Capt. Art Conway of Conway’s River Rat Guide Service (804-746-2475) out of Ed Allen’s Boats and Bait reported that Chickahominy Lake mid-day water temperatures were in the high 30’s in the main lake on Wednesday (1/27/2016). Most of the lower lake was open water, but some bays and most creeks were still ice-covered. The lake level was a few inches above the top of the dam. The water was medium brown and clear in the central lower lake.
Fishing was still generally slow, but should pick up a little if the lake warms up a little more by this weekend. Blue cats and a few bullheads were in channels and winter holes and were hitting live minnows and cut bait. Moderate numbers of crappie were in loose schools in the main lake on deeper flats, along channel edges, and in deep holes in channels, usually at depths of 7 to 18 feet, sometimes suspended, and frequently in the neighborhood of wood cover. When active, crappie were hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. curlytail jigs, small tubes, Kalin crappie scrubs, small swim baits, jigging spoons, and blade baits. Some small to medium yellow perch were scattered on deeper flats and in channels and were hitting live minnows, small jerk baits, small swim baits, spoons, and small jigs. Only an occasional bluegill or shellcracker was active along the deep edges of hydrilla flats, on mid-depth wood cover, or in channels and very lightly hitting live crickets and worms, small blade baits, and small plastics on drop shot rigs. Most bass and pickerel were on deeper flats and in channels in the main lake and were hitting live minnows, spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick worms, crank baits, jerk baits, and jigs.