Carters Lake Fishing Report – June 2024

Carters: Level: 2.6 feet below 1074. Temp: 73-79 degrees. Clarity: Clear with a 6-foot visibility.

Bass: Guide Louie Bartenfield, with Carters Lake Guide Service, reports, “Fish are still in all phases of the spawn, and the herring and shad are in full spawn. Get on the water at first light and look for bait spawning on long flats. Cast topwater baits, soft jerkbaits and soft swimbaits to the activity for bites. When that bite slows and the sun gets brighter, target dark, shady areas near the spawning flats with topwater. Largemouth are still spawning, but spots will be mostly finished in early June and begin to group up offshore. Watch for them schooling, and keep a topwater ready for them. While watching for surface activity, fish a drop-shot worm in deeper brush.”

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley reports of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “We fished live bait and trolled our way through May with some really nice fish to show for it. The walleye are moving out to deeper water to beat the heat. We have been on some good fish in the 50- to 60-foot zone both jigging, live-bait fishing and trolling Rapalas in natural and vivid colors. Finding what the fish will react to each day is key to being successful on Carters. Right now we are looking for walleye in the backs of creeks and on secondary points. Fisher, Worley and Camp Branch have all been holding good numbers of fish. As we move through the month, look for the bait to finish spawning and for a consistent daily migration from the backs of the creeks to the main lake to begin. This is a great time to catch feeding fish of all species.”

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Linesides: Guide Eric Crowley reports of Lake And Stream Guide Service reports, “The stripers and hybrids will follow the big schools of alewives, and this is the best time to catch them. Expect 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. to be prime on Carters, and you should have baits in the water by then to optimize your chances. Big, fresh alewives caught at the lake under the HydroGlow lights are the bait of choice. You’re going to want to run a variety of baits at a variety of depths to cover the water, but they all should have light, fluorocarbon leaders and small but strong inline circle hooks. As far as artificials go, I’m a fan of the Captain Mack’s umbrella rigs and bucktails in chartreuse and white fished 140 to 180 feet back after the sun is up.”