Driving Map to Smith Mtn - Click to Enlarge
| A nice Smith Mountain Lake smallmouth caught by Terry's Guide Service |
| Click to Enlarge |
Smith Mountain Lake Overview
At 20,600 acres, Smith Mountain Lake is the largest reservoir entirely contained
within Virginia. It is home to good populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth
bass, crappie, catfish, and white and yellow perch, but it is really known for its
exceptional striped bass fishery. These fish are plentiful and grow large in this
sprawling reservoir. The fishing pressure is high and the pleasure boat traffic is
heavy during the warm weather months. However, due to the size of the lake
anglers can often find a quiet place to fish even on busy weekends. Crappie grow
large, but the numbers of crappie are not as high and the fishing not as easy as in
some other Virginia reservoirs.
within Virginia. It is home to good populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth
bass, crappie, catfish, and white and yellow perch, but it is really known for its
exceptional striped bass fishery. These fish are plentiful and grow large in this
sprawling reservoir. The fishing pressure is high and the pleasure boat traffic is
heavy during the warm weather months. However, due to the size of the lake
anglers can often find a quiet place to fish even on busy weekends. Crappie grow
large, but the numbers of crappie are not as high and the fishing not as easy as in
some other Virginia reservoirs.
January 10, 2012: Mike Snead of the Virginia Outdoorsman provided the following fishing report. Contact
Mike at (540) 721-4867 or visit him online at www.virginiaoutdoorsman.com.
Water Temperature: 46-51 degrees Water Clarity: Good
The weather has been incredible so far this winter. While we are expecting temperatures to be much
colder this week, the long term forecast is for a continuation of temperatures that see-saw up and down
every couple of days and for the warmer than normal trend to continue for at least the next several weeks.
Fishing continues to be excellent and the weather has allowed those anglers who usually stop fishing
when the weather turns cold to remain on the water and enjoy a great winter. The short term forecast is
periods where temperatures drop below freezing at night and only reach into the 30’s and40’s during the
day followed by days where the lows never drop below freezing and the high temperature exceeds 60
degrees during the day. We will continue to see partly cloudy to sunny skies with extended periods of
precipitation. The moon was full this past Monday, January 9th, so there will be plenty of light on the lake
at night. The lake water level remains near full pond and all public boat ramps are open. The full pond
conditions continue to bring debris off the shoreline and out into the navigable waters, so be careful when
running especially at night and early in the morning before the wind picks up and moves it against the
bank.
Bass fishing continues to be excellent. Most anglers continue to report that most of the fish being caught
are still being found in relatively shallow water. Where bass are found keying on shad, flukes, swimbaits,
crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits are good choices. Pig and jigs and shaky head jigs are good
choices when fishing around docks, edges created by bluffs and the sides of creek and river channels.
Good colors include green pumpkin, Alabama craw and green pumpkin purple. Carolina rigged plastic
worms and creature baits continue to produce an occasional bass when presented on primary and
secondary points. The key appears to be a very slow retrieve and smaller plastics. A new lure, the
Alabama rig, is receiving early acceptance by many in the local bass community. It is a lure designed with
multiple plastic baits and it closely resembles a small, lightweight, Umbrella rig, except it is designed to
be cast and retrieved instead of trolled. Several tournament bass fishermen report success using the
Alabama rig with flukes and small swim baits, imitating a school of shad. One angler is experimenting
with the rig in different configurations and is even using it to retrieve multiple plastic lures along the
bottom. This lure promises to be one of the hot items this spring.
Anglers finding bass suspended off the fronts of docks or near other structure, report success with the
drop shot rig. Small, shad imitating plastics and finesse worms are both good choices this time of year.
Bass found suspended in deep water are also being caught on drop shot rigs and by anglers vertically
jigging with ½ and ¾ ounce spoons and blade lures. Bass fishermen also report success using vibrating
lipless crankbaits (Rat L Trap) and medium diving, shad colored, crankbaits. In sections of the lake the
water is relatively clear, so good colors include pearl, sexy shad, silver and chartreuse shad. When the
rains come and muddy the water chartreuse and fire tiger colors would be good choices.
