Driving Map to Lake Anna - Click to Enlarge
| Lake Anna citation striper caught with Jim Hemby - July 2006 |
| Bob Hargis and friends with stripers and catfish caught with Jim Hemby of Lake Anna Striper Guide Service |
| Click Photos to Enlarge |
Lake Anna Overview
Lake Anna is a 9,600 acre impoundment located in the Northern Piedmont region.
It provides cooling water for the North Anna Nuclear Power Station. It is renowned
for its largemouth bass fishing and also offers excellent opportunities for
landlocked striped bass and crappie. It provides the best trophy largemouth bass
fishing of any of the major reservoirs in the state. Numerous citation fish (over 8
lbs) are caught each year and 10 lb fish are possible (an 11 lb 8 oz fish was
caught in 2003 and the lake record is 13 lbs). Due to its proximity to major
population centers (Northern VA and Richmond), the pleasure boat traffic is very
heavy during the summer months; however, fishing is still enjoyable from daylight
until around 11 am on summer weekends.
It provides cooling water for the North Anna Nuclear Power Station. It is renowned
for its largemouth bass fishing and also offers excellent opportunities for
landlocked striped bass and crappie. It provides the best trophy largemouth bass
fishing of any of the major reservoirs in the state. Numerous citation fish (over 8
lbs) are caught each year and 10 lb fish are possible (an 11 lb 8 oz fish was
caught in 2003 and the lake record is 13 lbs). Due to its proximity to major
population centers (Northern VA and Richmond), the pleasure boat traffic is very
heavy during the summer months; however, fishing is still enjoyable from daylight
until around 11 am on summer weekends.
Jim Hemby of Lake Anna Striper Guide Service provided the following Fishing
Report for March 2010. Visit Jim at www.jimhemby.com or call 540-967-3313.
Spring is coming, the water is warming, ice is melting, bait is migrating into the
creeks and all species of fish will be preparing for the spawn and as the water
warms up so will their appetites. Walleyes are spawning, Crappie and Stripers
will begin to spawn latter in the month and a few of the lakes larger Bass will
attempt to spawn down lake on the full moon late this month. March is a month to
catch some of the largest fish of the year and many citations should be recorded
this month.
STRIPERS: Stripers are scattered all over the lake now, primarily in main lake
regions but as the water warm and the ice melts in the backs of creeks and rivers
they will follow the bait and gorge themselves fattening up for the rigors of the
spawn which will take place over the next couple of months. Striper fishing has
been fantastic this year, my clients have been averaging about 30 fish a day, the
fish are fat and full of roe. Contrary to what many fisherman believe, all the
Stripers do not migrate up into the rivers to spawn. There are numerous schools
of Stripers that live their entire lives within certain areas of the lake, moving with
the bait from main lake locations to the backs of the nearby creeks, from deeper
flats to shallow bays, but they stay within a couple mile range of their core area.
About every 3 miles are major core areas that are worth checking, establish a
pattern for the day you are fishing and you can duplicate that pattern in each area
of the lake. Here are some proven tactics to catch Stripers this season.
Down lake by the dam and the 3rd Dike Stripers will be moving in and out of the
current feeding on the massive schools of bait wanting to spawn in the current. In
low light times of the day fish will explode on Pencil Poppers and Rebel Jumping
minnows worked in the current. When the Stripers sound Rattle Traps catch
plenty of fish. To fool a big fish try waking a Redfin across any flat , hump or point
in that region, you may be in for a big surprise. When the fish sound they school
on the bottom, spoons jigged in their faces may catch a few of these lethargic fish
as will trolling deep diving crank baits. The mouths of all the creeks mid lake are
holding Schools of fish early in the month and they will move toward the backs of
the creeks with the bait as the water warms. When you locate the schools jerk
baits and swim baits are hard to beat. Good swim baits to try are 4 to 6 inch swim
baits cast out on light line and counted down to the depth where you see the fish
on your depth finder. Up lake the water has been very stained by the snow melt
and recent rains. There are plenty of Stripers that live up lake year round but it is
hard to catch Stripers in cold, muddy water. Once the water reaches 50* and
clears your chances will improve up there. The fish will move right up on the
banks, you can not fish too shallow when they are there. Throw Sea Shads right to
the bank for the best action.
