Lake Burton Fishing Report May 2016

Burton: Level: 2 feet below full pool. Temp: 67 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Brown Trout: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “The brown trout have made their way to the main lake channels. They are schooled up in age classes. We are seeing a lot of young fish toward the southern portions of the lake. These fish have been biting a 1/8-oz. black Rooster Tail trolled at approximately 2.5 mph. We often cast a small silver Little Cleo spoon toward these fish as they come up schooling. Cloudy or rainy days have been the most successful.”

Bass: Wes reports, “The largemouth have started spawning. These fish are biting frogs and lizards cast a long ways away from the boat with light line. We are catching fish that we never see. Be patient when working pockets and coves. It’s easy to spook these big fish. The spotted bass are on fire one day and non-existent the next. Look for the bigger fish on a 14- to 18-foot bottom. A Super Spin tipped with a Yamamoto swimbait has been working best for the bigger spots. Look for the bass to be in prespawn and spawn modes over the next few weeks. The Trick Worm and finesse worm bites will be on as the majority of the bass head toward shallow water.”

Walleye: Wes reports, “The walleye bite has been hit or miss lately with the cold fronts coming in every week. Try fishing before a cold front or two days after. Most of the walleye have spawned and are back down the lake and creek channels. There are still a few fish hanging around the river channels. We have been targeting fish on the southern portions of the mountain lakes. Fish long points that have brush or cover nearby. These fish have been clinging to the bottom and will not travel far to eat a bait. It is tough when the bait population is at a high level and the baitfish are close by the fish. Night crawlers fished 20 to 30 feet deep have been working well. We have also been using a bright stand-up jig tipped with a crappie minnow slowly hopped up and down off the bottom. These fish should continue to feed on this same pattern for the next couple of weeks. As we near the end of May, trolling crankbaits will be your best bet.”