Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – July 2023

Blue Ridge: Level: 1 foot above 1686. Temp: 75-77 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service reports, “Fishing has been fair. Blue Ridge Lake gets a lot of boat traffic and water sports, so these fish tend to go deep in the summer months. I try starting out on the main-lake points and on deep, rocky banks. I’m throwing a shaky head and a drop-shot rigged with a  6-inch Roboworm. This is another lake that has plenty of herring baitfish, so you always want to keep a topwater bait handy. I like throwing a Strike King Sexy Dawg Jr. and a Whopper Plopper. I really use my electronics and my Garmin LiveScope on this lake, looking to find fish around deep brush and in ditches. I will also throw a Texas rig and a 3.5-inch tube bait. If I’m fishing during the night, I will throw a crankbait on these long points and flats. The deep bluff banks up the river can also hold some good fish at times. I try targeting the banks where the river hits, and I’m using the same style baits. Good luck.”
Capt. Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “The spotted bass are chowing down after a late spawn. They have been clobbering various colored crankbaits and chrome spoons fished on points or near brush out deep. The bite right after sunup has been the best bite for us.  There’s still some topwater action here and there but nothing consistent. We’ve seen lots of 3- and 4-lb. fish the last few weeks.”

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

Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The water is warm, the fish are deep and the bite is early. It’s summertime and the temps and boat traffic are pretty much on par for this time of year. Neither are great but if you start early or fish late, you can find plenty of quiet water. The walleye are offshore and holding tight to the bottom on deep ledges, rocks and structure 35 to 45 feet deep. The fish pinned to the lake bottom  are not really interested in feeding, but the ones just off the bottom are what you’re looking for, specifically the 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 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. If you’re trolling, the fish are spread out over the main-lake points, flats and humps, which there are a lot of on this lake. Look for small groups of fish and work them thoroughly. Rapala Tail Dancers and Smithwicks have been hot the last few weeks in purple, black and orange combinations. If you’re fishing vertical, a Nichols Mojo spoon or a 4-inch flutter spoon is a good place to start.”

Trout: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “The trout bite has been consistent for me over the past couple of weeks with lots of fish in the 17- to 20-inch size and a few bigger ones mixed in. This bite will typically taper off by the end of the month when the fish go super deep and don’t eat much, but with the lake still being pretty cool, it might last through July. Look for trout in pockets and coves with bait early in the day before the sun pushes them out deep and they spread out. I’m targeting them mainly on the downriggers.”