Carters Lake Fishing Report April 2011

Carters: Level: Full pool. Temp: 50 to 52 degrees. Clarity: Clear on main lake; stained up the river.

Bass: Good. Louie Bartenfield reports, “This is what we’ve been waiting for… when temps will rise over mid 50s. There will be a major move going on everywhere. Even the shad start thinking shallow spawning water when the water temp stops falling below 55. Look for everything to get a little better, jig-head worms/grubs will produce best numbers. Topwater will start. A jerkbait will produce the bigger fish, as always. Also look for the spinnerbait bite to really pick soon as well.”

Stripers: Good. Eric Crowley, of Lake and River Guide Service, reports, “Some stripers have been caught upstream in the 5- to 8-lb. class and also at the dam and the surrounding rocks, but most of the fish we have caught have been less then 10 pounds. Look for the striper fishing to pick up as the temps climb into the 60s and the bait comes up to the surface around the lake.”

Crappie: Good. Eric reports, “Crappie are spread out on all kinds of cover waiting to spawn. Look for them in 8 to 24 feet of water right now, and don’t just focus on brush. Fish any of the rocky points up river to find these prespawn fish holding tight to the bottom. The fallen and cut trees all over the lake are holding fish, and the ones with leaves or pine needles still on them seem to be holding more fish. We are fishing live minnows anywhere from 5 to 15 feet below the cork and catching not only good numbers but good quality fish as well. Of course small crappie jigs will always produce fish, but I prefer to wait ’til the water hits 65 before throwing a lot of jigs. When it’s time, I like the chartreuse and yellow with a purple tail on a black jig head. We caught several over a pound and one over 2 pounds last week from the Ridgeway area up to the head of the river.”

Walleye: Fair. Eric reports, “Walleye have been hit and miss, but we have caught a few up shallow at night on rocky river points and in the deeper holes upstream in the day. Live threadfin shad fished on the bottom has been the best live bait, and the Smack Tackle Gizz-3 deep diver has been the ticket at night. Our average walleye so far has been a little bigger then last year, but we haven’t seen as many yet.”