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 50’s in the lower lake and the mid 50’s in the upper lake on Monday (12/23/2013). The water temperatures had risen from the high 30’s during the last week, and will probably drop quickly with the cold front on Tuesday. The lake level was slightly more than a foot above the top of the dam. The water was light brown and slightly cloudy in the central lower lake.

Lower lake winter holes contained mostly blue cats with a few crappie, bowfin, and white perch. Upper lake holes out of the current contained mixed sizes of crappie and a few pickerel and bass. Active crappie were hitting live minnows, blade baits, jigging spoons, tubes, small fluke-style jigs, and Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail grubs. Bass, pickerel, bowfins, and blue and channel cats were hitting live minnows and blade baits.

Fishing with Capt. Conway, Mickey Cleveland had 9 crappie, 2 blue cats, 4 pickerel, and 3 bass. John Smith had 18 crappie, 2 roach minnows, 4 blue cats, and 2 pickerel.