Artificial techniques work well but nothing fools a big old Striper like trying to pull
a big Shad or Herring past them. If you can’t catch the native baitfish try some
Jumbo minnows. For the next 2 months I will be focusing on points, humps and
shallow flats where baitfish are present. On warming trends I will run Water Bugz
planner boards over flats and right up next to the bank, even working to the backs
of creeks where the channel may only be a few feet deep. On cooling trends and
blue bird days I will drop back to 20 to 30 foot flats and pull a combination of
boards and downlines . I will run Herring when the water temps are below 55*
and Shad when the water warms up. To view our catches you can visit my journal
at www.JimHemby.com .
BASS: March is a month of Bass tournaments, and the fish will see every lure
known to man this month. Lake Anna is the first stop on most tournament
schedules and for a good reason, there are plenty of big Bass that are fatting up
for the spawn. If you like stained water, there is plenty up lake. The water early in
March is very cold up but if we get 3 or 4 sunny warming days the dirty water will
warm enough to turn the Bass on up there. Bass will move right up on objects that
heat up quickly [ rocks, clay banks, stumps, the edges of the dead grass bed, etc.]
and feed well on spinner baits, swim baits, Rattle Traps and shallow diving crank
baits. Once we get a warming trend Bass will turn on in the backs of creeks,
feeding on the flats when it is warm and pulling back to the edge of the channel in
cold front conditions hanging tight to the stumps and breaks. Mid lake and down
lake concentrate your efforts in depths of 16 feet or less, working prespawn areas.
Primary and secondary points down lake will hold giant Bass that are suckers for
Suspending Jerkbaits. A good pattern to try is targeting 30 degree gravel banks
that have cover on them with crank baits or swim baits. Other areas that will
produce this month will be windy rip rap, throwing big bladed spinner baits on the
banks. A few areas that always produce in March and April are coves like
Hackneys, Boggs and Dukes Creek. Later in the month when it warms check out
the backs of Sturgeons and Pigeons creeks mid lake and the back of Valentine
down lake. Bass love hanging around big boulders and clay banks all over the
lake, we have been catching plenty around these objects while fishing for Stripers.
Twitching stick baits nearby boulders is an exciting way to catch some Big
Largemouth’s in the Duke Creek region of the lake. Senko style baits dead
sticked fished anywhere this month work extremely well also. If you can get on
the private side the fishing is awesome now, many fisherman are catching over
two dozen Bass a day over there fishing prespawn and spawning Bass.
CRAPPIE: Early in the month the fish will be in deeper water nearby spawning
flats, congregating along bridge pilings and rocky drop offs. We have seen 100
yard schools of Crappie hanging along the first main drop off next to spawning
flats in 10 to 20 feet of water. Once the water warms up into the upper 40’s they
will move extremely shallow. Huge slabs can be caught on the Anna side around
the dark shoreline grass beds in a couple feet of water. Almost every dock in the
upper Pamunkey will hold Crappie later this month as well as shallow stumps
and brush. Try locating the schools with small jigs and once you find the larger
fish work on them with minnows.
WALLEYE: Two areas to fish for these allusive fish…around the rocks and
shallow gravel flats down lake nearby the 3rd dike and up lake on clay banks and
points in depths of 8 feet or less. If you can fish the private side get as close to the
discharge as you can, Citation size fish are being caught there.
Report for March 2010. Visit Jim at www.jimhemby.com or call 540-967-3313.
Spring is coming, the water is warming, ice is melting, bait is migrating into the
creeks and all species of fish will be preparing for the spawn and as the water
warms up so will their appetites. Walleyes are spawning, Crappie and Stripers
will begin to spawn latter in the month and a few of the lakes larger Bass will
attempt to spawn down lake on the full moon late this month. March is a month to
catch some of the largest fish of the year and many citations should be recorded
this month.
STRIPERS: Stripers are scattered all over the lake now, primarily in main lake
regions but as the water warm and the ice melts in the backs of creeks and rivers
they will follow the bait and gorge themselves fattening up for the rigors of the
spawn which will take place over the next couple of months. Striper fishing has
been fantastic this year, my clients have been averaging about 30 fish a day, the
fish are fat and full of roe. Contrary to what many fisherman believe, all the
Stripers do not migrate up into the rivers to spawn. There are numerous schools
of Stripers that live their entire lives within certain areas of the lake, moving with
the bait from main lake locations to the backs of the nearby creeks, from deeper
flats to shallow bays, but they stay within a couple mile range of their core area.
About every 3 miles are major core areas that are worth checking, establish a
pattern for the day you are fishing and you can duplicate that pattern in each area
of the lake. Here are some proven tactics to catch Stripers this season.
