Lake Burton Fishing Report January 2016

Burton: Level: 5 feet low and dropping for winter drawdown. Temp: 48 degrees. Clarity: Slightly stained.

Bass: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The bass are starting to go deep. We have caught some really good spots and largemouth on topwater the last few trips early in the mornings. Try using a small topwater bait (Sammy, Strike King, etc). Herring colors always work best. Crankbaits will start working over the next few weeks. I like using a 5- to 7-foot-deep-diving crankbait in a yellow perch or bream color. Spoons will be the bait to use over the next few weeks. Look for the bass to set up on a 40-foot bottom.”

Brown Trout: Wes reports, “The browns are congregated up in the creeks. They will soon start their pilgrimage back down the lake to the main-lake channels over the next few weeks. The lake has been stocked with a lot of small trout. These fish are aggressive and easy to catch. Any type of spinner, small crankbait or small jerkbait works well. These fish are scattered all over the lake from one end to the other.”

Walleye: Wes reports, “The walleye have moved up on the main-lake points and humps. These fish are feeding shallow the first few hours of daylight and feeding several hours throughout the night if you are able to stay out late enough to catch them. We have been casting chrome jerkbaits over these fish with a slow, steady roll of the reel. They are not very aggressive and sometimes take several casts to a specific area to catch one. The walleye we have been catching lately have been healthy (3 to 5 pounds). These fish should continue to feed on this same pattern over the next few weeks. Look for rocky bottom or heavy timber near these shallow-water points and humps. They like heavy cover when they are not up feeding.”