Lake Sinclair Fishing Report – April 2023

Sinclair: Level: 1.4 feet below 340. Temp: 69-73 degrees. Clarity: Stained water above the 441 bridge and the backs of the coves. By the beginning of April, expect the lake to be stained almost to the dam. Right now, it’s fairly clear from Nancy Creek to the dam.

Bass: Ed at Lakeside Chevron says the fish are so shallow you need to throw it on the bank! A merthiolate Trick Worm rigged wacky style is a consistent producer. Some bass have spawned and some have not, and that wacky worm will catch both. The places producing right now are up the Oconee, Rooty Creek, Nancy Creek and up Little River. In the stained water, try a turtleback bladed spinnerbait, a chartreuse-and-white Bandit crankbait or a bleeding Shad Rap. One more bait to try is a crawfish-colored ChatterBait. On the bridge riprap, try to slow-roll a Rat-L-Trap in blue-back/chrome. For pitching or flipping, try a 6-inch junebug lizard, an Ol’ Monster worm in junebug red or a crawfish jig around blowdowns and docks. Down around Nancy and Island creeks, try flipping a Z-Craw plastic. The Thursday tournament took 15 pounds, and the Saturday ABA tournament took 24 pounds to win with several bags over 20 (see page 66). In April, expect to see all spawn phases. The arrival of the shad spawn will be the big event this month since the two-week cold front in March slowed the rise in water temperature. In the first hour of daylight, look for the shad to throw themselves on the riprap, rocky banks, bridge and dock pilings. Throw a double-bladed willowleaf spinnerbait with a white skirt as tight to the bank as you can and parallel the bank. Pop-Rs, squarebill crankbaits and ChatterBaits would be other baits to try. The shad spawn will die when the sun hits the water. Fish a fluke, Trick Worm or shallow crankbait from the bank to 3 feet deep to catch a few more bass, but expect the bite to slow down. Stay shallow the whole month of April on Lake Sinclair. Flip docks and blowdowns and work the grass as the sun gets up in the sky. Near the end of the month, look for the mayflies to start hatching, as well as the bluegill to start spawning. Fish a frog, black buzzbait, a bubblegum Trick Worm and a shaky-head worm with a chartreuse tail where you see the beds or mayfly hatches. April is a great month to be on the water. Just make sure to fish shallow. Launch your boat at Lakeside Chevron and get Ed’s latest fishing update.

Lake Sinclair Page: Archived Articles & Fishing Reports