Down lake by the dam and the 3rd Dike Stripers will be moving in and out of the
current feeding on the massive schools of bait wanting to spawn in the current. In
low light times of the day fish will explode on Pencil Poppers and Rebel Jumping
minnows worked in the current. When the Stripers sound Rattle Traps catch
plenty of fish. To fool a big fish try waking a Redfin across any flat , hump or point
in that region, you may be in for a big surprise. When the fish sound they school
on the bottom, spoons jigged in their faces may catch a few of these lethargic fish
as will trolling deep diving crank baits. The mouths of all the creeks mid lake are
holding Schools of fish early in the month and they will move toward the backs of
the creeks with the bait as the water warms. When you locate the schools jerk
baits and swim baits are hard to beat. Good swim baits to try are 4 to 6 inch swim
baits cast out on light line and counted down to the depth where you see the fish
on your depth finder. Up lake the water has been very stained by the snow melt
and recent rains. There are plenty of Stripers that live up lake year round but it is
hard to catch Stripers in cold, muddy water. Once the water reaches 50* and
clears your chances will improve up there. The fish will move right up on the
banks, you can not fish too shallow when they are there. Throw Sea Shads right to
the bank for the best action.
Artificial techniques work well but nothing fools a big old Striper like trying to pull
a big Shad or Herring past them. If you can’t catch the native baitfish try some
Jumbo minnows. For the next 2 months I will be focusing on points, humps and
shallow flats where baitfish are present. On warming trends I will run Water Bugz
planner boards over flats and right up next to the bank, even working to the backs
of creeks where the channel may only be a few feet deep. On cooling trends and
blue bird days I will drop back to 20 to 30 foot flats and pull a combination of
boards and downlines . I will run Herring when the water temps are below 55*
and Shad when the water warms up. To view our catches you can visit my journal
at www.JimHemby.com .
BASS: March is a month of Bass tournaments, and the fish will see every lure
known to man this month. Lake Anna is the first stop on most tournament
schedules and for a good reason, there are plenty of big Bass that are fatting up
for the spawn. If you like stained water, there is plenty up lake. The water early in
March is very cold up but if we get 3 or 4 sunny warming days the dirty water will
warm enough to turn the Bass on up there. Bass will move right up on objects that
heat up quickly [ rocks, clay banks, stumps, the edges of the dead grass bed, etc.]
and feed well on spinner baits, swim baits, Rattle Traps and shallow diving crank
baits. Once we get a warming trend Bass will turn on in the backs of creeks,
feeding on the flats when it is warm and pulling back to the edge of the channel in
cold front conditions hanging tight to the stumps and breaks. Mid lake and down
lake concentrate your efforts in depths of 16 feet or less, working prespawn areas.
Primary and secondary points down lake will hold giant Bass that are suckers for
Suspending Jerkbaits. A good pattern to try is targeting 30 degree gravel banks
that have cover on them with crank baits or swim baits. Other areas that will
produce this month will be windy rip rap, throwing big bladed spinner baits on the
banks. A few areas that always produce in March and April are coves like
Hackneys, Boggs and Dukes Creek. Later in the month when it warms check out
the backs of Sturgeons and Pigeons creeks mid lake and the back of Valentine
down lake. Bass love hanging around big boulders and clay banks all over the
lake, we have been catching plenty around these objects while fishing for Stripers.
Twitching stick baits nearby boulders is an exciting way to catch some Big
Largemouth’s in the Duke Creek region of the lake. Senko style baits dead
sticked fished anywhere this month work extremely well also. If you can get on
the private side the fishing is awesome now, many fisherman are catching over
two dozen Bass a day over there fishing prespawn and spawning Bass.
CRAPPIE: Early in the month the fish will be in deeper water nearby spawning
flats, congregating along bridge pilings and rocky drop offs. We have seen 100
yard schools of Crappie hanging along the first main drop off next to spawning
flats in 10 to 20 feet of water. Once the water warms up into the upper 40’s they
will move extremely shallow. Huge slabs can be caught on the Anna side around
the dark shoreline grass beds in a couple feet of water. Almost every dock in the
upper Pamunkey will hold Crappie later this month as well as shallow stumps
and brush. Try locating the schools with small jigs and once you find the larger
fish work on them with minnows.
