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 June 2008. Visit Jim at www.jimhemby.com or call 540-967-3313.
STRIPERS: Striper fishing is and will be for the next 2 months HOT. With water
temperatures rising into the 80's and the Stripers finishing their spawn the fish
are pulling back to their deeper main lake schooling areas and are feeding on
schools of Herring and Gizzard Shad fattening up for the summer. The Stripers
are migrating into the midlake regions of the lake and feeding on points and
midlake humps in lowlight conditions, falling back to to the river channel bends
and flats in the 30 foot range during the day. Topwater baits will entice some
explosive strikes early in the morning hours. Good baits to throw are Berkley
Frenzy Poppers, Pencil Poppers, Redfins and Spooks. The absolute best way to
catch the Stripers this month is with live bait. Run Water Bugz planner boards
early in the morning in the shallow waters and once the sun gets bright pull back
to the adjacent flats and put downlines in their faces baited with Herring, Gizzards
or Jumbo Minnows and be ready for constant and ferocious action. Locate the
schools of Stripers on your depthfinder by cruising the flats and when your screen
lights up with dozens of arches your on 'em. If you can't use live bait find the
schools and jig a ¾ oz. Hopkins spoon in their face or drag deep diving Redfins
with bucktail trailers and umbrella rigs over 30' flats. Concentrate your efforts this
month within 3 miles either side of the 208 Bridge. To view our daily fishing report
and catches you can go to my journal at www.jimhemby.com .
BASS: The Bass have finished their spawn and have retreated to deeper water
nearby spawning areas to replenish their energy and feed up for the summer
months. The Bass will regain their energy levels and start feeding on the points,
humps and flats hitting chuggar and popping baits with vengeance. Work your
baits in clear water with slow, rhythmic chuggs giving the Bass time to locate and
blow up on the bait. The Bass will come up out of 20 feet of water to take
advantage of your offering. When they are not chasing baits the Bass can be
caught in main lake brush, rock piles and on primary points using large Berkley
Power worms in the cover and Carolina rigged worms or lizards elsewhere
covering as much water as you can. Drop Shotting over rocky flats with smaller
offerings and shakey jigs around bridge pilings will produce this month. The Bass
will also ambush spinner baits and twitch baits around the grass beds in the
North Anna.
CATFISH: These fish are extremely plentiful and are feeding everywhere. The
larger Cats are just under or behind the schools of Stripers . Anglers are catching
fish using Powerbait Catfish Bait on fish finder rigs and the Cats sure are hitting
live bait very well. The Catfish show up on your depth finder as arches on or very
near the bottom.
CRAPPIE: The slabs have pulled out and are being caught on deeper points
with brushpiles and on the deeper bridge pilings in the 10 to 20 foot ranges. They
continue to hit small minnows and jigs . The fish are also stacking up on ledges
in the rivers in the 8 to 15 foot depths. If you fish the “Hot Side” the fish will
congregate much deeper under the bridges in 20 to 30 foot depths. Crappie rigs
[two hook rigs] tipped with minnows are deadly this month. Simply lower your
offerings to the depth of the fish and once you start catching doubles mark your
line at that depth and fill your cooler up.
Report for June 2008. Visit Jim at www.jimhemby.com or call 540-967-3313.
STRIPERS: Striper fishing is and will be for the next 2 months HOT. With water
temperatures rising into the 80's and the Stripers finishing their spawn the fish
are pulling back to their deeper main lake schooling areas and are feeding on
schools of Herring and Gizzard Shad fattening up for the summer. The Stripers
are migrating into the midlake regions of the lake and feeding on points and
midlake humps in lowlight conditions, falling back to to the river channel bends
and flats in the 30 foot range during the day. Topwater baits will entice some
explosive strikes early in the morning hours. Good baits to throw are Berkley
Frenzy Poppers, Pencil Poppers, Redfins and Spooks. The absolute best way to
catch the Stripers this month is with live bait. Run Water Bugz planner boards
early in the morning in the shallow waters and once the sun gets bright pull back
to the adjacent flats and put downlines in their faces baited with Herring, Gizzards
or Jumbo Minnows and be ready for constant and ferocious action. Locate the
schools of Stripers on your depthfinder by cruising the flats and when your screen
lights up with dozens of arches your on 'em. If you can't use live bait find the
schools and jig a ¾ oz. Hopkins spoon in their face or drag deep diving Redfins
with bucktail trailers and umbrella rigs over 30' flats. Concentrate your efforts this
month within 3 miles either side of the 208 Bridge. To view our daily fishing report
and catches you can go to my journal at www.jimhemby.com .
BASS: The Bass have finished their spawn and have retreated to deeper water
nearby spawning areas to replenish their energy and feed up for the summer
months. The Bass will regain their energy levels and start feeding on the points,
humps and flats hitting chuggar and popping baits with vengeance. Work your
baits in clear water with slow, rhythmic chuggs giving the Bass time to locate and
blow up on the bait. The Bass will come up out of 20 feet of water to take
advantage of your offering. When they are not chasing baits the Bass can be
caught in main lake brush, rock piles and on primary points using large Berkley
Power worms in the cover and Carolina rigged worms or lizards elsewhere
covering as much water as you can. Drop Shotting over rocky flats with smaller
offerings and shakey jigs around bridge pilings will produce this month. The Bass
will also ambush spinner baits and twitch baits around the grass beds in the
North Anna.
CATFISH: These fish are extremely plentiful and are feeding everywhere. The
larger Cats are just under or behind the schools of Stripers . Anglers are catching
fish using Powerbait Catfish Bait on fish finder rigs and the Cats sure are hitting
live bait very well. The Catfish show up on your depth finder as arches on or very
near the bottom.
CRAPPIE: The slabs have pulled out and are being caught on deeper points
with brushpiles and on the deeper bridge pilings in the 10 to 20 foot ranges. They
continue to hit small minnows and jigs . The fish are also stacking up on ledges
in the rivers in the 8 to 15 foot depths. If you fish the “Hot Side” the fish will
congregate much deeper under the bridges in 20 to 30 foot depths. Crappie rigs
[two hook rigs] tipped with minnows are deadly this month. Simply lower your
offerings to the depth of the fish and once you start catching doubles mark your
line at that depth and fill your cooler up.
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 © 2007 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 |
