SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE FISHING REPORT
June 2013
DALE WILSON’S
SML GUIDE SERVICE
PHONE NO:  540-297-5650 / 540-874-4950
www.captaindalewilson.com

Picture is of Captain Dale Wilson with a nice largemouth bass caught 4/22/13 while fishing with Charles Burks from Lynchburg, Va.

OVERVIEW: Most species of fish will have spawned by early June.  The weather is finally getting back to normal. The majority of the lake is clear and the water temperature will be in the 70’s. The shad will continue to come shallow at night this month.
 
Largemouth Bass-Fishing will be good. Best lures will be senkos, top water lures, shaky heads, swim baits, crank baits Texas rigged plastic worms and jigs. Most largemouth bass will move to their post spawn habitat. Best depths will be from the surface to 15 feet deep. Early morning, late afternoon and at night will be the best time to fish this month. Shad will continue coming to the shoreline late at night. Some bass will feed on top water this month.

Smallmouth Bass– Fishing should be fair. Best areas will be ledges, long points and humps. Best lures will be top water lures, tube lures, drop shot rigs, and shaky heads. Best areas will be in the mid to the lower sections of the lake. Cloud days will be the best time to try your luck .Some  smallmouth will continue to spawn this month. They will also feed at night when the shad come to the shoreline.

Striped Bass- Fishing should be good. Stripers will be caught mostly in the mid to lower sections of the lake and the major creeks. Stripers will also be found in the dam area. Best lures will be swim baits, buck tails, and Zoom flukes fished with 3/8 to 1/2 oz. jig heads during the day. Night lures that work best are wake baits, Thunder sticks, Red-fins and swim baits. Live bait and trolling will also be a productive method.. The best depth should be from the surface to 30 feet deep. Best time to try your luck will be early morn, late afternoon and at night. 

Crappie-Fishing for crappie will be fair. They will be found 5 to 12 feet deep this month. Best areas will be in the main creeks around docks, fallen trees, stumps and brush piles in the mid to upper sections of the lake. Small live minnows and 1 ½ inch tubes and twister tail grubs fished on 1/32 to 1/16 oz. lead heads will work best to catch crappie this month. Small Gulp minnows also work well when fished on small lead heads or drop shot rigs. Light line (4 lb. test) will help you catch more crappie.

Tip of the month: Night time will be your best time to try your luck. The clear water and the heavy boat traffic make it harder to catch fish during the day. Make sure to leave your running lights on after dark and wear your life jacket.