Size and creel limits are designed to protect large females while allowing some harvest of more abundant males. It may be another year before the trout fishery recovers. While black bass and trout are the mainstay fisheries in Lake Moomaw, anglers should also find favorable populations of Black Crappie, Bluegill, Chain Pickerel, and Channel Catfish. Anglers are encouraged to check out fish habitat reefs that have been recently created by DWR. WebClaytor Lake Fishing Reports 103 people follow this lake 23 Fishing Reports Type: Lake/Pond Size: 4073.28 acres Avg. The reservoir has potential to produce citation Yellow Perch and Black Crappie, and anglers with good electronics can sometimes find these schools. This lake has historically produced an abundance of citation Yellow Perch, but there has been a decline recently. Located in the northeast section of the lake, north side, off Ben H Bolen Drive, this is a four-lane, concrete ramp with docks and lots of paved parking. The 2022 tournament will take place on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at Claytor Lake State Park located at 6620 Ben H. Bolen Dr, Dublin, VA 24084. The reservoir has produced some trophy redear with most of these larger fish stacked up tightly during their spawn on the outside edges of flats. WebClaytor Lakes Largemouth Bass populations have been stable over the past 10 years. Anglers are encouraged to harvest crappie in the 8-9 range to thin out this segment. San Miguel 1-day trip. Depth: Unknown Water Clarity: Stained (6/10) Bass forage heavily on Gizzard Shad here. Claytor Lake Subscribe to Receive Fishing Report Updates Rating - Good Stripers, 14 This reservoir has historically supported a fair Striped Bass population that has fluctuated for both number and size due to variable recruitment. Community electrofishing is conducted every other year to assess the fishery and is next scheduled for 2022. Anglers are encouraged to check out fish habitat reefs that have been recently created by DWR. Biologists collected 31 Walleye during fall 2021, and 45% were over 20 and legal. #4.25.5. Musky lures used ar Abundance of bass over 15 in 2021 was above average, and numerous bass below 12 were sampled which should provide quality fishing in coming years. Flannagan Reservoir should provide anglers with good bass fishing in 2021, especially for Largemouth Bass. endstream endobj startxref Since they can tolerate higher water temperatures, hybrids often chase schools of shad at the lakes surface at night in the summer months. Depending on the year, the deep, cold waters of Moomaw have potential to provide suitable trout habitat. Surveys in 2021 followed up on fast growing saugeye with females pushing 4-4.5 pounds in just 2.5 years. However, the number of smallmouth collected in 2020 and 2021 declined from previous years. This was a minor decline from the 2020 (66/hr.). This is a 4,500-acre lake in the southwest part of the state, at Radford, VA. Anglers can explore over 60 miles of shoreline in search of bass, crappie, walleye, catfish, stripers, hybrid striped bass, perch, bluegill, white bass and sunfish. Catfish are also popular in Claytor Lake, some of them getting quite large (well over 50 lb). Learn More, 09/21/2022 Boat access to the lake is available for a small fee at private ramps at Claytor Lake State Park, Lighthouse Bridge, and at Conrad Brothers and Rockhouse Marinas on the Peak Creek arm of the lake. Anglers who take notice of shad activity and adjust their methods accordingly are often very successful. Note that on January 1, 2021, a 15 minimum was implemented for Smallmouth Bass on Flannagan, which requires anglers immediately release all Smallmouth Bass less than 15. This popular destination continues to produce very respectable Largemouth Bass. The expectation was for triploid trout to grow faster and reach larger size, as these fish do not produce eggs and put more energy toward growth. The community has seen a relatively recent shift from Yellow Perch to White Perch. Although not nearly as abundant as in nearby Chickahominy Lake, Bowfin in Diascund provide excitement and trophy potential. Both Bluegill and Redear Sunfish have historically been stunted providing a wealth of action from 3-5 fish. of which the largest was 20 and 3.4 pounds. With the possibility of catching Smallmouth, Largemouth, and Spotted Bass, Claytor Lake is popular with nearly 67% of lake anglers fishing for these three species of black bass. This size and creel limit is designed to protect large female spawning Walleye in Claytor Lake and the New River, while allowing some harvest of the more abundant male Walleye. Subscribe and save by Joining Sportsman's Warehouse newsletter. 