Smith Mountain Lake December Fishing Report- It’s Game Time

Winter is finally here showing up a few days before Christmas. The bigger fish are finally starting to eat to fatten up and our water temperatures are falling. Currently most of the lake is in the high 40 to low 50’s with some of the upper parts of the Roanoke and Blackwater rivers being close to low 40’s. This can allow an angler to fish a few different ways to their strengths but can also help get the fish stacked up in certain areas. Paying attention to bait fish movements and if the shad are stunned/dying is the key to have a great day on the water. If you can bare the cold, getting out right after a super cold night usually will cause a shad stunning event and lead to a great day on the water.

Bass Fishing is still really good right now. Believe it or not there are still fish shallow on the main lake. If you get out on a windy day don’t over look main lake rock in 2-8 ft of water with a crankbait, shallow jerkbait or a swimbait. You may not be around numbers but big fish are roaming looking for a solid meal. If shallow doesn’t feel right focus on much deeper water. The 18-30 foot range can hold large schools of bass chasing shad. Throwing a deep diving jerkbait, a blade bait, spoon, hairjig or damiki rig can make for one hell of a day out deep. Keep on the move with the bait because the bass will follow.

Striper fishing is on fire this month. The same as the largemouth and smallmouth, the stripers are following the massive schools of bait over deep water. Use your boat electronics to scan long points that lead into the river channel. Scan enough points until you find a good amount of bait. A great go to winter bait is a heavier blade bait like a 3/4-1 oz. Another good option is a 1/2 ball head with a zoom fluke. Let the bait sink to the bottom and just slow reel the lure back through the school of bait fish. Those stripers are looking for the single fish out of the school to eat up.

Crappies are loaded in the brush. Focus on brush in 10-18 ft. Small jigs or live bait are a great call. Fishing can start slow but once you get the school fired up in can be fish after fish.

Yellow perch…. I have caught more yellow perch this year than any other year I can remember. Also, like the crappies they can be loaded in the brush, but even better is finding deeper rock. The schools are holding tight to the deep cover and waiting for schools of shad to come by.

DRESS WARM: Don’t forget your hand warmers, wear you life jacket and have your throwable life jacket close incase an emergency happens. Stay safe as the water temps drop.