SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
November 2021
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO: 540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.us
Fishing will improve the next few weeks as the water temperature falls. Most species of fish will become more active as the lake cools.
Baitfish have started to move to the creeks and the upper ends of both rivers. Night fishing will be fair this month.
Largemouth Bass
Fishing will be good this month. Best lures will be drop shot rigs, crank baits, shaky heads, spoons, spinner baits, buzz baits, Ned rigs, Carolina rigs and plastic worms. Most largemouth bass will be caught on main channel points, rock piles, brush piles and docks. Best depths will be from the surface to 25 feet. Bass will be caught in both deep and shallow water. Rocks are a key factor to finding bass this month. Continue practicing catch and release.
Smallmouth Bass
Fishing for smallmouth will be good this month. Best areas will be rocks, ledges, main channel points and sunken islands. Best lures will be Ned rigs, hair jigs, drop shot rigs, top water lures and Carolina rigs. Best areas will be in the middle to lower sections of the lake. Overcast days are good times to try. Light line will increase chances to catch smallmouth bass.
Striped Bass
Fishing will be fair this month. Stripers can be caught in the mid- to upper sections of the lake and in the larger creeks. Best lures will be swim baits, Hopkins spoons, topwater lures and Zoom flukes fished on 3/8- to 1/2-ounce lead heads. The best depths will be from the surface to 60 feet. Jigging will be one of the best methods to catch stripers this month. Try to find areas with the largest concentrations of baitfish. Some schools of stripers will surface early morning and late afternoon. Live bait fished on planer boards and down lines are also good methods.
Crappie
Fishing for crappie will be good. They will be found at depths of 5 to 15 feet. Best areas will be in the main creeks around docks, fallen trees, stumps and brush piles in the mid- to upper parts of the lake. Small live minnows and 1½- to 2-inch tubes or shad-shaped plastic lures fished on 1/32- to 1/16-ounce lead heads will work best to catch them.
Tips of the month
Look for baitfish in the rear of the larger creeks and in the upper part of both rivers. Night time is a good time to catch fish in November. Make sure to wear a life jacket and never fish alone at night. Make sure running lights are on after dark. Remember to practice catch and release and take a kid fishing.