Lake Burton Fishing Report – January 2019

Burton: Level: Down 7 feet. Temp: 47 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The bass bite has been great the last few days. We have caught some big spotted bass and largemouth on ledges close to the main-lake channels. These fish are aggressive and will hit with determination. We have been casting in and around deep-water docks close to outcroppings. A sinking swimbait has been the most productive. This pattern should last a few more weeks as we transition into a deeper-water spoon bite.”

Trout: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The brown trout bite has been decent the last few weeks. Most of the trout we have caught have been trolling small spoons (Little Cleo) and casting to surfacing fish. We have caught a few bigger browns on blueback herring freelined over the main-lake channel. This pattern should continue for the next several weeks.”

Walleye: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The walleye bite has begun after a long-awaited warm fall. We have been catching most of our fish on a 20- to 25-foot bottom. We have been trolling crawler harnesses (nightcrawlers) at about 1.5 mph in and around brushpiles. These fish are clinging close to structure and will not travel very far from these areas. Rocky banks and points have been another good area to target. Try working an area several times before giving up. These fish sometimes take some coercion and don’t always bite on the first pass. The walleye bite should continue to get better over the next few weeks. Good luck!”