FISHING REPORTS
Lake Anna April 2026
McCotter’s Lake Anna April Fishing Forecast
Lake Anna, Va. - As water temperatures surpass 60 degrees throughout the lake, anglers are preparing for some of the best fishing of the year at Lake Anna. Here’s a forecast for the major species.
Bass - Each of the three areas of the lake is fishing differently: down lake, mid lake and up lake. Do not fish them the same. Down lake bass will spawn soon in creeks like Duke’s and Valentines and other pockets protected from the north wind. Look for beds in 2-5’ of water around docks and on stumps. Use Fitt Notafluke jerkbaits and drop shorted small baits. Mid lake bass will spawn later in the month in creeks like Sturgeon, Hairfield, Hackney, the mouth of Contrary, pigeon Creek, Mitchell and Marshall. You can pitch them drop shots or small creature baits As well as top waters at month’s end. Up lake bass are mostly in shallower water like main lake pocket, especially around Biggs Creek. You can use crankbait, swimbait, spinnerbait and slooow way down. Pitching a jig to rocks, docks and patchy willow grass also.
good now up lake.
Striper - Up lake is where most stripers are being caught by anglers using suspending jerkbaits and swimbaits. Cast either right to the banks early and late and on cloudy days. Native live bait like live herring and gizzard shad fished on side planets, cork lines and free lines are producing well. Hot zones should be the section of the upper Pamunkey Branch above Stubbs Bridge and above the Rt 719 bridge in North Anna.
Crappie - Some fish are spawning in the upper end of the lake and more will start soon. Target them on shallow wood, rocks docks and willow grass. Good areas include the North Anna from Rose Valley on up and around Stubbs Bridge and the S Turns in the Pamunkey Branch. Mid lake crappie will spawn at the end of April. You’ll find them on docks and willow grass in creeks like Pigeon, Marshall and Sturgeon.
Jim Hemby
Lake Anna Striper Guide Service
STRIPERS: Stripers are feeding all over the lake now on 5 to 15 foot flats, humps and points. Just about every shallow flat and primary point on the lake and near the mouths of creeks are producing nice catches. Stripers are feeding from all the way up the rivers down to the Dam and are not being selective of what they want to eat gorging themselves on Herring and Gizzard Shad. During warming trends the fish feed more aggressively, feeding shallow and often. When the fish are feeding in the upper water column run live bait on planner boards, bobbers and freelines. Conversely when cold fronts blow through the fish will not be as aggressive and will usually back off to deeper water, anglers will have to put their live bait right in the faces of the Stripers to entice strikes. Fisherman who fish with artificial baits will also get some explosive results by throwing top water baits like Spooks, waking a Redfin and popping Chuggar type baits. Swim baits work well all month, good baits to try are Sassy Shads and Sea Shads. A good pattern for Stripers now is to cast up to and under docks. Fish could be right up on the bank this month, sometimes in less than a foot of water!
BASS: It is hard to beat sight fishing mid and down lake in the clearer water, concentrate your efforts looking for gently sloping banks with sand or gravel bottoms with scattered stumps. Polarized glasses are a must for this type of fishing. If you find beds you can throw tube baits, lightly weighted worms or lizards into the bed and leave it there to provoke strikes, remembering to please release bedding fish where you catch them. The backs of main lake pockets and coves all hold Bass and are easier to fish if you want to avoid the wind. Another pattern that works for big fish is targeting windy rocky points and rip rap where the baitfish are spawning throwing big bladed spinner baits. Put the bait right up to the bank for best results. The windier and rockier the point the better. Docks in and around marinas hold large numbers of Bass, many tournaments are won fishing in these areas. Types of baits to use are endless, sometimes it is better to use baits you are comfortable with. Just about any technique you use will work this month, just concentrate your efforts in 15 feet or less.
CRAPPIE: . Fishing for Crappie doesn’t get any better than this month and it is a great time to stock up the freezer. Locating the fish is very simple. Most shallow docks where baitfish are present will hold Crappie especially where there is some cover present. Every dock up lake above Hunters Landing has Crappie under them, simply fish the docks quickly till you hit the one that has the size fish you are looking for. Usually the larger fish will attack your offerings first, fish till you catch little fish then move on. Other great areas to fish are Beaver huts, shallow brushpiles, shallow rockpiles, stumps and especially the shoreline grassbeds in the North Anna.