Heavy rains this week have not only made fishing on the rivers practically impossible, they have also created dangerous conditions on lakes, having washed lots of debris from upstream. Logs may be lurking in your favorite lake, just beneath the surface. So be extremely careful this weekend if you venture out and – for sure – wear a life jacket no matter how well you can swim.
The Rivers
Are you kidding? Way too high and muddy to fish. Maybe, just maybe, next week.
Lake Orange
Water temperature is in the mid 80s and the lake is clear with bass schooling up on bait fish and cruising in the grassy areas up lake. The crappie seem to be hanging out in the 8 to 10ft. depths and looking up to feed. A few nice walleye have been caught on nightcrawlers and minnows worked along rocky areas down lake (near the dam).
Lake Anna
Bass are hitting plastic worms and grubs in deep water, though cooling mid-week rains may bring the fish up in the water table and even back into the creeks. Stripers are taking live shad, worked in 20-30 feet of water. Crappie are going for live minnows around the Stubbs and Dillard’s Bridge areas.
Chickahominy Lake
Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that the Chickahominy Lake mid-day water temperatures were in the lower 80’s on Wednesday. Fishing with Capt. Conway, Brian Dementi, Bennett Harris and Cole Pecram had 10 bluegills, 3 crappie and 1 blue cat. Jason Smith had 25 bluegills, 1 shellcracker, 3 crappie, 4 blue cats and 1 bass.
Chickahominy River
The catfish are biting on the Chick. Nice fish to 15 pounds are looking for cut shad. Bass want spinnerbaits, so do bowfins. What an ugly fish! Lots of gar are still around.
Potomac River
Crazy weather, says Capt. Chaconas. When will it stop?
Any clear water is difficult to find. So go to the bank.
Grass beds are getting wiped out as not much sun is reaching the plants. High water is also pushing cuttings around so propagation isn’t taking place. If you find grass, stay in it. With flooded water, move to pads and marsh clumps.
Mann’s Baby 1-Minus can cover water over grass and wood. Tied to 14pound Edge and slow speeds when water is stained.
Slow down, let baits sit a bit and watch the line for bites.
Buggs Island
Water levels are rising again, putting bass back behind the bushes. Stripers are concentrated from Buoy 2 to 4. Crappie are snuggling next to bridge pilings in deep water. Some nice blue catfish have been reported.
Smith Mountain
Some bass are taking Carolina-rigged plastic worms and deep diving crankbaits in 20-25 feet of water. Stripers are going for vertical jigs at 20-25 foot depths. Anglers trolling Red Eye and Sutton Spoons are also landing some nice stripers.
Trout Streams
It is difficult to conceive that our mountain trout streams would offer decent fishing in August, but this year, they do. Water levels are good and the water is cool. Lots of bugs are around, though the mayfly hatches are largely over. An ant or beetle imitation should trigger lots of strikes as the brook trout take advantage of great conditions.