Art Conway (804-514-1486) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that
Chickahominy Lake was ice-covered on Wednesday (2/4/2026), with some
melting at shoreline edges and around pilings. The lake level was about
an inch above the top of the dam. The water was light brown and clear in
the top 2 feet, but much more murky for several feet below 2 feet,
apparently due to an algal layer.

The forecast weather this weekend will likely re-freeze thawed edges,
but the following week may see some melting. If it breaks up, please
navigate with caution.

Prior to freeze-up, a few blue cats, channel cats, and bullheads were
scattered on flats, along drop-offs, and in deeper regions of channels
in the main lake. Most crappies had moved to channel basins, and most
had subsequentially moved to the traditional winter holes. White perch
had been in schools roaming channels, especially at the upper end of the
lake. Most bluegills and shellcrackers had been in channel basins, and
were usually not very active. A few scattered pickerel and bass had
occasionally been in creek channels near creek mouths or on main lake
flats and channel edges, but many had moved deeper.