Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – October 2022

Blue Ridge: Level: 3.2 feet below 1681. Temp: 73 degrees. Clarity: 15 feet.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service reports, “Fishing is getting good. The lake level has been dropping fast and the water temp is starting to come down. I’ve been catching some fish first thing in the mornings on topwater, throwing a Whopper Plopper or a Pop-R around banklines that may have some brush or laydowns. I’ve been using my Garmin LiveScope to find fish off points and in deep brush. I will target these fish with a drop shot and a 6-inch Roboworm, a 3.5-inch tube or a small swimbait. By midday, I will make my way up and fish the river banks, throwing a drop shot and a shaky head. On Blue Ridge, you always want to fish the bank side that the river runs closest to. There have been fish on the laydowns going up the river. The fishing is only going to get better this month as the lake drops and water temp drops. Good luck.”

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Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “Fall is here and the walleye bite is, too. Jigs, spoons, bait, anything you like fishing will catch walleye in the next month or so. Find fish laying on the bottom and hit them in the face. That’s the go-to method this month. Good electronics are key to locating these fish as they will be pinned to the mud. Subtle bumps on the bottom is all you will see until they move. Getting your offering within a foot or so is the way to get bit. Work the area and move on. Covering water and hitting as many productive areas as you can will increase your odds greatly. If it looks like it could be a fish, fish it. I can’t tell you how many times a bump becomes a walleye, or two, or more. Fall is a great time of year to catch a limit of quality fish on your favorite spoon or jig-and-minnow combination. These fish will be feeding the last hour before sunrise until around 9 a.m. and again at dark.”

Yellow Perch: Guide Eric Crowley reports, “After sunrise, the yellow perch will get fired up looking to pack on some weight for their upcoming spawning season. These daytime feeders will eat minnows, worms, spoons, jigs or a combination of any or all the above. October is a great month for perch in both numbers and size. Fish in the 16- to 18-inch range are not uncommon. While most fish average 10  to 12 inches, there’s no limit on perch, but we only keep quality and set a goal/limits for each trip. With the lake dropping, please be aware of shallow-water hazards like shoals and sandbars that can be just a few inches under the surface. We will see you on the water.”