Smith Mountain Lake Fishing Forecast: April
Report Prepared By:
Captain Chad Green
Last Cast Guide Service SML
www.lastcastguideservicesml.com
Essential Resources & Support
Anglers are encouraged to maximize their time on the water and practice catch and release whenever possible to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our fisheries.
| Category | Partner / Resource | Contact / Website |
| Tackle & Gear | Indian Point Marina (at Hales Ford Bridge) | Visit in Person |
| Lures & Baits | Missile Baits | https://missilebaits.store/ |
| Boating Needs | Smith Mountain Boat and Tackle (Penhook) | https://www.smboats.com |
| Special Thanks | Brian Carter at The Bass Cast | https://thebasscast.com/ |
Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass
Both bass species are exhibiting a full pre spawn phase this month with April arriving the spawn is very near. Anglers should anticipate fish moving shallower and closer to their spawning grounds. A lot of big fish will be caught over the next few weeks and a 10 plus is not out of range.
Key Target Areas: Staging areas that lead to spawning grounds, Will probably see some fish on beds by April 5th
Effective Techniques and Lures:
Moving Baits: Highly effective during morning hours and likely to yield quality catches.
Primary Spring Lures: Baits designed to imitate crawfish and baitfish typically generate the highest catch rates.
Bottom Presentation: Alabama rigs, Jigs are productive in depths ranging from 5 to 10 feet. Crankbaits/Spinnerbaits are also a significant component of the arsenal. Swimbaits will also be productive Look for fish suspended or on the bottom depending on the weather/wind and rain. Any structure will be key target points.
This time of year presents an excellent trophy fish opportunity. Smallmouth Bass are consistently located near humps, shoals, and rocky areas, and respond to the same lure presentations. Look for them spawing in rocky areas around docks, stumps etc.
Conditions: Clear water and the lake is still a little low. Pollen is starting show up in a lot of areas. The lower end of the lake is a little cooler. Look for the bass to start becoming very visable in the shallows the first week of April as the first wave comes in to spawn. They may not stay very long due temperature fluctuations. There have been several bags of fish weighed in the last few weeks around the 30lb mark and numerous fish over 8lbs have been weighed in. Look for the shad spawn and night action later this month as long as the temps remain steadily climbing. Last year we had some cold weather that pushed it back in to May. This year everything seems to be ahead even though the water temps don’t really reflect it. That doesn’t matter as mother nature knows more than we do. It will be several waves of fish to spawn this year and the shad will be right behind them once the water is getting to be around 70 degrees. We have already seen some water close to 60 during the day in places.
Striped Bass (Stripers)
Striped Bass activity is projected to be strong this month as the species aggregates into larger schools in preparation for the fall season. Fish may also be observed moving in smaller groups while actively seeking feeding opportunities.
Location and Depth: The majority of the action is concentrated from the mid-lake to the upper end. The lower end of the lake creeks near the dam have a large concentration of fish right now.
Jigging: Technique remains productive throughout the day in the 20-30-foot Larger individual fish may appear periodically within these smaller traveling schools. Trophy fish have been very shallow and readily bite, typically are around points.
Structural Focus: Target the mouths of major tributaries and large bay areas. Look for the shad and the fish to move shallow this month as I expect the shad spawn to be late April this year unless we get some colder temps.
Crappie
The majority of Crappie catches are currently being reported in the 10- to 15-foot depth range.