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 very low 40’s in the lower main lake and in the major creeks on Wednesday (03/05/2014). The lake level was about a foot above the top of the dam. The water was very light brown and was very slightly cloudy in the central lower lake.

A few blue cats were in the lower lake winter holes, but many apparently have scattered throughout the lake and up the creeks. Crappies appeared to have left the winter holes, and weekend before last moderate numbers were up the major creeks, primarily on the flats in the backs of the creeks, and were hitting live minnows, small jigs, small swim baits, and small suspending jerkbaits. Most of the crappies had left the backs of the creeks by last week and were located in channels and holes farther down the creeks or on mid-depth cover near creek mouths and were not biting well. They should return to the backs of the creeks on afternoons of sunny days if the water temperatures rise again. Some pickerel and bass were on mid-depth flats in the backs and side-channels and in the main channels in the major creeks. Pickerel and bass were hitting live minnows, small swim baits, and suspending jerk baits.