'll start bright n early Sat a.m. and ruin my window of opportunity to fish a spillway 
We'll see.
Good luck and good fishing !


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

You might just get lucky.... they're still pretty calm right now. I figure the Ohio river has to at least get down below flood stage then they will pull the plug.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

crappiedude said:


> You might just get lucky....


 I hope, temps don't look to bad mid to late day. 
I'm torn between a rabbit hunt and a fishing trip---- maybe both, rabbits early and spillway late .


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

garhtr said:


> I'm torn between a rabbit hunt and a fishing trip


I'm grounded...I got a couple of grandkids this weekend, hoping to get out one day next week.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

My luck -- 6709 cfs a.m.
That'll drop the lake pretty quick..


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

not sure how quick. its still 52' above winter pool, even pulling the plug thats a lot of water.


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## linebacker43 (Aug 3, 2009)

Drove over Rattlesnake creek on 138 on my way to Rocky Fork Friday morning and it was quite erie to me going over. The water was way up into the woods, water not far from the bottom of the bridge. Don't know why but that always gives me cold chills crossing bridges like that.


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

Ya, the wife and I drove around the lake yesterday afternoon, quite a site. Also water coming out the tube looks like someone pulled the plug in a full bathtub


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

They shut the flow down today on Paint and CC Sat, might be a short window to fish the spillways.
Good luck and Good Fishing !


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## Wadin'Dave (Sep 2, 2010)

Does that mean the ramps are operational all over the lakes?


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

Wadin'Dave said:


> Does that mean the ramps are operational all over the lakes?


Paint is currently 25ft above summer pool, you'll have trouble finding the ramp.
I've put a duck boat in many times when the lake was elevated but I would think the fishing at the current stage would be tough especially this time in the season.
Good luck and good fishing


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## Wadin'Dave (Sep 2, 2010)

thanks!


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

I'm not sure about PC but at EF, most (if not all) of the ramps are gated closed. Until the Ohio River starts to fall back below flood stage I don't think the COE is going to drop the lakes much.


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## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Paint is a mess.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

crappiedude said:


> at EF, most (if not all) of the ramps are gated closed.


 The trick is to not use a ramp, when E- frk was flooded we always launched off Concord rd, tough part was backing down the rd 100 yrds, there's no place to turn around when it's elevated.
At paint you sometimes have to get a little more creative, we've used a chain-block and ropes to lower trailer and boat a few hundred feet. 
Good luck and good fishing !


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

She's dropping now ! Almost 6 ft in 24 hrs-- unfortunately it looks like temps are gonna drop right alongside the water levels-- hopefully to get out tomorrow.
Good luck and good fishing !


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

It's just hard to believe just how quick they can get Paint Creek back down to pool.
The lake has been dropping 5'-8' per day. Just amazing. I'm sure it's be a while before they can get the mess cleared out of the parking lots but it's good to see the levels get back down.
Now they just need to drop East Fork a little quicker.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

crappiedude said:


> The lake has been dropping 5'-8' per day


 Ever go down on the walkway at the spillway when it's open to maximum ? Kinda scary, shakes the whole walkway.
I've caught a few good fish down there after these big releases
If just the Weather will cooperate.
Good luck and good fishing !


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

hope the lake doesnt freeze over , would like to get out this weekend.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

glasseyes said:


> hope the lake doesnt freeze over , would like to get out this weekend.


 I was thinking the same thing, if nothing else we should be able the spillway.
Good luck and good fishing


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

garhtr said:


> Ever go down on the walkway at the spillway when it's open to maximum ? Kinda scary, shakes the whole walkway.


I probably haven't been down below that spillway in 20 years but I bet it's pretty impressive when they pull the plug like that.



glasseyes said:


> hope the lake doesnt freeze over ,


Me too. I kind of doubt that it will but we'll just have to wait and see. If we can make it a few more days with no ice I think we're good to go. Temps aren't too bad once the weekend gets here.


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

garhtr said:


> Ever go down on the walkway at the spillway when it's open to maximum ? Kinda scary, shakes the whole walkway.
> I've caught a few good fish down there after these big releases
> If just the Weather will cooperate.
> Good luck and good fishing !


 Ive gone down there quite a few times when it was dumping over 7000cfs and its quite something. so loud you cant hear anything but the water , and you cant get very close or your wet. Years ago we used to wade at night in the winter there for saugeye, and early mornings when the siren blows you better get out , it rises fast.


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## redhawk fisherman (Apr 13, 2004)

I drove out yesterday, just to get out of the house a little. Marina ramp and campground ramp roads were blocked off. Water was definitely chocolate milk. Amazing how much easier it is to drop a tiny 1000 acre lake like Paint Creek quickly compared to a big lake like Dale Hollow or Cumberland.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

redhawk fisherman said:


> Amazing how much easier it is to drop a tiny 1000 acre lake like Paint Creek quickly compared to a big lake like Dale Hollow or Cumberland.


Yes it is. I've been kind of following C-land because I have a tentative trip planned for mid-April. The lake is at a record high and is finally starting to drop at around .3' to .7' per day but to drop about 26' to get down to summer pool it's going to take quite a while. We're going to give it a few weeks to see how it's going before we make any reservations. We made a trip there in 2016 and we had a good time. I hope we can make it down there again this year.


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

anyone know if lake is iced over ? the web site shows a 36 degree water temp.


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

glasseyes said:


> anyone know if lake is iced over ? the web site shows a 36 degree water temp.


I wouldn't think so but I guess it's possible there may be a little ice back in the very backs of the coves. I was out near Grant Lake today which is much shallower and smaller than PC and with the exception of a few small areas it was mostly ice free. The very backs of a few of the coves had a little ice. Hopefully with the warming temps at the end of the week that will be gone too.


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## glasseyes (Jan 28, 2012)

Well took a drive down this afte noon, from what I could tell the lake looked froze over to me pretty much all over


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## crappiedude (Mar 12, 2006)

glasseyes said:


> the lake looked froze over to me pretty much all over


Thanks for the update. I'm a bit surprised, I didn't think it would have much ice at all. I took a ride over to EF and since all the ramps are closed and the access roads are gated closed I walked down to see the parking lot was at least out of the water. With the water still up 14' the ramp is still flooded but it's getting close to being usable...maybe next week. Of course it'll take a little while for the crews to clear all the debris.
While walking around I didn't see any ice anywhere. This year reminds me of last with all the flooding and the cold air fighting to the end to loosen it's grip.


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## garhtr (Jan 12, 2009)

I'm pretty surprised also, I drove by Voice of America park, very little ice and it's probably only 12 -15 acres of water. 
Paint does seem to ice up quickly compared to nearby R- frk
Maybe the spillway ???
Good luck and good fishing !


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