The Smith Mountain Lake Winter Bass Tournament series, which will continue every Saturday morning
through the month of January continues to attract a good field of tournament anglers. If you are interested
in participating in a well run event I suggest you consider this one out of the State Park. The team of
Brandon and Ben Reynolds won the December 31st event with a total weight of 16 lbs. 14 oz. Travis
Towe and Greg Basham finished the event just one ounce out of first place with a total weight of 16 lbs.
13 oz. Travis and Greg also earned big fish honors with a beautiful 6 lbs. 3 oz. largemouth. Third place
honors went to James Jordan when he brought a bag weighing 14 lbs. 7 oz. to the scale.
Striper fishing continues to be very good. Most striper anglers report catching fish almost every time they
go out and based on the number of boats in my area of the lake there are more striper fishermen on the
lake this year than at any time I can remember. If you are not getting out there, you are really missing out.
Stripers are still feeding aggressively and are often found in large numbers chasing baitfish near the
surface. The sea gulls have arrived this winter and most of us who fish this time of year have learned to
watch them closely as they are the best fish finders on the lake. When a flock of seagulls is observed
circling over a section of water they undoubtedly see something of interest and I always keep an eye on
them. If they move close to the surface of the lake or start to dive down and pick pieces of baitfish off the
water, it is a sure sign that some fish is or recently has been feeding directly below them. Often, as you
approach that area you will mark fish on your electronic finder. When that happens I suggest you note
their depth and try to cast, count your lure down to just above that depth and then retrieve it. I like to use
shad imitating lures like flukes, bucktails, swimbaits and bladebaits. Understanding, in advance, how far
each lure falls every second is critical to getting your lure down to the fish at the targeted depth. I suggest
you limit the number of different lures and weight jighead you use and become very familiar with the rate
of descent for each.
If the gulls are working near a point, a gut or specific section of shoreline the stripers may be pushing the
shad up to the surface. Under those conditions, keeping your boat as far away as possible and then
casting toward the shallows and slowly retrieving your lure can prove very effective. When fishing this time
of year I recommend you have several different size and type lures available, each rigged on a different
rod. This past week while fishing in the upper lake I located several schools of stripers, but was unable
to get more than an occasional bump using super fluke sized plastics rigged on a shad jigheads and
swarming hornet jigs. I was equally unsuccessful with a medium size swimbait and a small spoon, but
as soon as I moved to a small, curly tailed grub rigged on a lightweight custom jighead, it was game on.
My best fish of the day, a 35 inch striper, came on that grub when cast it up within a foot or two of the
shoreline in an area where the gulls had been working and bait and stripers were shallow.
Anglers who are trolling for stripers report success using a variety of different lures. One reported having
success with medium and deep diving crankbaits while others have done well while trolling with
individual swimbaits and Umbrella rigs. Two striper fishermen also report success trolling the new
Alabama rig, a lure receiving much press in the bass fishing community and mentioned earlier in this
report. While traditional wisdom suggests a slow retrieve is key in the winter, several striper anglers
report good results trolling at speeds approaching 4 miles per hour.
Anglers who like to fish for stripers at night are finding them up on long points and close to the shoreline
and report success casting and slowly retrieving medium and deep diving jerkbaits. Anglers still fishing
with live bait report having the most success presenting their bait on downlines to schools marked on
electronics from 15 to 40 feet below the surface. As the lake continues to cool, the fish will become more
sluggish and different techniques will be needed. Until then, watch the weather, pick a comfortable day,
call a buddy and head out to enjoy the incredible striper fishing.
The Virginia Outdoorsman store remains closed, but we continue to sell and transfer firearms on a
special appointment basis. If you are interested in transferring, buying or having us sell your firearm on
consignment, just go to http://www.virginiaoutdoorsman.com/content/hunting.html. You will find
information about our firearm related services there and how you can gain access to a huge inventory of
guns that we have available for sale online. If you need additional information or want to have me sell a
firearm for you, just send me a detailed email at virginiaoutdoorsman@gmail.com.
