Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – August 2022

Blue Ridge: Level: Full pool. Temp: 83-86 degrees. Clarity: Very clear, 15 feet visibility.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service reports, “Fishing has been fair. With the heat we’ve been having and all the boat traffic the lake has been getting, the fish have been scattered. There’s not hardly been any topwater action in the morning. I’ve been starting out on the main body targeting deep rocky points, humps and laydowns. The baits I’ve been using have been a drop shot, shaky head and Ned rig. The majority of my fish have been caught using my Garmin Livescope, marking the areas that they’re in and casting on them, watching my screen as the bait drops down and seeing them hit it. By mid-morning, I will work my way up the river using the same lures on deep, rocky banks and points, mainly targeting areas where the river turns in next to the bank. Nothing should really change this month, same pattern should work.”

Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “The bass have been acting a little different this year. We are catching a lot more fish in open water and shallow, usually only 10 to 15 feet deep. They are chasing schools of bait way out off the points on the main lake. Sometimes 10 to 20 fish are in a school. This makes for great jerkbait fishing, as there’s some competition for food. For fish that come up out of range, a heavy, 1-oz. spoon will reach out to them. Most of them are spots, but we have seen a couple smallies. We have confirmed through freeze branding by DNR that we have seen multiple fish from 2016-2019 stocking efforts.”

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Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “Summer heat and warm water has the fish deep most of the day. There are still some fish up shallow early, but mostly smaller fish is what we are seeing. The walleye have retreated to deeper, cooler water and are feeding early and late in the day. Overcast days and rain are your friends this month as the fish will be much more active without the summer sun beaming down on them. I’ve been focusing on big points in the river that are holding bait, not just a little bit, lots of bait. The walleye are following the big schools of bluebacks as they move throughout the river above Point 5. Look for them in the 40- to 60-foot range. There are also fish holding in deep grassbeds near Star Creek. Try to work the edges for the best results. Chrome and black spoons worked right in their faces has been the most productive. We have seen a lot of fish this past month, and the average is holding steady at 22 inches, with fish up to 25 inches being caught. The trout bite is winding down for the summer as the temps continue to rise. There will still be a few out feeding, but the majority will disappear by mid August and head into the depths and go wherever it is they go until next year. We have seen some real quality fish this year and hope the trend continues.”