Carters Lake Fishing Report – May 2021

Carters: Level: Full pool. Temp: 65 degrees. Clarity: 1 foot.

Stripers: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake and Stream Guide Service, reports, “Well it’s been an interesting spring on Carters. From flooding rains, muddy water, extreme pollen and what seemed like never-ending cold fronts, it just never seemed to stabilize at the beginning of last month. Despite the less-than-favorable conditions, there’s been some great days of fishing. With the clarity changing, I’m noticing the live bait is better in clear water and artificial with lots of noise are producing more fish in dirty water. The striper/hybrid bite was tough with the super muddy water but steadily increased with the water clarity. We have seen some really nice fish in the 20- to 25-lb. class in recent weeks. Most fish came on big alewives or medium gizzard shad pulled behind planers close to the bank. Steep banks where the predators keep the baitfish pushed close to shore have been best. I prefer the banks that keep a shadow cast on the water after sunrise. This works in the stripers’ favor as an ambush predator. I’ve been pulling the boards at 1.5 mph with roughly 50 feet of line behind them. The night bite fishing over the HydroGlow lights is getting better ever day, as well. I’m starting to see more and more fish showing up to check out the commotion.”

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The walleye bite was right on time, and we had some great days and nights catching shallow feeding fish. Most fish came on either live shad pitched to the banks or minnow-tipped jigs bounced around timber. The average fish has been about 21 inches. The walleye bite will continue to be good as we move into May, with the best bite early in the morning and after dusk.”