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 middle
80’s in the central lower lake on Wednesday (6/12/2024), with deeper
water in the high 70’s. 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 to 2 feet, 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 and on other
wood cover at moderate depths and hitting live minnows and small jigs.
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. Bluegills and shellcrackers have been in the major creeks and on
main lake shorelines and are hitting live worms, wet flies, and small
jigs. Bluegill spawning clusters formed in response to full moons
spread out and move a little deeper at other moon phases. 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 and 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. Bill Marley and Dennis York had 45
bluegills, 6 shellcrackers, 2 crappies, 1 yellow perch, and 2 largemouth
bass. Garry Kwist had 31 bluegills, 1 white perch, and 2 largemouth
bass, all on fly rods. Sandra Rothrock had 37 bluegills, 3
shellcrackers, 13 crappies, 5 white perch, and 2 largemouth bass.
