Carters Lake Fishing Report December 2016

Carters: Level: 12 feet low. Temp: 60 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Stripers: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “November is the beginning of the fall bite on Carters and is typically the first month we switch over to trout for our main bait. However, with the warm temps we had last month, our true fall pattern is setting up in December. Some fish have moved into shallow waters, while there are still schools of fish holding deeper. The stripers are scattered from the river to the backs of the creeks early and suspended on the main-lake points later in the day. As far as technique goes, simply put baits out and cover water. Pick a few areas and really cover the water. Fish some lines shallow, some deep and vary your speed and depth. Later in the day there’s been some bait up on the surface near the main-lake beach, and there are fish following the bait. Pitching baits on the edges of the disturbed water has produced some decent stripers and some really nice spots, as well. You can still find some fish holding in a typical summer area, like on shallow humps and by the dam. These fish are in water from 30 to 60 feet and are tight to the bottom. If you’re looking for big green fish, find the bait. Schools of small bait are scattered all over the lake, and just about every one of them has a school of spots under them. There’s a good chance one of those fish will be more than 4 pounds. If you want to get that big fish’s attention, use a bigger bait.”