Art Conway (804-514-1486) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that
on Wednesday October 21, Chickahominy Lake mid-day surface water
temperatures in the lower lake were in the low to mid 60’s, a decrease
of about 10 degrees since late last week. The lake level was almost a
foot above the top of the dam. The water was light brown, clear to very
slightly cloudy from the surface to about 4 feet. The murky layer
which had been present for several feet below 2 or 3 feet, apparently
due to an algal layer, was largely dissipated for the first time this
year.

A few blue cats, channel cats, and bullheads were scattered in deeper
regions of channels in the main lake. Moderate numbers of crappies had
been on main lake channel-edge wood cover, but appeared to have moved
out into channels and were scattered as singles and small schools. Most
bluegills and shellcrackers also appeared to have moved out into the
channels. A few bass have been on channel edge flats and brush piles
and a few have been in deeper channel holes.

Shallows in many areas in creeks and in some main lake areas were still
difficult to fish due to numerous clumps of filamentous algae floating
at or near the surface or coating the bottom. Shallower areas in most
creeks and unshaded shallow main lake shoreline flats are filled with
hydrilla reaching to the surface.

For crappies, small minnows have been most effective, and with the fish
deep, they are best fished on drop shot or down line rigs.

Late last week, before the water temperature drop, Kevin Farley, Emily
Daily, Leif Mollo and Art Conway had 35 crappies and 1 largemouth bass.
In the middle of this week, after the temperature drop, Tom Porter and
Art Conway had 7 crappies, 3 white perch, 1 bullhead, 4 blue cats, and 1
largemouth bass.