Mike Snead
40 Village Springs Drive, Hardy VA 24101
In Westlake Directly Across From Wendy’s On Route 122
(About 3 Miles South Of The Hales Ford Bridge)
Mike at (540) 721-4867 or visit him online at www.virginiaoutdoorsman.com.
Water Temperature: 46-51 degrees Water Clarity: Good
The weather has been incredible so far this winter. While we are expecting temperatures to be much
colder this week, the long term forecast is for a continuation of temperatures that see-saw up and down
every couple of days and for the warmer than normal trend to continue for at least the next several weeks.
Fishing continues to be excellent and the weather has allowed those anglers who usually stop fishing
when the weather turns cold to remain on the water and enjoy a great winter. The short term forecast is
periods where temperatures drop below freezing at night and only reach into the 30’s and40’s during the
day followed by days where the lows never drop below freezing and the high temperature exceeds 60
degrees during the day. We will continue to see partly cloudy to sunny skies with extended periods of
precipitation. The moon was full this past Monday, January 9th, so there will be plenty of light on the lake
at night. The lake water level remains near full pond and all public boat ramps are open. The full pond
conditions continue to bring debris off the shoreline and out into the navigable waters, so be careful when
running especially at night and early in the morning before the wind picks up and moves it against the
bank.
Bass fishing continues to be excellent. Most anglers continue to report that most of the fish being caught
are still being found in relatively shallow water. Where bass are found keying on shad, flukes, swimbaits,
crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits are good choices. Pig and jigs and shaky head jigs are good
choices when fishing around docks, edges created by bluffs and the sides of creek and river channels.
Good colors include green pumpkin, Alabama craw and green pumpkin purple. Carolina rigged plastic
worms and creature baits continue to produce an occasional bass when presented on primary and
secondary points. The key appears to be a very slow retrieve and smaller plastics. A new lure, the
Alabama rig, is receiving early acceptance by many in the local bass community. It is a lure designed with
multiple plastic baits and it closely resembles a small, lightweight, Umbrella rig, except it is designed to
be cast and retrieved instead of trolled. Several tournament bass fishermen report success using the
Alabama rig with flukes and small swim baits, imitating a school of shad. One angler is experimenting
with the rig in different configurations and is even using it to retrieve multiple plastic lures along the
bottom. This lure promises to be one of the hot items this spring.
Anglers finding bass suspended off the fronts of docks or near other structure, report success with the
drop shot rig. Small, shad imitating plastics and finesse worms are both good choices this time of year.
Bass found suspended in deep water are also being caught on drop shot rigs and by anglers vertically
jigging with ½ and ¾ ounce spoons and blade lures. Bass fishermen also report success using vibrating
lipless crankbaits (Rat L Trap) and medium diving, shad colored, crankbaits. In sections of the lake the
water is relatively clear, so good colors include pearl, sexy shad, silver and chartreuse shad. When the
rains come and muddy the water chartreuse and fire tiger colors would be good choices.
The Smith Mountain Lake Winter Bass Tournament series, which will continue every Saturday morning
through the month of January continues to attract a good field of tournament anglers. If you are interested
in participating in a well run event I suggest you consider this one out of the State Park. The team of
Brandon and Ben Reynolds won the December 31st event with a total weight of 16 lbs. 14 oz. Travis
Towe and Greg Basham finished the event just one ounce out of first place with a total weight of 16 lbs.
13 oz. Travis and Greg also earned big fish honors with a beautiful 6 lbs. 3 oz. largemouth. Third place
honors went to James Jordan when he brought a bag weighing 14 lbs. 7 oz. to the scale.
Striper fishing continues to be very good. Most striper anglers report catching fish almost every time they
go out and based on the number of boats in my area of the lake there are more striper fishermen on the
lake this year than at any time I can remember. If you are not getting out there, you are really missing out.
