Beaverdam Reservoir

[CPBassFishing]

I'm hopefully going to be taking my new kayak out on this reservoir in Ashburn, VA very soon.

 

Anyone that fishes this place have any input? I know shimmy fishes it often.

 

Areas to currently focus on and baits to use?

[Hyrule Bass]

good luck there. its loaded with nice bass, think i even read something where its one of the top bass spots in VA a few years ago. but its a tough place to fish from my understanding. i havent been there but a couple times in recent years because im shore bound and you really need a watercraft of some sort to fish it effectively. it used to be very friendly for shore fishermen back in the 80s, but its all grown up now. when i was a kid we used to wade out in the water a ways by the church access spot and fish. other spots you could just drive right up to, park, hop out and cast right there. it would be awesome to me to see it like that again, fairfax and loudoun should team up to improve the place. atleast clear some of the trails better and perhaps make a nice public fishing area in a spot or two. i know many will disagree with that though. if i ever get me a small john boat or something, its one of the first places im hitting up. atleast there is some access although limited, i dont even think you can get in to fish goose creek reservoir anymore...

 

ive heard there is good fishing up where beaverdam creek enters the reservoir and people usually catch some by the dam too...

[quanjig]

Hopefully Shimmy will chime in, I think he has the most time on the water there. I've fished it a handful of times but its been about 10 years since the last time!! I know it has some great ledges along the main creek channel. I can remember catching a nice fish along the dam. Shimmy might give you some deeper weed lines to try as well. Good luck. I would chuck some football jigs along points and drops tho!! I think the off shore stuff is king out there so you might have to search for that.

[CPBassFishing]

Thanks guys. I'll run around cranking and jigging points. If I don't get a bite doing that I'll hit the banks and work the reedlines with a frog.

[shimmy]

i haven't fished it since late April due to graduate school and fishing in MN but plan on heading back out at the end of July when i have more time. The lake is pretty bad from shore so your kayak will do the trick. Beware of the crew team!!! They are everywhere at all times of the day and will drive right up on your spot without an apology. First and foremost, if your going to fish on the main lake, get an anchor. The wind there is ridiculous and i drop an anchor at every single spot i fish. When you launch at Mt. Hope road, start off going to the right if it's early morning and throw a smaller spook or a 1.5 to 2.5 square bill crankbait. Some water comes in on the right cove to the right of the mt hope launch ramp, but fish on the outsides of the cove fan casting until you go inside of it. Fish will stack up on the outsides and there are some good rocks you can't see. The cove is great. Wacky rigging a senko will work out there too. Throwing a spook in the morning along the weed lines along the lake usually gives me three bites or so and you can catch some good fish doing it. Then, you want to go deeper. Like Jon was saying, this lake is brutal because if you fish mainly shallow you will not consistently catch big fish (or maybe you can in the summer and i just stink at it). I actually started throwing the fat ika out there and kill them on it. If you can find the bridge in the middle of the lake, you can get into a few of them that way. I have caught them on a buzzbait before out over the top of the bridge. I took a buddy with me one time and he flipped out when i caught one on the buzzard there since he thought we were deep sea fishing. You absolutely need a depth finder. If you don't, your only chance is trying to drag a carolina rig to feel the structure and you'll end up wasting your time. This lake used to be amazing in the 90's but since the early 2000's has taken a hit. There are still a few big ones in there. In April, i went out 5 times and caught one over 5 and just one over 6, and a few over 4 pounds, but this lake has a ton of 4 pound bass. But, don't expect to get bit like you do in the ashburn ponds. It can be brutal without a depthfinder. Dragging a worm will work but i think crankbaits are your best bet. Maybe tie on three different depth crankbaits and pound the points, then back off and hit them again at different angles. If you can find the channels, you have a chance but even then, the bigger ones are hard to catch. What someone needs out there is side imaging. Because these fish move everywhere at all times, you really need a depth finder that can find them. If you hear fish jumping, it's probably going to be carp. If you're into swimbait fishing, get something that looks like a white perch. Oh, and there are small mouth in there. Caught one over 21 inches last summer on a top water bait. She was skinny though. The lake is weird. Not what it used to be. You may only get 3 bites, but you have a good chance that one of them will be over 4. Go get em. 

