Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – December 2022

Blue Ridge: Level: 18 feet low. Temp: 60 degrees. Clarity: 12 feet.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service reports, “Fishing has been good. The lake is almost at normal winter pool. We’ve been having some cold nights and windy days, but we’ve not had any cold rains, which really helps drop the water temps. I’ve really not seen 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, too. You’ll find fish hanging out around deeper in brush and on 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. As the water temp continues to drop, you will see the fish start bunching up around deep points and bank lines that a creek or river runs close to. You can use some of the baits that I have motioned, but it’s hard to beat a Flex-it spoon in the winter on these deep, north Georgia lakes. Once the water temps get in the mid-50s, I will start throwing a Float-n-Fly, and there are a couple of different ways we fish it. One is with a small hand-tied 1/32-oz. hair fly with a 10- to 15-foot leader. We’ll fish it on rocky banks and points. The other way is with a 20- to 35-foot leader with a line through the float with a 1/32-oz. weight hook and a small tiny fluke. We’ll fish this from the mouths of pockets and fish our way in. If your shoulder and wrist can handle it, a jerkbait and an A-rig catch good fish this time of year.” 

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Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “November didn’t deliver the cool-down that it typically brings, so water temps are a bit higher than normal. This has kept the fish in a transition pattern for a few weeks as water temps actually went up a few degrees. This should result in an awesome month of fishing in December month, and if the warm weather continues, it should keep the bite solid through the first part of January. The walleye are typically stacking up in November, but we didn’t see very much of that. Instead, we had fish wandering the main lake following deep schools of herring. As temps drop, look for the bait to move up to shallower water, and the walleye will be hot on their tails trying to pack on the pounds before the cold really sets in. The target depth should be 35 to 60 feet deep, and any vertical presentation is recommended. Spoons, jigs, live minnows or live herring are all acceptable options with the 3/4-oz. spoon being my favorite. Look for the walleye on the bottom and hit them in the face with the spoon. We have had good results with a chrome-and-black Krocodile spoon, boating several fish over 22 inches in recent weeks.”

Multiple Species: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “The perch bite has been on and off with the weather, as well. One day they are 15 feet deep, and the next they can be 50 to 70 feet deep. When the lake temps get into the high 50s, the perch will school up tight, making them much easier to find and target. Small spoons or minnow-tipped jigs are your best bet for size and numbers. Look for them in the grassbeds around the main lake. There’s been a decent topwater bass bite early in the day. Zara Spooks, flukes and spoons have all put quality fish in the boat this month at dawn. After sunrise, look for the schools of spots on points 30 to 50 feet deep. They are crushing spoons fished over their heads, as well as JYG slow-pitch jigs in 25- and 50-gram sizes in pink or black.”