Carters Lake Fishing Report – September 2018

Carters: Level: Full. Temp: 85 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Linesides: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The striper fishing on Carters remains consistent. The fish are deep in the daytime and not as deep at night. Finding fish that are willing to feed in either situation is key this month. In the dark, the fish are willing to come check out a HydroGlow light and feed on anything that doesn’t require much work. Fishing fresh live bait is key to getting them to feed. The stripers that are eating at night, or at least searching for a meal, are in the 50- to 60-foot range over a range of bottom depths. Schools of four to six fish are the norm right now. Lots of fish are coming to inspect baits only to reject them and descend back down. In the daytime, the stripers are schooled up on the bottom, usually below a large quantity of bait. Live alewife or a Ben Parker spoon is the way to go. Daytime fish are easy to find in the mouths of the creeks, but getting them to eat can be difficult. The hybrids are a different story, and that’s the reason we target them more in the warmer months. They are anywhere from 30 feet to the surface feeding on small baits at night. They show up in much larger schools and are much more eager to eat your baits. Three- to 4-inch shad on small circle hooks is the way to go right now. Look for them in the creeks on the south side of the lake anywhere from 30 feet out to the mouths. In the daytime, they are holding near trees and timber. The spotted bass bite has be OK. Deep water in the creek arms and shallow water edges on the main lake are the places to hunt green fish. The walleye were feeding OK before the big storms, but after the water came way up and produced all the muddy run-off, we haven’t seen many.”