Water Level: 199.43 | Water Temperature: 49.8˚
Weather: 60˚ | Mostly Clear | Winds: 3 mph
1. Largemouth Bass: Target the back ends of coves and creeks where the water is slightly warmer. Slow-rolled spinnerbaits, jigs, and soft plastics rigged Texas or Carolina style are effective. Try fishing near boat docks and submerged brush for better results.
2. Striped Bass: Look for schools of shad near creek mouths like Lizard and Holly Grove Creeks. Live or cut shad remain productive baits, and trolling bucktails or flat plugs below Kerr Dam can yield good catches.
3. Crappie: Excellent fishing around brush piles and bridge pilings in creek arms. Use small jigs or minnows suspended near structure in water depths of 8-15 feet.
4. Pickerel: Aggressive on shad-imitating crankbaits when fished with a stop-and-go retrieve near willow grass beds and docks.
The mild weather and mostly clear skies this week provide ideal conditions for early spring fishing at Lake Gaston. Water temperatures hovering just under 50˚ are prompting bass and crappie to become more active in warmer, shallow areas, while stripers continue feeding heavily on shad schools. Light winds will help anglers fish more precisely and present lures effectively. Overall, expect steady action and plan to fish slow to moderate retrieves around key structures and creek mouths for the best results.
