Art Conway (804-514-1486) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that
on Wednesday September 16, Chickahominy Lake mid-day surface water
temperatures in the lower lake were in the lower 80’s. Depths from 5
feet to the bottom were in the upper 70s. The lake level was about
three inches above the top of the dam. The water was medium brown, clear
from the surface to about 1 foot, but much more murky for several feet
below 2 or 3 feet, apparently due to an algal layer.

A few blue cats, channel cats, and bullheads were scattered in deeper
regions of channels in the main lake, but some were in some creeks and
on flats. Moderate numbers of crappies were on main lake channel-edge
wood cover, especially near creek mouths. A few bluegills and a few
shellcrackers were in scattered patches on main lake shoreline flats,
especially near deeper water. A few bass have been on channel edge
flats, and on channel-edge brush piles.

Shallows in many areas in creeks and in some main lake areas were
difficult to fish due to numerous clumps of filamentous algae floating
at or near the surface. Many areas had similar algae coating the
bottom. Shallower areas in most creeks and unshaded shallow main lake
shoreline flats are filled with hydrilla reaching to the surface.

For bluegills, red wiggler worms under a bobber on spinning rods and
dragonfly nymph wet flies on fly rods have both been effective. For
crappies, small minnows under bobbers have been most effective.

Jack and Dave Pong and Art Conway had 55 bluegills, 1 shellcracker, 1
crappie, 1 blue cat, and 3 largemouth bass, all on fly rods with
dragonfly nymph wet flies. Sandra Rothrock, Tom Porter and Art Conway
had 7 bluegills and 1 shellcracker, mostly on red wigglers, and 24
crappies, 2 white perch, and 2 largemouth bass, mostly on small minnows.