29 yellowtail, 44 reds, and 100 whitefish. One of the better fishing opportunities on Chesdin comes from Channel Catfish with fish averaging 4-6 pounds. Small Mouth Bass, Large Mouth Bass, Musky. This 1,110-acre impoundment lies within James City and New Kent Counties. Largemouth Bass in the 24 pound range are still common; however, density of those over four pounds has declined somewhat mainly due to reduced productivity of the system. Marina: YES The reservoir has numerous arms and coves with plenty of area for anglers to explore with steep shoreline drops and clear water. Boat Rental: YES For more fishing information on South Holston Lake go to the South Holston Lake page or the TWRA website. Enter your email address to get 10% off your first order. 09/21/2022 The Largemouth Bass regulation did not change, and Largemouth Bass less than 12 must be released. Many anglers target Walleye on the Cranesnest and Pound River arms during spawning in March and April. Don't miss out! In the 2017 angler survey, Channel and Flathead Catfish fishing effort climbed to nearly 13%, making catfish angling the second biggest fishery here. Map. An email address is required to associate with your Fishidy premium subscription. Good areas are the shoreline across from the mouth of Dublin Hollow, the shoreline between Spooky Hollow and Texas Hollow, and in Dublin Hollow. Claytor Lake Underwater Webcam feed. As the season progresses and water temperatures increase, Walleye move deeper. Four additional years of stocking will be conducted in an attempt to improve top end size structure. WebAll about fishing at Claytor Lake for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, walleye, bluegill, white bass, yellow bass, 6620 Ben H. Bolen Dr During your visit you can fish for bass, catfish, walleye and muskie from shore, boat or the universally accessible fishing pier. State Park Claytor Lake State Park The abundant forage base of Blueback Herring provides a great source of nutrition for the assemblage of predators. The 2021 survey was conducted on May 7th with water temperatures near 70 and did not account for the majority of spawning bass which had vacated the shallows. Some days, even the electrofishing boat has a difficult time boating a citation-sized bass! Walleye observed in the 2021 sample were 1527 with an average of nearly 20. Species include; largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, hybrid bass, spotted bass, walleye, musky, yellow perch, bluegill, carp, and catfish. 2023 - Premier Angler. Largemouth Bass eat Bluegill, Alewife, Gizzard Shad, and crayfish, depending on the season of the year and whether these prey are abundant in a given year. James City County operates a park with a boat ramp, courtesy pier, fishing pier, and concession stand. From the I-81 exit ramp, take Route 605 (Little River Dam Road). Walleye fishing remains the best in the Commonwealth; however, fishing success has declined recently possibly due to increasing pressure and a missing 2016 year class due to hatchery issues. The most popular sportfish are Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, hybrid Striped Bass, Black Crappie, catfish, and sunfish. Public Property. There are limited numbers of White and Flathead Catfish, but these species make up a smaller portion of the catfish community. Helpful identification information is available on the Department website. The 2020 net survey collected 456 crappie over two nights, and most fish were from two year classes with peaks of distribution centered on 8-9 and 10-11. Adult bass ( 8) increased 13%, bass at least 15 increased 8%, and bass at least 18 increased 27% from 2015 to 2021. The positive trend was likely a function of increases in primary productivity and habitat improvements related to the return of aquatic vegetation (both submersed and emergent). Limits of rockfish and 21 lingcod. If you have any information, techniques, tips, or fishing reports you would like to submit, please contact us or leave your report in the comments below. Collections by biologists in 2019 yielded the highest catch rates of Largemouth