Winter Fishing on Lake Weiss

If you had to pick a lake hazardous for your health, Weiss Lake would be a good selection. Navigation that is. During winter this lake is dropped for 6 months from October to April. It can be down from 3-6 feet below normal, full pool level. This is a time for extreme caution when navigating this lake. Weiss Lake is loaded with stumps left here during impoundment, including underwater obstacles such as rock piles and irregular bottom features such as high spots or submerged islands, some of which are now exposed or just beneath the waters surface.

Winter on Weiss Lake, as far as the fishing goes, can be feast or famine. This is the first lake on the Coosa River system, of a chain of six lakes found running from north to south Alabama. It can receive a lot of rain during winter. This means places such the headwaters of the lake (the origin of the Coosa River running out of upper Georgia) can get awfully muddy at times. This also goes for major feeders such as the Chatuga River, Little River or incoming feeder creeks. So plan your trip accordingly to avoid disappointment when you arrive. Well laid plans can show Weiss Lake to be an excellent lake for targeting largemouth bass, spotted bass and striped bass this winter season.

With the lake down, there will be no weeds to target, only wood and rock cover. This means brush around piers will be exposed and an easy target for anglers seeking the largemouth bass. The same goes for stumps, laying trees, logs and other fish holding cover put out by lake residents found around piers, boat houses and marinas as well. An array of lures such as worms, lizards, tube baits, jig combos and smaller finesse plastics on jig heads are good choices for these places.

Rocks such as those meant to prevent erosion are found around causeways, bridges and the dam area. These are man made rip-rap rocks that hold heat during sunny days. Bass are active around these places on sunny days from mid morning to late evenings. To cover water fast and have your lures in the strike zone, try fishing with the boat in close to these rocks and cast your lures parallel to the bank. This can be various topwaters fished right in the shallows, rattling lipless lures, spinnerbaits or suspending jerkbaits. Two anglers can successfully cover these rocks fast. With both anglers on the front deck of the boat casting ahead, one can be fishing in close to the rocky shore with a shallow to mid diving crankbait and the other angler can be fishing out from the bank, casting a deep diving crankbait.  Again with both anglers parallel casting these lures, it will have your tempting offerings in the strike zone 100% of the time when fishing these rocks.

Be careful on Weiss Lake this winter season and always call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
Thanks and Good Fishing!

Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" With Reed Montgomery Radio Show
"6 Years on the Radio  / Jan 2005"
Birmingham, Alabama
Call Reeds Guide Service...First! (205) 787-5133
"Over 40 Years Fishing Alabama for Bass and Stripers"
E-mail: ALABASSGYD@aol.com
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com

Member Comments…