Fishing Report For Claytor Lake, VA

Current Report: Fair To Good

According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, Peak Creek, Clapboard Hollow, and larger coves toward the lower end of the lake hold the best concentrations of bass. The fishing is seldom fast and furious, but dedicated anglers are managing to catch decent numbers.

FALL. Now that late Fall taking over, bass are moving out of shallow coves and shallow bays, following schools of baitfish back into 10 to 20 feet of water. Currently jerkbaits, deep-diving crankbaits, slow-rolled spinnerbaits, artificial worms, spoons and jigs are catching most of the bass. Later in Fall, as deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps where flutter spoons, jigs, and drop shots are often good choices in 12 to 20 feet of water.

WINTER. Winter will isolate largemouth around slightly deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. They can be found from 12 to 30 feet deep, around main-lake channel edges, rock piles, stump fields and brush piles. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations are key to getting bites. On warmer days, especially during late afternoons, bass may move shallower to feed.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water nearby spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. Popular spawning areas include sheltered pockets with grass, protected bays, shallow rocky banks, gentle flats around Peak Creek, and shallow pockets around Claytor Lake State Park. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 8 to 20 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 1 to 10 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 6 to 18 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, plastic worms, jigs, worms, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they will be caught in 2 to 10 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 6 to 25 feet deep. Some of the best reports seem to be from anglers fishing around main lake points and ledges, rocky ledges near the dam, and side pockets in Peak Creek.

Current Report: Fair To Good

Claytor Lake has a decent population of smallmouth bass, which are forced to compete with largemouth and spotted bass for forage.

FALL. Late Fall is in full swing and smallmouth have followed schools of baitfish out of shallow coves and bays, into 6 to 20 feet of water. They thrive in the cold, clean water, which is an ideal environment for them. Fishing shallow for smallmouth is often good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days. Locals report that tube jigs, and drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics, are popular in 10' water or deeper. Worms, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits, are also successful, when bass are shallow to mid depth. Later in Fall, smallies move to slightly deeper water, around 10 to 25 feet deep.

WINTER. Winter will isolate them around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. They can generally be found from 12 to 30 feet deep. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs tend to temp smallmouth in deep water. I like to work these deeper haunts very slowly, as the bass are somewhat sluggish. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING. When water temperatures rise into the 50's, smallmouth move from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They feed heavily in 8 to 18 feet of water at this time, and are typically caught on jerkbaits, crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into 2 to 12 feet of water, and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 15 to 20 feet deep, and feed aggressively. Jigs, tube baits, Ned rigs, plastic worms, and spoons are catching smallies during this period.

SUMMER. Smallmouth bass are currently feeding shallow early and late in the day in 8 to 15 feet of water. They are being caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish, gizzard shad, and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 20 to 25 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some fast action. Anglers fishing rip rap, rocky banks and deeper points, are reporting good catches.

Current Report: Fair

Claytor Lake has had a long recovery from a fish kill that decimated the striper population, nearly a decade ago. Stripers prefer deep cold water, and only move shallow to feed or spawn. Their primary diet consists of alewives and gizzard shad, so locating bait schools is a good way to find stripers, and hybrid stripers here.

FALL. In late Fall, stripers return to deeper water. Early in the day stripers often chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. They follow schools of bait, which are hanging out in 10 to 20 feet of water. Look for shallow water nearby deeper river channels, and fish them thoroughly. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch striped bass at this time of year. Late Fall will find most of the stripers in 20 to 25 feet of water.

WINTER. In Winter, stripers again hang out in deeper water and feed close to the bottom, often as deep as 35 feet. Warm, sunny afternoons occasionally draw stripers shallower, to around 15 or 25 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of alewives and gizzard shad. The main lake basin, along deep channels is holding schools of stripers, especially in the section of lake around the dam. Locate schools of bait, then look for stripers close by. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are caught while drift fishing with live bait or cut bait. Spoons, blade baits, and heavy hair jigs are also effective this time of year. Due to the stripers slower metabolism this time of year, anglers are triggering more strikes by working baits more slowly.

SPRING. Water temperatures are return to the mid 60's, and that's ideal for the stripers to spawn. In Spring, work the upper end of the lake, and the backs of coves, where there is inflowing water. If they spawn, this is where they will lay eggs in the moving water. They also move into transition zones on the main lake, in 6 to 20 feet of water, feeding on baitfish which are moving toward the shallows. Expect to locate them on mid-depth ledges, flats or points. The lake record is over 20 pounds, and many anglers believe there are bigger ones to be caught.

SUMMER. Summer months are the ideal time to chase striped bass here. These stripers hang out in deeper water during the heat of the day, 15 to 40 feet deep, early in the season. Much of the time they are holding over deeper, open water. Morning often draws the stripers shallower, so look for them around the 10-foot range as they feed on roaming schools of baitfish. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Fish finders, and sonar electronics, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.