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 70’s in the main lake and the low to mid 80’s in the major creeks on Monday (5/18/2015). The lake level was slightly above the top of the dam. The water was moderately brown and very slightly cloudy in the lower lake.
Blue cats were scattered throughout the lake and creeks and were hitting live minnows and cut bait. Crappie were in several different patterns and were biting moderately aggressively. Some crappie were in loose schools in the main lake on flats and channel edges, frequently near creek mouths, usually at depths of 6 to 12 feet. A moderate number of crappie were scattered or in small schools on shallow to mid-depth cypress knees, wood cover, and shoreline weed beds in the main lake and in mouths of major creeks. Active crappie were hitting live minnows, Wright Bait Co. curlytail jigs, small tubes, Kalin crappie scrubs, and small swim baits. Some nice yellow perch were in loose aggregates in some creeks and on main lake shoreline flats and were hitting live minnows and small jigs. Some nice bluegill were scattered and in small aggregates near shorelines in some areas of major creeks and the main lake and were hitting live crickets and worms, flies, and small tubes and jigs. Some bass and pickerel were on lily pad flats and along shorelines in major creeks and in shallow bays in the main lake and were hitting live minnows, spinnerbaits, swim baits, stick worms, and jigs.
Fishing with Capt. Conway, Jimmy Marable and Norma Hall had 1 bluegill and 17 crappie. Terry Rivers had 14 bluegill and 11 crappie. Tom Porter had 65 bluegill, 5 shellcracker, 18 crappie, 2 yellow perch, and 1 bass.