[Chatter Bait]

Hi, I'm new to the forum.  I sold my bass boat last year but just bought a Pelican Bass Raider to fish the BDR.  I went twice last week and really struggled.  I was searching the bottom with sonar w/ gps and was surprised how there is very little structure in the lake.  I'm still searching for the bridge and sunken boats.  I am also looking to get a kayak for creeks feeding the Potomac River and Shenandoah River.  I caught my first snakehead last month in a kayak and it was a blast.  I hope to see you on the water.

[Chatter Bait]

I've been getting the morning bites.  The rest of the day has been slow.  Caught a nice SM but I don't know how to post pics yet.

[CMG]

Hi, I'm new to the forum.  I sold my bass boat last year but just bought a Pelican Bass Raider to fish the BDR.  I went twice last week and really struggled.  I was searching the bottom with sonar w/ gps and was surprised how there is very little structure in the lake.  I'm still searching for the bridge and sunken boats.  I am also looking to get a kayak for creeks feeding the Potomac River and Shenandoah River.  I caught my first snakehead last month in a kayak and it was a blast.  I hope to see you on the water.

 

You're right about the lake being bare.  A few spots are rocky, but otherwise a hard packed bottom.  Very little in the way of submerged grasses which I would attribute to the lack of water clarity.  Lots of stuff in the water keeping the light from reaching the bottom.  I think this is because of the shad, lots of large gizzard shad. Eutrophication- http://sfrc.ufl.edu/allenlab/research/UF%20FINAL%20REPORT%20SHAD%20PROJECT%20CONTRACT%20SI40613.pdf

 

I've never heard of any sunken boats.  The bridge is easy to find though.  I recently replaced an Eagle Cuda with a Lowrance Elite-5 DSI and now it actually looks like a bridge and not just a shallower area.

 

Plastic worms in specific spots and crankbaits everywhere are what produce for me.  The only type of fish in there that I haven't caught with a crankbait is a shad and I haven't caught one of those on anything.

[Chatter Bait]

That's good info CMG, thank you.  I did find the bridge but didn't get any bites.  It was pretty windy and my bass tub doesn't handle well in the wind.  I did find some rocks in shallow water...almost looked like they were stacked there.  I've been getting some fish working the grass edges with frogs and a pop-r.  I have caught a few on sinkos but nothing on a weighted worm.  Maybe I put too much weight and too large of a worm.

 

I have been luckier in the morning bite than the evening bite.  I went last Sunday and the place was packed.  I definitely prefer going during the week.

[The Pennsylvania Kid]

From my experience out there early mornings are the best, I've had my best success hitting the drop off's from the points fishing 10-13 feet of water. I don't usually fish around the bridge because everyone that fishes there knows that spot. Crank baits definitely the way to go because of the lack of structure the fish are always moving around gotta cover ground until you find them. The place takes patience and could be frustrating at times but its not a place your gonna go and catch 10 fish a trip, I consider 2 or 3 a successful outing.  One of the nice things about that place is that it does hold some nice size fish and usually when you catch something its usually pretty nice. Last time my dad came to visited me he wanted to give fishing a shot so I set him up and he ended up getting a couple nice ones. I spent more time keeping the boat in position and reading my Lowrance unit than fishing that day lol. 

 

 

 

 

[CMG]

I really avoid going out there when it's windy.  More time spent trying to hold position and I just don't catch anything.  The perch don't seem to bite when it's windy and if the perch aren't biting, nothing is it seems.

 

At the reservoir I only fish weightless Texas rigged pro-senkos or Cold Steel finesse walking sticks.  The stacked rocks actually were stacked, in a few spots there used to be stone walls. These areas usually produce a few fish, though nothing big.  One day I caught a catfish, crappie and smallie from one small rocky area.

[Chatter Bait]

The rock area I found was on the east side maybe 50' from the shoreline.  I saw minnows in there and the area looks like it has great potential.  I haven't seen any perch yet.  I'll concentrate more on the crank bait next time I go out.