Middle Tennessee Musky Fishing: Great Falls & Center Hill Fall Musky Patterns

Great Falls Musky Fishing Center Hill Musky Fishing

Steven Paul Middle Tennessee Musky Fishing

As anglers gear up for Tennessee musky fishing, most think first of Melton Hill or Parksville Lake. But don’t overlook the tremendous Middle Tennessee musky fishing opportunities, especially on Great Falls Lake and Center Hill Lake.

For more than a decade, I’ve made the hour-and-change drive from my home to guide anglers on Great Falls musky fishing trips and on Center Hill. That short distance allows me to pivot seamlessly between Melton Hill and the Middle Tennessee reservoirs. While Melton Hill and Norris Lake muskies lie in the valley, Middle Tennessee muskies tend to run just a step ahead of them seasonally.

Many anglers assume an hour’s drive won’t affect musky staging or patterns, but that’s a mistake. The higher elevation of Great Falls Lake and Center Hill Lake produces slightly cooler water temperatures in early fall, sparking an earlier transition than on other Tennessee musky waters.

Early Fall Musky Fishing Patterns on Great Falls and Center Hill

To capitalize on this early fall window, anglers need to key in on a few factors. Shad are the dominant food source for much of the year, but the moment water temperatures dip, walleyes begin pushing shallow—and muskies follow.

As walleyes transition from deep summer haunts into mid-depths, muskies reposition to take advantage of the new feeding opportunity. Dialing in on this shift requires close attention to electronics. Look for schooling walleyes staging along mid-depth breaks or on the outer edges of shallow zones. On downscan, tightly clustered walleye marks in 10–12 feet of water are a bellwether of the earliest fall activity. Live imaging can further expedite the process, allowing anglers to track schools and anticipate musky movement in real time.

These walleye schools—and the muskies feeding on them—are generally found in mid-depth areas adjacent to deeper water. Identifying current is equally important on both Great Falls and Center Hill, particularly during dam generation or after periods of heavy rainfall. In these conditions, walleyes (and thus muskies) will often set up not just at mid-depth, but also in current-oriented locations.

Muskies in Middle Tennessee

Once you’ve located a walleye concentration, the next step is to find the true target—the mighty muskie. At this point in the year, think of Great Falls muskies as shepherds of walleyes. They rarely stray far from the schools, shadowing their every move. As the walleyes shift, so do the muskies.

Even with abundant prey close at hand, muskies still adhere to defined feeding windows. Typically, when walleyes kick into an active bite, muskies follow suit, launching into short but lethal bursts of feeding. These narrow windows of activity demand that anglers be dialed in and ready.

That dynamic also means being in the right place isn’t always enough. You might be positioned perfectly on active walleyes with muskies nearby, yet fail to connect if your presentation doesn’t match the window. To maximize success when muskies are keying on walleyes, I recommend a couple of proven tools.

Best Lures for Great Falls and Middle Tennessee Musky Fishing

Livingston Lures Mustang Center Hill Muskie Fishing

The Livingston Lures Mustang in walleye pattern is an undeniable musky-catching machine, with the versatility to be worked at both slow and fast speeds. Pair it with a mid-depth crankbait like the Livingston Lures Pounder, and you’ll have the depth range and profile needed to capitalize when the window opens.

While this pattern is more demanding to track down than simply casting into creek mouths, savvy anglers willing to put in the work can connect with some of the biggest muskies of the year on Great Falls Lake and Center Hill Lake. Spend the time to pattern the walleyes, and sooner or later, you’ll put a Tennessee giant in the net.

Cheers,

Steven Paul

Musky and Pike Expert