Stripers are still feeding aggressively and are often found in large numbers chasing baitfish near the
surface. The sea gulls have arrived this winter and most of us who fish this time of year have learned to
watch them closely as they are the best fish finders on the lake. When a flock of seagulls is observed
circling over a section of water they undoubtedly see something of interest and I always keep an eye on
them. If they move close to the surface of the lake or start to dive down and pick pieces of baitfish off the
water, it is a sure sign that some fish is or recently has been feeding directly below them. Often, as you
approach that area you will mark fish on your electronic finder. When that happens I suggest you note
their depth and try to cast, count your lure down to just above that depth and then retrieve it. I like to use
shad imitating lures like flukes, bucktails, swimbaits and bladebaits. Understanding, in advance, how far
each lure falls every second is critical to getting your lure down to the fish at the targeted depth. I suggest
you limit the number of different lures and weight jighead you use and become very familiar with the rate
of descent for each.
If the gulls are working near a point, a gut or specific section of shoreline the stripers may be pushing the
shad up to the surface. Under those conditions, keeping your boat as far away as possible and then
casting toward the shallows and slowly retrieving your lure can prove very effective. When fishing this time
of year I recommend you have several different size and type lures available, each rigged on a different
rod. This past week while fishing in the upper lake I located several schools of stripers, but was unable
to get more than an occasional bump using super fluke sized plastics rigged on a shad jigheads and
swarming hornet jigs. I was equally unsuccessful with a medium size swimbait and a small spoon, but
as soon as I moved to a small, curly tailed grub rigged on a lightweight custom jighead, it was game on.
My best fish of the day, a 35 inch striper, came on that grub when cast it up within a foot or two of the
shoreline in an area where the gulls had been working and bait and stripers were shallow.
Anglers who are trolling for stripers report success using a variety of different lures. One reported having
success with medium and deep diving crankbaits while others have done well while trolling with
individual swimbaits and Umbrella rigs. Two striper fishermen also report success trolling the new
Alabama rig, a lure receiving much press in the bass fishing community and mentioned earlier in this
report. While traditional wisdom suggests a slow retrieve is key in the winter, several striper anglers
report good results trolling at speeds approaching 4 miles per hour.
Anglers who like to fish for stripers at night are finding them up on long points and close to the shoreline
and report success casting and slowly retrieving medium and deep diving jerkbaits. Anglers still fishing
with live bait report having the most success presenting their bait on downlines to schools marked on
electronics from 15 to 40 feet below the surface. As the lake continues to cool, the fish will become more
sluggish and different techniques will be needed. Until then, watch the weather, pick a comfortable day,
call a buddy and head out to enjoy the incredible striper fishing.
The Virginia Outdoorsman store remains closed, but we continue to sell and transfer firearms on a
special appointment basis. If you are interested in transferring, buying or having us sell your firearm on
consignment, just go to http://www.virginiaoutdoorsman.com/content/hunting.html. You will find
information about our firearm related services there and how you can gain access to a huge inventory of
guns that we have available for sale online. If you need additional information or want to have me sell a
firearm for you, just send me a detailed email at virginiaoutdoorsman@gmail.com.
Mike Snead
40 Village Springs Drive, Hardy VA 24101
In Westlake Directly Across From Wendy’s On Route 122
(About 3 Miles South Of The Hales Ford Bridge)
Virginia Outdoors - A Resource for Virginia Anglers and Hunters
Virginia Outdoors - Smith Mountain Lake
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Fishing Smith Mountain Lake
Smith Mountain Lake Fishing Guides
Largemouth Bass: In Smith Mountain Lake, largemouth outnumber smallmouth
bass 10:1. The highest density of largemouth is found uplake of Hales Ford
Bridge in the Roanoke River arm and Buoy 26 in the Black water River arm. The
numerous piers and boathouses on the lake provide productive visible cover, and
are an excellent place to start - especially for newcomers. The water is typically
clear, so natural colors and light line are recommended. One tactic is flip and skip
small plastics around boat docks and then between boat docks cast Rat-L-Traps
and spinnerbaits. Stained water can be found at times in the back of tributaries
like No Name (Magnum), Poplar Camp, Stanford, Beaverdam, Grimes, and Buff.
Flip jigs and cast spinnerbaits and buzzbaits around natural cover in these creeks
- especially during low light conditions.
