Lake Burton Fishing Report March 2014

Burton: Level: 11.7 feet below full pool. Temp: 45 degrees. Clarity: Slight stain.

Bass: Fair. Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The spotted bass are holding on a 22- to 30-foot bottom. These fish are only feeding a few hours a day. Try working a Fish Head Spin tipped with a fluke or a Flex-it spoon directly over them. The spots that are biting seem to be big fish. These fish should become more aggressive over the next few weeks and start biting jerkbaits and crankbaits.”

Walleye: “The walleye have been fairly deep the last couple of weeks,” Wes said. “Most of the walleye are 30 to 40 feet deep. We have been able to catch a few by downlining blueback herring. Dropping these baits to 28 feet and being patient has been producing fish. With the strong winds this time of year, this can be tough. Be sure and take an anchor to hold the boat over the walleye once you have located them on the electronics. The walleye should start working up shallower any day now as we head toward the March spawn. The few fish we have managed to catch have been big!”

Brown Trout: “The brown trout are still piled up in the backs of the creeks chasing the vast herring population. Look for these fish in the 14- to 20-foot depths in creeks or pockets off of the main channel,” Wes said. “We have been casting small gold Cleo spoons and catching a fair number of these fish with a few 4- and 5-pounders every once in a while. Look for these fish to follow the blueback herring over the next couple of weeks. They should stay pretty close to where they are now.”