Lake Chatuge Fishing Reports – April 2023

Chatuge: Level: 4.8 feet below 1925. Temp: 54-56 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service, reports, “Fishing has been good. The lake has come up some, along with the water temps, which have the spotted bass on the move. I’ve been catching fish on rocky banks and points, and there has also been some fish on offshore structures. The fish were starting to stage in areas where they will spawn in, but the few days of cold temps pushed the fish back down. A jerkbait and a 3.5-inch Strike King Rage Swimmer swimbait are good lures to use this time of year when the fish are feeding up before they spawn. Fish a 3/8-oz. jig, Ned rig and 3.5-inch tube in areas where fish normally spawn. Just drag it slowly through these areas. On warm, sunny days, try throwing a 4-inch swimbait in the backs of pockets for the largemouth that are moving up. What I’ve been doing mostly is using my forward-facing sonar to find fish. I keep it set at 75 feet looking in front of the boat, and when I mark fish, I can cast into them and stop my bait right on them. Also, on offshore brush, if you scan around and don’t see any fish, there is no use in wasting time. Go on to the next spot. We should start seeing our first stage of fish wanting to spawn on the first of April. By the first of May, you should start seeing some postspawn fish around docks and brush. Good luck.”

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