The “Lake of Dreams” experienced a significant trout kill following 110+ degree temperatures last week. Although trout have not been stocked recently, most of the remaining trout in the lake died off, including a huge 6-pound rainbow trout.

“This may not be such a bad thing,” Billy Hutchinson said. Hutchinson maintains the lake full time and said, “Although losing the trout was disheartening, it seemed to be trout that were too big for bass food any way.” These were the trout that had somehow eluded the trophy bass and lived in hiding out deep. Some of the smaller trout may still be alive in the cooler waters under a deep cove area that is fed by a cool underground spring.

Despite the loss of trout, the threadfin shad are thriving, and the bass are really going bananas at peak feeding times. Additionally, the lake continues to stock chub suckers to feed the 15-pound plus bass and one bass that weighs somewhere close to 30 pounds. The fish has only been caught once, and at that time it weighed 27 pounds. The fish has been seen in recent months.

It has been more difficult to keep poachers off the lake since the publication of American BeheMouth, the new book that chronicles how the lake was created and the world-record fish was raised. Jason Covington, the author, points out, “If you want to catch a world-record bass that bad, build your own lake and catch it. You can follow the formula I provide in the book. Or else give me that million dollars we’ve been told would come with a fish like this.”