WALLEYE: Two areas to fish for these allusive fish…around the rocks and
shallow gravel flats down lake nearby the 3rd dike and up lake on clay banks and
points in depths of 8 feet or less. If you can fish the private side get as close to the
discharge as you can, Citation size fish are being caught there.
Virginia Outdoors - A Resource for Virginia Anglers and Hunters
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Fishing Lake Anna
Lake Anna Fishing Guides
Largemouth Bass: February - April provide the best chance at a trophy; however,
the bass fishing is normally good throughout the year. In the summer months,
bass congregate at predictable locations near structure. These areas may be
fished slowly and methodically. Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina and Texas
rigged plastics work well. During the spring and fall, it is important to cover more
water. The lake is heavily developed. Flipping and skipping soft plastics around
boat docks is always a good bet - especially for newcomers to the lake - and the
water willow beds in the mid-lake region and North Anna arms are worth a try with
spinnerbaits and weightless plastics. Uplake (above the "Splits" area where the
North Anna and Pamunkey arms come together) typically has stained water while
the water becomes increasingly clear moving downlake. The uplake region has
the highest density of bass and crappie.
Striped Bass: Several hundred thousand fingerling striped bass are stocked each
year. The striper fishing continues to improve and attract more anglers. In the
spring and fall, the stripers move uplake where they may be targeted by casting
swim baits (Sassy Shad, Shad Assassin, Storm Lures). In the summer months,
the fish are most commonly targeted in the mid-lake region using live bait and
trolling deep-diving crankbaits (Cordell Redfins and Norman DD-22s). Live bait
may be caught using a cast net. An easier choice is purchasing jumbo minnows
sold by the major marinas on the lake. Throughout the year, low light conditions
(dawn, dusk, overcast days) are the best times to fish.
the bass fishing is normally good throughout the year. In the summer months,
bass congregate at predictable locations near structure. These areas may be
fished slowly and methodically. Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina and Texas
rigged plastics work well. During the spring and fall, it is important to cover more
water. The lake is heavily developed. Flipping and skipping soft plastics around
boat docks is always a good bet - especially for newcomers to the lake - and the
water willow beds in the mid-lake region and North Anna arms are worth a try with
spinnerbaits and weightless plastics. Uplake (above the "Splits" area where the
North Anna and Pamunkey arms come together) typically has stained water while
the water becomes increasingly clear moving downlake. The uplake region has
the highest density of bass and crappie.
Striped Bass: Several hundred thousand fingerling striped bass are stocked each
year. The striper fishing continues to improve and attract more anglers. In the
spring and fall, the stripers move uplake where they may be targeted by casting
swim baits (Sassy Shad, Shad Assassin, Storm Lures). In the summer months,
the fish are most commonly targeted in the mid-lake region using live bait and
trolling deep-diving crankbaits (Cordell Redfins and Norman DD-22s). Live bait
may be caught using a cast net. An easier choice is purchasing jumbo minnows
sold by the major marinas on the lake. Throughout the year, low light conditions
(dawn, dusk, overcast days) are the best times to fish.
Lake Anna Fishing Report
|
| Great catch of stripers and a citation largemouth by clients of Jim Hemby in April 2008 |
| Beautiful 21 lb striper caught by client of Jim Hemby on April 3, 2007 |
| Copyright © 2009 Virginia Outdoors, LLC Ruckersville, VA |
Virginia Outdoors - Lake Anna
Other Useful Links and Info
Marinas and Boat Ramps:
Sturgeon Creek Marina: (540) 895-5095
Anna Point Marina: (540) 895-5900
High Point Marina: (540) 895-5249
Hunter's Landing: (540) 854-5756
Lake Anna State Park (Boat Launch, Swimming, Picnic Area): (540) 854-5503
Camping and Lodging:
Christopher Run Campground: (540) 894-4744
Lighthouse Inn: (540) 895-5249
Sturgeon Creek Marina: (540) 895-5095
Anna Point Marina: (540) 895-5900
High Point Marina: (540) 895-5249
Hunter's Landing: (540) 854-5756
Lake Anna State Park (Boat Launch, Swimming, Picnic Area): (540) 854-5503
Camping and Lodging:
Christopher Run Campground: (540) 894-4744
Lighthouse Inn: (540) 895-5249
| Featured Article: Where to Catch Virginia's Trophy Largemouth Bass |
| Owen Burkholder with a 16", 2.5 lb citation crappie caught April 5, 2008 |
| Steve Will with a 30" striper caught April 5, 2008 |
