Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – July 2022

Blue Ridge: Level: Full pool. Temp: 81-85 degrees. Clarity: 12 feet.

Bass: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “I haven’t seen any more smallies, but the spotted bass are finally chowing down after a late spawn. They have been clobbering dark-colored crankbaits and chrome spoons fished on points or near brush out deep. The bite right before dark has been the best bite for us when we are targeting them. There’s a decent topwater bite early in the day, but the conditions have to be right. Calm mornings with no wind allows you to see the surface activity and make long casts quick before they go back down.”

Guide Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service reports, “The bass bite has been fair. Summertime fishing can get tough due to the lake being full and all the boat traffic the lake gets. There has been a little topwater action in the mornings. I like throwing a Strike King Sexy Dawg Jr. and a Pop-R. Once the sun gets up, I start targeting deep points and rocky banklines. I’m targeting these areas with a drop shot, shaky head and a 3.5-inch tube. By midday, I’m working my way up river and targeting deep, rocky banks and bends where the river channel hits. I’m still using the same baits that I was down on the main body of the lake. With the water temps already this warm and the amount of boat traffic the lake gets, my advice is to slow way down like you were fishing in the winter months, and use lighter line. Also, when finding fish on your electronics, you may have to spend a little time in that one area to get them to bite.”  

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

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The walleye are offshore and holding tight to the bottom on deep ledges. The fish pinned to the bottom are not really interested in feeding, but the ones just off the bottom are what you’re looking for. Specifically look for ones just off the bottom near bait balls. You can catch these fish with a number of presentations from trolling to vertical jigging, as it’s more of a timing thing than a presentation right now. Walleye are definitely more prone to feed in low-light situations, so fish cloudy days, rainy days, early and late in the day and at night. Color preference varies in these light conditions and can change fast as the day progresses, so keep plenty of options handy. The fish are spread out over the main-lake points, flats and humps, which there are a lot of on this lake.” 

Trout: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The trout bite has been consistent for me over the past couple weeks with lots of fish in the 16- to 18-inch size with a few bigger ones mixed in. This bite will taper off by the end of the month when the fish go super deep and don’t eat much.  Look for trout in pockets and coves with bait early in the day before the sun pushes them out deep and they spread out.”