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 low to mid 70’s in the lower lake and slightly warmer in the backs of the major creeks on Monday (5/20/2013). The lake level was about six inches above the top of the dam. The water was dark brown and moderately cloudy in the lower lake.

Blue cats and a few channel cats were widely scattered in a variety of depths in the lower main lake and in the creeks and were hitting live minnows. A few small to medium crappie were still scattered in the channels and on flats of the major creeks. A mix of sizes of crappie were on wood cover and channel edges and near some lily pads in the main lake and near creek mouths. Crappie were hitting live minnows, Kalin crappie scrubs, tubes, swim baits, and Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail grubs. Bluegill and shellcrackers were in scattered loose clusters on many shorelines in the main lake and in some areas up the creeks and were hitting flies (especially wet flies and nymphs) and small tubes and jigs. Some bluegill and shellcrackers in the creeks appeared to be spawning. A few bass and pickerel were in the major creeks, around creek mouths, and on flats in the main lake, and were hitting flyrod bugs, topwaters, crankbaits and jerkbaits.

Fishing with Capt. Conway, Capt. Bill Buck and Hollis Pruitt had 35 crappie, 1 white perch, 3 yellow perch, 36 bluegill, 1 shellcracker, 1 pickerel, and 2 bass. John Larson and Brian Hayes had 10 crappie, 130 bluegill, 7 shellcrackers, 1 flier, 3 shiners, and 4 bass. Lee Rothgeb and T. Lee Huss, Jr. had 12 crappie, 1 white perch, 1 yellow perch, 27 bluegill, 7 shellcrackers, 1 shiner, 2 pickerel, and 2 bass. Bruce Birdsey had 6 crappie, 1 white perch, 27 bluegill, 7 shellcrackers, 1 shiner, and 1 blue cat.