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 main lake water temperatures were in the low 40’s in the upper lake and in the mid 40’s in the lower lake and major creeks on Wednesday (2/06/2013). The lake level was about eight inches above the top of the dam and stable. The water was brown and very slightly cloudy in the lower lake.

A few bowfin, blue cats, medium crappie and an occasional large crappie were around bait schools in deeper channels and deep winter holes (about 18-25 foot depths) in the lower main lake and were hitting blade baits and live minnows. Small to mid-sized crappies and white perch were in the channels and on deeper flats (7-12 foot depths) in the extreme upper end of the lake and were hitting live minnows, small blade baits, Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs, tubes, and small Gulp baits. Bass and pickerel were scattered on mid-depth and deep flats and channels in the main lake and were hitting live minnows, blade baits, and lipless crankbaits. A moderate number of small to medium bass and small yellow perch were in the major creeks and were hitting live minnows and small suspending jerkbaits. Expect crappies to start moving into the major creeks soon.