Art Conway (804-514-1486) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that
Chickahominy Lake mid-day surface water temperatures were in the low to
middle 70’s in the central lower lake on Tuesday (4/30/2024), with
temperatures in the middle 60’s below 10 feet. The lake level was about
even with the top of the dam. The water was medium brown, clear at the
surface, slightly to moderately cloudy at 1 foot, and quite murky at 3
feet due to an apparent layer of suspended microscopic algae.

A few small blue cats, channel cats, and bullheads have been scattered
on flats, along drop-offs, and in channels in the main lake, and when
active have been hitting live minnows, shrimp, and cut bait. A fair
number of small to medium crappies were around creek mouths. Some days
they won’t touch minnows but will hit a tube jig suspended under a float
or a curly-tail grub on a jig. Other days they want nothing but
minnows. A few larger crappies were still in spawning mode around
cypress trees and would hit small jigs or live minnows. A few White
perch have been scattered or in loose aggregates on deep flats, channel
edges, and in channels in the main lake and occasionally in creeks, and
when active have been hitting small baits including live minnows, Gulp
minnows and Fry, and swim baits. A few yellow perch have been in the
creeks and in the main lake and hitting small curly tail jigs.
Increasing numbers of bluegills and shellcrackers are in the major
creeks and some main lake shorelines and are hitting live worms, wet
flies, and small jigs. Some of the larger shellcrackers were in
clusters and may be spawning. Some pickerel and largemouth bass have
been on flats and channel edges in the main lake and shorelines in the
main lake and major creeks. Although bass beds are almost impossible to
see, casting topwater and very slow sinking baits tight to shoreline
vegetation has worked, suggesting some bass are bedding. When active
and deeper, bass and pickerel have been hitting live minnows,
spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick worms, crank baits, and jerk baits.

Catches have varied with weather, with many species becoming relatively
inactive after heavy rains or cold fronts, then gradually becoming more
active as weather moderated. Ron Floor had 5 bluegills, 1 crappie, 1
yellow perch, and 2 largemouth bass. Kerry Hutcherson and his father
Steve Hutcherson had 5 bluegills and 3 crappies, all on fly rods. Jerry
Davis had 6 bluegills, 3 shellcrackers, 3 crappies, 4 white perch, and 2
largemouth bass. Sandra Rothrock had 16 bluegills, 9 shellcrackers, and
8 crappies.