Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – September 2024

Blue Ridge: Level: 5.2 feet below 1686. Temp: 80-83 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service, reports, “Fishing has been fair but should start getting better this month. TVA has already started lowering the lake, and we’ve begun having cooler nights, and the water temp is starting to cool off some. Two great things start happening in September: Labor Day weekend, which is normally the last hurrah for recreation boating, and college football. I have been seeing a little more topwater action first thing in the morning. I normally will throw a Pop-R, Chug Bug and a Whopper Plopper. The bait that is being chased is only 2 1/2 to 3 inches. So if you are using forward-facing sonar and marking fish, try using a minnow-sized bait in that size, either on a 3/16- to 1/4-oz. jig head or on a drop shot. I have been marking fish in brush and around laydowns, and I’ve been targeting them with a drop shot using a 6.5-inch worm or a shaky head with a 5-inch finesse worm. I will start on the main body fishing deep banks and laydowns, and by mid-morning, I will run up in the river and fish the deep, rocky banks and laydowns. Good luck.”

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “No dog days of summer here. Nice cool mornings and a good bite is more like it. The walleye bite on Blue Ridge continues to get better every summer, and this year has been no exception. Lots of 20-plus-inch fish being caught in the crystal-clear waters. The trolling bite has been in the 35- to 50-foot zone. Husky Jerks and Shad Raps in an array of colors has been putting a few fish in the net each day. Vary the speed until you find what they want; 1.5 to 2.5 mph has been the range recently as I’m working the numbered points around the main lake. The spoon bite has been good, as well, working humps and grass edges in the same 35- to 50-depth range. Keep a variety of spoons in different colors and sizes, as some days they can be very picky. Hit them in the face and see if they will eat. Try a few options until you get a response, then start with that on the next fish. Don’t spend too much time in one spot.”

Lake Blue Ridge Page: Archived Articles, Fishing Reports and Official Lake Records

Trout: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “The trout bite has been consistent all summer with fish from 15 to 18 feet being the norm. Live baits, spoons and crankbaits are all catching fish. This bite should improve over the next few years with continued stocking from DNR.”

Yellow Perch: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “The end of the month will start the beginning of the winter drawdown and also kicks off perch season for us. These tasty yellow fish will start to school up and be caught a number of ways on ultra-light tackle. Minnows, jigs or a combination of both are my go-to, and we like to fish them on 4-lb. fluorocarbon line. Start in the grassbeds and work around until you find a few. The rest are nearby.”