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 to high 40’s in the lower main lake and a few degrees lower in the major creeks on Wednesday (03/19/2014). The lake level was about a foot above the top of the dam. The water was light brown and was 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 have left the winter holes, and moderate numbers had started to filter back up the major creeks, when they were run out of the creeks again by the last snow and cold front. They should head back into the creeks this weekend. Most crappies were not hitting aggressively, but before the snow active fish were hitting live minnows, Kalin crappie scrubs, other small jigs, small swim baits, and small suspending jerkbaits. Some pickerel and bass were on mid-depth flats in the backs and side-channels and in the main channels in the major creeks and were hitting live minnows, small swim baits, and suspending jerk baits. A few yellow perch were wandering in the creeks and were hitting live minnows and small jigs.

Fishing with Capt. Conway, Nick Jackowski and Eric Smith had 6 crappie, 1 pickerel, and 1 bass.