Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – November 2022

Blue Ridge: Level: 14 feet below full pool. Temp: 63-66 degrees. Clarity: 10 feet.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service reports, “Fishing has been good. The lake is down near winter pool. We’ve had our first couple weeks of cold weather with some nights down around 27 degrees, so we’ve not been seeing much topwater action. But make sure you keep a topwater lure tied on just in case you see some start breaking throughout the day as it warms up. I’ve been using my Garmin Livescope to find fish hanging out around deeper brush and long points. Then I will use a drop shot with a 6.5-inch Roboworm, a 3.5-inch tube and a Strike King 2.75-inch Rage Swimmer swimbait. Once the water temps get in the mid 50s, I will scale down to using a 4.5-inch Roboworm on my drop shot. I normally start my mornings out fishing the main body of the lake, and by midday, I will start working my way up the river fishing the rocky bluff banks Good luck.” Guide Eric Crowley reports, “There’s been a good topwater bass bite first thing in the morning. Zara Spooks and chrome spoons are my go-to baits for this. If they won’t chase the Spook, throw the spoon and just let it fall on a slack line.”

Lake Blue Ridge Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “November typically means deer season for most people, but we are hunting something different on Blue Ridge Lake this month—walleye, and big ones at that. It’s my favorite time of year to run and gun looking for hungry fish pinned to the bottom. Vertical presentations fished right in their face is the go-to. Spoons, jigs and blade baits in all sizes are the ammo for this hunt. It’s a fast-paced reaction bite that’s hard to beat. If you like to jig and cover water, this is the time to do it. Look for fish anywhere from 25 to 75 deep typically in the river bends, near the islands or in the mouth of the river where it enters the main lake. Color choices will change day to day, and you should have a vast selection. Chrome, yellow, purple, orange and gold are all great options.”

Yellow Perch: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The yellow perch bite will also peak this month. Look for big schools of the yellow-and-black-barred beauties to congregate on grassbeds in 15 to 30 feet of water. Little spoons are the fastest way to catch them, and minnows on a jig head is another great alternative if they won’t eat the spoons. We only keep the bigger fish, letting the smaller ones go, and sometimes you have to weed through the little ones to find quality fish. Fish in the 12- to 16-foot range is what we are after this month. Please remember the lake is at winter pool (minus 18 feet), and there are no public docks that are usable this time of year. Watch for shallow-water hazards and stay warm. We will see you on the water.”