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 (01/08/2014) and the lake was covered by about ½ inch of ice, which should break up and melt this weekend. The lake level was about a foot above the top of the dam.

Before the lake froze, 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, and Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail grubs. Bass, pickerel, bowfins, and blue cats were hitting live minnows and blade baits.