Lake Sinclair Fishing Report – January 2025

Sinclair: Level: 1.6 feet below 340. Temp: Low to mid 50s. Clarity: The rivers are stained as are the backs of most pockets. It is clear near the dam.  

Bass: Karl Pingry reports, “It’s taking 18 to 19 pounds to win the club tournaments. Ed at Lakeside Chevron confirmed that our fishing forecast in November was fairly accurate. The bass are still in the backs of the coves that are stained. Crankbaits are the hot bait right now. A Bandit 200 in black or chartreuse/pearl or a jointed No. 7 Shad Rap in clown or chartreuse/white were recommended by Ed. If you’re fishing rocks, fish the ones with sun on them. A chrome/blue Rat-L-Trap is still the bait to throw. Ed added one more pattern that he learned from Junior Collis: throw a crankbait anywhere you see a sweetgum tree on the bank. Long ago, Junior told Ed the Sinclair largemouth love sweetgum stumps in the winter. Junior probably knew every stump in Sinclair, but he assumed where there was a sweetgum tree on the bank, there were others near it that were cut down when the lake was built. If you’re in the stained water up toward Cedar Creek or Twin Bridges, you’ll need to throw a turtleback bladed spinnerbait. Docks and blowdowns are always good targets, and Ol’ Monster worms in junebug red or plum, a shaky head with the same colors, or a black/blue jig are still the wintertime baits to throw. The last pattern is one that Ed and I did not anticipate in last month’s report—in clear water, a jerkbait or prop bait are working especially well near hydrilla. Ed said topwater is working where shad are flickering on the surface. Ed doesn’t think much will change in January. The topwater prop bait bite probably ends. You’ll need to slow down and make repeated casts the few days after a cold front or a cold rain. Sunny, wind-protected areas in the afternoon will improve your odds, as well. Remember that if there are a few warm, sunny days in a row, the stained water warms much quicker than the clear water. Rocks and hard-bottom banks will also warm quicker. Stop by Lakeside Chevron. There’s plenty of parking in the back and Ed will have an updated report.”

Lake Sinclair Page: Archived Articles & Fishing Reports