West Point Lake Fishing Report – January 2024

West Point: Level: 6.7 feet below 635. North of Highway 219 is dangerous, so be careful if you choose to go up. Temp: Upper 40s to mid 50s. Clarity: Really clear in most areas.

Bass: Guide Keith Hudson  reports, “Fair. January is typically a slow month for bass fishing in general. The shallow bite for bass is only fair at best right now but could improve quickly in late January, especially with a warm rain and extended warming trend. Stained water, higher than normal lake levels and water temps in the low 60s will turn things on quickly. Baits such as crawdad Shad Raps, Rat-L-Traps and Chatterbaits will produce on these shallower fish. Try to fish these baits in coves and pockets with small feeder creeks or around schools of baitfish. Keep a jig or shaky head handy to pitch around any wood cover. Fishing rip-rap can also yield good results this time of year. The rocks warm quickly and retain heat. Yellowjacket and Whitewater creeks should continue to produce. On the other hand,  a snow or ice storm in January could shut the shallow bite down completely. Water temps in the  30s and 40s make it super tough. If the lake stays cold and clear, go deep. Big schools of spots mixed with hybrids, white bass and stripers can be caught on jigging spoons, drop-shot rigs and shaky-head rigs on humps and drop-offs. Target  deeper offshore structures like brushpiles and old roadbeds in 20 to 30 feet of water near the mouth of most major creeks for the best results.”

Linesides: Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Good. The downline bite with shad or bass shiners has improved as the water has cooled off, and most years it stays pretty good all winter. A 3/8- or 1/2-oz. white Rooster Tail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators have also  been producing, and the colder it gets, the better the fishing usually is (within reason). In cold water, casting a bucktail jig becomes very effective at times. The mouths of most creeks anywhere south of the Highland Marina area all the way to the dam and Maple Creek have been holding fish. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Flash Mob Rigs also continues to produce some linesides in these same areas. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep when they are not schooling on the surface. Expect the topwater fishing to be sporadic at best. It’s usually best very early and very late or on overcast or rainy days. Gulls and loons are here now, which makes it easier to pinpoint schooling stripers and hybrids. Keep your eyes open.”

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Crappie: Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Fair. Try tightline fishing with minnows on a 1/16- or 1/8-oz. jig around bridge pilings, brushpiles and blowdowns in 15 to 20 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting deep-water docks with small tubes or feather jigs around or under the docks can produce this time of year. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. Yellowjacket, Wehadkee and Whitewater creeks are probably your best bets. Spider trolling normally begins in late January and can be very effective. If January turns unusually warm and wet, the crappie can show back up surprisingly shallow in the warmer, stained water, and it can happen very quickly.”