Striped Bass: Several hundred thousand fingerling striped bass are stocked each
year. Adult fish are scattered throughout the lake most of the year, but tend to
concentrate in the lower lake during the summer and early fall. Live bait is the
most popular tactic with some trolling during the summer and casting during the
spring or in low light conditions. Think large for live baits - large shad up to 10" can
be productive - and use Waterbugz planers to cover a larger area. Popular lures
for trolling include deep-diving plugs and bucktails. Good lures to cast include
swim baits (Sassy Shad and Shad Assassins), bucktails, and even topwater lures
(Cordell Redfin) at dawn and dusk. It is well worth the price of a good guide to get
a lesson in how to pursue these hard-pulling, good-eating fish. Fish over 20 lbs
are always a possibility.
bass 10:1. The highest density of largemouth is found uplake of Hales Ford
Bridge in the Roanoke River arm and Buoy 26 in the Black water River arm. The
numerous piers and boathouses on the lake provide productive visible cover, and
are an excellent place to start - especially for newcomers. The water is typically
clear, so natural colors and light line are recommended. One tactic is flip and skip
small plastics around boat docks and then between boat docks cast Rat-L-Traps
and spinnerbaits. Stained water can be found at times in the back of tributaries
like No Name (Magnum), Poplar Camp, Stanford, Beaverdam, Grimes, and Buff.
Flip jigs and cast spinnerbaits and buzzbaits around natural cover in these creeks
- especially during low light conditions.
Striped Bass: Several hundred thousand fingerling striped bass are stocked each
year. Adult fish are scattered throughout the lake most of the year, but tend to
concentrate in the lower lake during the summer and early fall. Live bait is the
most popular tactic with some trolling during the summer and casting during the
spring or in low light conditions. Think large for live baits - large shad up to 10" can
be productive - and use Waterbugz planers to cover a larger area. Popular lures
for trolling include deep-diving plugs and bucktails. Good lures to cast include
swim baits (Sassy Shad and Shad Assassins), bucktails, and even topwater lures
(Cordell Redfin) at dawn and dusk. It is well worth the price of a good guide to get
a lesson in how to pursue these hard-pulling, good-eating fish. Fish over 20 lbs
are always a possibility.
Smith Mountain Lake Fishing Report
|
| A good wintertime striper caught by Terry's Guide Service |
| Copyright © 2009 Virginia Outdoors, LLC Ruckersville, VA |
Other Useful Info and Links
Campgrounds and Lodging:
Smith Mountain Lake State Park (camping, swimming, cabins): (540) 297-6066
Eagle's Roost Campground: (540) 297-7381
Goose Dam Campground: (540) 483-2100
Blue Ridge Campground and Marina: (540) 721-3866
Mitchell's Point Marina and Campground: (540) 297-7174
Crazy Horse Marina and Campground: (540) 721-1587
Paradise Inn (Campground, marina, hotel): (540) 297-6109
Marinas:
The marinas on Smith Mtn Lake are almost too numerous to list. In addition to
Blue Ridge, Mitchell's point, and Crazy Horse, some popular marinas include:
Bay Roc Marina: (540) 890-2194
Foxport Marina & Lodge: (540) 721-2451
Parkway Marina: (540) 297-4412
Bridgewater Marina and Boat Rentals: (540) 721-1639
Smith Mountain Lake State Park (camping, swimming, cabins): (540) 297-6066
Eagle's Roost Campground: (540) 297-7381
Goose Dam Campground: (540) 483-2100
Blue Ridge Campground and Marina: (540) 721-3866
Mitchell's Point Marina and Campground: (540) 297-7174
Crazy Horse Marina and Campground: (540) 721-1587
Paradise Inn (Campground, marina, hotel): (540) 297-6109
Marinas:
The marinas on Smith Mtn Lake are almost too numerous to list. In addition to
Blue Ridge, Mitchell's point, and Crazy Horse, some popular marinas include:
Bay Roc Marina: (540) 890-2194
Foxport Marina & Lodge: (540) 721-2451
Parkway Marina: (540) 297-4412
Bridgewater Marina and Boat Rentals: (540) 721-1639
| Featured Article: Where to Catch Virginia's Trophy Largemouth Bass |
| April 2008 |
