Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – August 2023

Blue Ridge: Level: Full at 1686. Temp: 83 degrees. Clarity: 12 feet.

Bass: Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “The bass have been stacked up on just about every point. The super clear water has made getting them to commit a bit tricky at times. Early in the morning, throw a topwater or a shallow jerkbait, like a Zara Spook or a Husky Jerk, in bright color options. After the sun is up, they tend to slide out to 20 to 25 feet deep waiting to ambush herring. Match the hatch with Shad Raps, Sebiles or any shad-profile crankbait. Look for the recreational traffic to slow a bit by mid month as school is starting back up and sports are starting. Until then, be prepared to start early and leave early.”

Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service reports, “Bass fishing has been fair. Anyone who has ever fished Blue Ridge Lake knows that it doesn’t fish that great during July and August. The summer boat traffic really drives these fish deep, and thanks to the spotted bass getting started illegally now, we hardly ever catch any smallmouth bass. I always try starting out on the main body of the lake, fishing deep, rocky banks and long points. I will throw a Texas rig and a drop shot in these areas. You always want to keep a topwater bait on the front deck, because the lake is full of blueback herring and everyone knows how fast they come up and how fast they’re gone. By mid-morning, I will start working my way up the river and fishing the deep banks with the same lures, but I will also throw a jig around the laydowns up in the river.”

Lake Blue Ridge Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “It’s been a great summer so far on Blue Ridge Lake. Cool mornings and sunny afternoons on this lake are hard to beat. The fishing has been good and pretty stable until this past week. The temps creeping up have started to push the fish offshore to deeper, cooler water. The walleye will move to offshore structure, rocky edges and deeper grassbeds. Deep-diving crankbaits, like a DT-20 or a Salmo Freediver, can really shine at these depths. These areas are typically in the 50-foot depth range just out from the late-spring holding areas. So if you’ve been on fish and they are not there anymore, just look a little deeper in the same area. This is a great time to spoon walleyes. We’ve been using the Lake Fork Flutter Spoons and the Mojo Spoons with great success. As always, the walleye feed mainly in low-light conditions, especially in this clear lake.”