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 mid 30’s in the lower lake on Wednesday (01/29/2014). The lake level was about a foot above the top of the dam. The water was light brown and slightly cloudy in the central lower lake. Most of the lower lake and all of the major creeks were covered with about an inch of ice on Wednesday. Most of the ice should break up over the weekend or early next week.

Before the lake iced up, lower lake winter holes contained mostly blue cats with a few crappie, bowfin, pickerel, white perch, and bass. Upper lake holes out of the current contained mixed sizes of crappie and a few pickerel and bass. Creeks contained mostly bass and pickerel. Active crappie were hitting live minnows, blade baits, jigging spoons, tubes, and Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail grubs. Bass, pickerel, bowfins, and blue cats were hitting live minnows and blade baits in the holes and bass and pickerel were hitting suspending jerk baits in the creeks.