Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – December 2024

Blue Ridge: Level: 15.7 feet below 1686. Temp: 59-62 degrees. Clarity: 10 feet.

Bass: Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service, reports, “Fishing is getting good. We are almost at a normal winter pool. We’re still seeing a little topwater action throughout the day. I like throwing a Whopper Plopper and a Strike King Sexy Dawg Jr. I’m still using a drop shot with a 6.5-inch Roboworm, but as the water temperature drops, I will switch to a 4.5-inch worm. I also like throwing a 3.5-inch tube and a Strike King 3.25-inch Rage Swimmer swimbait. I will rig the Rage Swimmer on a 1/4-oz. swimbait head and cast it out and let it sink. Then I will slow-roll it back. As the water temp continues to drop, you will see the fish start bunching up around deep points and deep rocky banks. You can use some of the baits that I have mentioned, but the Ned rig works well in the winter months when the water temp gets cold. Also, if you find the fish bunched up, try a jigging spoon. Once the water temps get in the mid-50s, I will start throwing a Float-n-Fly, and there are a couple of different ways we fish it. One is with a small, hand-tied 1/32-oz. hair fly with a 10- to 15-foot leader. We’ll fish it on rocky banks and points. The other way is with a 20- to 35-foot leader with a line through the float with a 1/32-oz. weighted hook and a small Tiny Fluke. We’ll fish this from the mouths of pockets and fish our way in. A jerkbait and an A-rig catch good fish this time of year. Good luck.”

Lake Blue Ridge Page: Archived Articles, Fishing Reports and Official Lake Records

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “As with most area lakes, cold fronts are the name of the game now. Pre-frontal days are the time to hit the lake. Dropping pressure and an overcast sky are go time for feeding walleye. This time of year, we like to vertical jig for big walleye. Spoons, blades and jigs of all sizes are the go-to options right now. On cloudy days, try some of the crazy walleye colors, like firetiger and chartreuse or Wonder Bread. On sunny days or in post-front conditions, go smaller, and use natural colors like herring or crawdad, and slow the presentations way down. Target depth is 35 to 90 feet, with the bigger fish typically being deeper. Vary your jigging rhythm and distance from the bottom until you find what they want. Location isn’t a thing, as the fish are simply following the bait around, so the familiar technique of finding the bait and finding the fish will hold true this month. We are targeting the biggest fish of the year right now. It’s big-fish hunting and not a numbers game, but if you’re going to see a 10-lb. walleye, it will be in the next couple of months. The perch bite has been on and off with the weather, as well. The perch really prefer it cold and stable. Perch are a great option when the bright sunshine has the walleye bite shut down. Use the same tactics but a smaller presentation, or add live minnows to the mix. These fish typically hold a bit shallower in the 20- to 40-foot range.”