Bass > 20 ever. 603 Bridge at the upper end. Anglers fishing for sunfish can find a variety of smaller sunfish including Redear, Redbreast, and Pumpkinseed, but Bluegill dominate. Catch rates are good, with an average of 1.2/hr. Fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, walleye, bluegill, white bass, yellow bass, yellow perch, striped bass and hybrid striped bass at Claytor Lake in Virginia. The Smith Mountain Lake Largemouth Bass population, based on DWR sampling, has been improving since 2015. along with two saugeye. White Bass are regulated by a creel limit of five per day, with no size limit. While the increasing bass population coincides with stocking, the primary reasons for the overall increase bass is likely improved forage and good spawning success. Claytor Lake Habitat Enhancement Projects Map (20122016), Claytor Lake Habitat Enhancement Projects Map (20172021), Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass: 5 per day in the aggregate, No Minimum Size Limit for Largemouth Bass, September 16 to June 30: 2 per day in the aggregate, minimum size limit 20 inches, July 1 to September 15: 4 per day in the aggregate, no minimum size limit, Year-round: 2 walleye per day; no walleye 19 to 28 inches, 2023 Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. Within the past five years, Alabama Bass were illegally introduced to the reservoir, and biologists have collected them up to 18. Do you have a fishing report for this lake? Spotted Bass are the most abundant, so they are more frequently caught. The crappie fishery has produced good size but low numbers for the past 20 years, limiting the fishery. Both fish have taken to foraging on Gizzard Shad with larger saugeye from previous stockings still available. 540 643-2500. Largemouth Bass are abundant with good numbers of fish up to 17. Wish us luck, The Brown Trout fishery usually consists of three cohorts (separate annual stockings) when habitat suitability is present over multiple years. A night survey conducted in March 2021 yielded 34 Walleye (22/hr.) Jigs and deep crankbaits for bass. The decline appeared to be from poor year classes but it has since recovered to historical highs. The bass population receives a great deal of pressure from tournaments, so anglers are encouraged to try new and different lures and patterns to entice these heavily pressured fish. 3776 Rock House Rd Brown trout to almost six pounds are being caught on live minnows at night, under the lights. This was the second time since 2012 Walleye catch rates dropped below the management target of 10/net night. Carvins Cove should offer anglers good fishing in 2022 for a variety of fish. Striped Bass: 4 per day no less than 20 inches. Largemouth Bass 20 inches accounted for 5% of the sample. During summer, habitat (combination of temperature and dissolved oxygen) forces Striped Bass to occupy the lower end of the lake (the dam to about Buoy 9 and in the mouth of Nutbush Creek). Learn More New River Excellent 09/21/2022 Bass and catfish are "biting like crazy". Several cohorts have moved into the fishery following several poor years and should continue to provide increases in typical Anna keeper stripers 20-25. Spotted Bass are the most abundant, so they are more frequently caught. Thirty percent of all Largemouth Bass collected were > 15, and 45% of Smallmouth Bass measured at least 14. Fishing has also become a major attraction at Claytor Lake. Learn More, 09/21/2022 There are copious water willow beds along many shorelines and lots of submerged timber in this 2100-acre reservoir. Claytor Lake Weather Click here to unsubcribe from your fishing reports. A 3 pound fish was collected in fall 2021. This was an increase from 2020 (62/hr.) Samples have shown survival has improved since impacts of LMBv were felt 2009 -2012, and number of bass over 15 in spring surveys has steadily improved since 2012. Survival of both was excellent in 2021 based on gill net catch rate. 540 731-8683, Mountain 2 Island at the Rock House Marina Beaverdam Swamp Reservoir is a 635-acre impoundment in Gloucester Count providing valuable angling opportunities on the middle peninsula. 259 0 obj <> endobj An experimental Largemouth Bass stocking program was initiated in 2015 to determine if supplemental stocking of F1 bass in Virginias larger lakes can improve populations. Team Supreme. 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