Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-514-1486) out of
Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water
temperatures were in the upper 70’s in the lower main lake and in the major
creeks on Wednesday (9/18/2019). The lake level was about even with the top
of the dam and the water was light brown and slightly cloudy in the central
lake, with more cloudy water along many shorelines.

Some blue cats and bullheads were along drop-offs and in channels in the
main lake while others had dispersed onto flats and into creeks. When
active, cats were hitting live minnows and cut bait. Most crappie were
along main lake channel edges, frequently near wood cover. Active crappie
were hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. and Southern Pro curlytail jigs,
small tubes, Kalin crappie scrubs, and small swim baits. Yellow and white
perch were scattered or in loose aggregates on deep flats, drop-offs, and
channels in the main lake and when active, both species were hitting live
minnows, small swim baits, and small jigs. A mix of sizes of bluegill and
shellcracker were scattered on shorelines and on flats out to 3 to 5 foot
depths in the main lake and in some creeks. When active, bluegill and
shellcracker were hitting live worms and crickets, Nikko nymphs, flies, and
small swimbaits. Pickerel and bass were located along shorelines early in
the morning (especially under duckweed patches and hydrilla mats), around
cypress trees, on flats, and on channel edges. When active, bass and
pickerel were hitting live minnows, top waters (especially frogs in duckweed
patches), spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick worms, crank baits, jerk baits,
and jigs.