A special event is planned for Big Tumbling Creek located at the Clinch Mountain Fee Fishing Area for June 12, 14, 16, & 17, 2017.There will be a special trophy trout stocking to include more than 400 trophy-sized brook, brown, and rainbow trout stocked throughout the week which will test the skills of anglers of all ages. Two barrier-free trails are now open for limited mobility anglers.
A daily permit ($8) is required of anglers; however, children 12 and under may fish without a permit as long as they are accompanied by a permitted adult and their combined creel does not exceed that of the adult (6 trout). Daily permits are no longer available in Saltville and must be purchased online or through a license agent prior to arrival at the Fee Area. Additional information may be found by contacting the Marion Regional Office (276-783-4860).
Another special event will take place at the Crooked Creek, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ Crooked Creek Fee Fishing Area in Carroll County beginning Fathers’ Day Weekend June 17th and ending June 23rd, 2017. Over 200 citation size brook trout averaging 3 pounds or more will be stocked over the course of the event as well as over 100 rainbow and brown trout averaging 5 to 7 pounds. Don’t miss this opportunity to fish for high quality large trout at the Fee Area!
Lake Orange
Contributed by Darrell Kennedy of Angler’s Landing (540.672.3997). The water temperature is in the mid to upper 70s with the upper end being stained. Largemouth bass and crappie are schooling and feeding on small baitfish. The walleye bite has slowed a bit but a few are being caught deep with live bait. Catfishing is picking up with some nice stringers being caught on chicken livers and live bait
Potomac River
No question, with low water in the morning and a few clouds, topwater lures will be on. The frog bite is best over thick grass, but also around wood and under docks. The water is in the mid to upper 70s.
Using 60 pound Gamma Torque braid, work black frogs when cloudy or in stained water, white with clear water and sunny days. Pause over holes in grass. Vary speeds over open water, but crawl over tops of grass. Set the hook as soon as the fish has the bait. A straight up hook set is best.
Over open water, a fast walk with an Aurora black Lucky Craft Gunfish on 30-pound braid will bring fish out of submerged grass and wood cover. In areas a bit more open, try Lucky Craft G-Splash poppers on 12-pound test Gamma Copoly. Buzzbaits with white skirts are also working. Downsize to 1/8-ounce baits in clear water.
As the tide comes in, pitch Texas rigged Mizmo tubes on 3/0 Mustad Mega Bite hooks. Green pumpkin with orange flash tails, River Craw, is a good color now. Move in as tides rise. Also target docks with high water and sun. Allow baits to sit and shake. On docks, pitch to pilings and shade. Spray garlic flavor Jack’s Juice on soft plastics.
Use swim jigs on 16-pound test Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line to search for bass in grass. Use a Craw trailer matched to either blue/black, green pumpkin or white jigs. Also try similar chatterbait patterns.
Chickahominy Lake
Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-746-2475) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water
temperatures were in the high 80’s to low 90’s in the main lake and in the major creeks on Wednesday.
The water was light to medium brown and
relatively clear in the central lower lake.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Mickey Cleveland had 9 bluegills and 6 crappie. Luke and Barton Schafer had 72 bluegills, 2 shellcrackers, 1 yellow perch and
1 white perch. Karen Anderson had 43 bluegills and 1 shellcracker. Carolyn Conway had 24 bluegills, 1 shellcracker and 1 roach minnow.