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
60’s in the central lower lake on Wednesday (10/23/2024), with water
below 10 feet in the lower 60’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 below 4
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 have been around brush piles and
other wood cover along channel edges and mostly hitting live minnows and
occasionally hitting 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 on flats in the creeks and in
the main lake and hitting small curly tail jigs. A moderate number of
bluegills and shellcrackers have been on main lake shorelines and flats
and are hitting live worms, wet flies, and small jigs, but may disappear
into the channels with this next cold front. 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, frogs, spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick worms, crank baits,
and jerk baits. Interestingly, a mix of smaller bluegills, crappies,
and catfish have begun to move out into channel areas. This normally
happens about this time in the year, but the water temperature is
usually about 10 degrees lower when it happens.
Catches have varied widely thanks to changing weather. Fishing with Art
Conway, Brian and Wayne Dementi had 3 crappies and 1 largemouth bass.
Ron Floor had 13 bluegills and 5 largemouth bass. Paul Burnett had 17
crappies and 3 largemouth bass. Tom Porter and Sandra Rothrock had 23
bluegills, 7 shellcrackers, 9 crappies and 1 largemouth bass.
