Carters Lake Fishing Report – September 2021

Carters: Level: 6 feet below full pool. Temp: 84 degrees. Clarity: 3 to 4 feet.

Bass: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “I haven’t been targeting the spotted bass much with the good walleye bite going on, but there’s a decent topwater bite right at dawn all over the lake when the schools of little baitfish are up on the surface. Lure selection really doesn’t matter that much. Just make a good cast at busting fish and twitch it. If I have leftover bait from my morning trips, I can pull up to almost any secondary point and catch a few spots. Most are in the 2-lb. range and about 20 feet deep. Another great way to beat the summer heat or keep cool waiting on the evening bite is to pick up some trash. The lake has been very busy this year, and not everyone left it the way they found it. I try to pick up at least one piece a day. Just take a second and grab something. Every little bit helps, and the fishing community benefits from it in the long run.”

Stripers: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “Carters Lake in the dog days of summer can be a miserable place if you let it. My advice is to fish early, fish late or fish in the dark. As many of you know, I typically don’t target stripers in August and September as it’s almost certain death for the big fish we have. The fish are deep for a reason, and pulling them up from that depth isn’t great for the fish or the fishery. However, there are a few things you can do in the heat of summer and still chase striped fish. One thing is fishing at night under the Hydro Glow. Set up in 60 feet of water, and let the fish come to you. Allowing the fish to come up shallow on their own lets them adjust to the depth change slowly versus being cranked up. Fish baits 30 to 35 feet deep on downlines with a 14- to 20-lb. leader just out of the lights. Another thing is targeting smaller fish. These fish are 3 to 4 pounds and fun to catch. I use No. 2 or 4 circle hooks exclusively for these fish and release them ASAP. Live threadfins about 2 1/2- to 3-inches long is a perfect bait. Too big and they can’t eat them and too small they swallow the hooks. Using 10-lb. braid makes casting easy. There is a school at every boat ramp on the lake basically. They tend to hunt the edges of the parking lot lights. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s a thing on a lake with no artificial light. You can throw a pearl white fluke and draw strikes, as well.”

Walleye: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “The walleye bite has been lots of fun this summer on Carters. It’s been really consistent, with only a few slow days mixed in here and there. Our average fish size is up this year from 22 to 23 inches, and we are catching some real nice fish in the 28-inch range when the conditions are right. Overcast, low-light, dawn and dusk are times that walleye like to eat best. The less light, the shallower they will be feeding. Deep-diving crankbaits or real small spoons fished vertically around suspended bait balls is a good summer pattern. Just before dawn the 40-foot bottom is the place to be.”