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
to upper 80’s in the central lower lake on Wednesday (6/19/2024), 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. Jerry Jenkins and Brian Dementi had 11
crappies and 4 white perch. Tricia Pearsall had 17bluegills, 12
crappies, 1 white perch, 1 channel cat, and 1 pickerel. Alice Anne
Potts and her Mom Anne Potts had 28 bluegills and 19 crappies. Sandra
Rothrock had 25 bluegills, 1 shellcracker, 9 crappies, 4 white perch,
and 1 yellow perch.
