# Juniper Lake, Walton County



## FishWalton

Man, I got the red a - -, snake bit, or just plain lost my mo-jo. Have been spending too much on fishing gas for such a low creel so decided to start working Juniper Lake and see what it has to offer. I know it does have good fish but like any lake, you have to learn how to fish it. The water is very clear and there is a good bit of hydrilla in shallow water around the shoreline. There are some good grass areas that looks like good frog territory for the bass guys. 
This afternoon I fly fished it from 5pm until dark. Haven't been out there in 10 years or more for serious fishing although it's only a few minutes from the house. Caught three 6 to 7 inch bluegills on a fly popper that were nothing but skin and bones. I can't remember when I have seen bream so skinny. Even our river bream are better than this and they are not what they should be. A 7 inch bass lost his mind and got hooked on the bug as well. 
At least I did find two deep water holes (6 to 9 ft) that had fish although they would not bite. Will hit those marks in the next day or two and try to figure them out. Maybe worms or crickedts will work, but they could be cats. 
When I came in there were 11 bank folks fishing the deep water near the dam. They must have been after cats which Juniper has some nice ones.


----------



## SLICK75

You had better luck than I have ever had in there. Every time I go I caught by a thunder storm while Im hung up out in the middle of the stumps, which I have decided is everywhere but right at the end of the boat ramp.

Is there a boat ramp on the north side? I want to get over there to the northwest corner, but getting there from the dam is a gamble.

Me and my boys went to Stanley last weekend for a late afternoon trip. I landed one bass just under limit, then my oldest landed one that went about 3 lb and hung a jack.

Thinking about taking them up to Jackson this evening as long as the wind doesnt get too bad.


----------



## FishWalton

*stumps*

When the state did a drawn down on Juniper a few years back they cut off a zillion snags more or less aroung the shore line so you can move around better. Also cut off a lot out in the lake, but right now the water is low and those out in the lake are sticking up pretty good. 

There are good fish out there but it will take some doing to learn how to catch them. I plan to start doing a little night fishing out there in the deep channels. I feel safe there alone since my cell phone works It's doesn't work on the river where I fish alone much of the time.


----------



## jstblsd

Be safe out there hope you catch enough for me!


----------



## SLICK75

Yeah, it was 2 years ago the last time we went. I had caught wind of the draw0down and wanted to give it a go. I took my oldest son and made a go of it, but as usual the thunderstorm blew in within an hour of us getting there.

We had enough time to make to a small island near the old campground bait store and fish it before the lightning started. Went boogying back to the boat ramp and found one hoss of a hull masher out in the middle of nowhere. The odds of hitting this thing had to be a million to one LOL, but I nearly tore the motor off the transom. The motor has auto-tilt so there is no such thing as unlocking it to ride over stumps. It hit so hard that it bounced the cowling up into the back of the boat with us.

After that I said no more. I cant afford to rip the transom off my boat or bust a foot open on a lake that I havent caught but 2 fish out of.

I went out there back in the '90s and they had a channel marked, several actually, and most of the bad stumps like the one I hit were marked with buoys. Sometime between then and the last time I was out there all that had disappeared. Guess they did away with that when they did the draw-down.

Didnt make it to Jackson today. My wife got out of bed with what I think may be food poisoning so I stuck around here to keep a check on her. Thinking about trying tomorrow morning if I can get in bed before 3 am.


----------



## FishWalton

Slick75. There is a ramp on the north side of Juniper at the end of Cat Island Rd.

Go north on 83 about 3 or 4 miles, just past Fannin's Restaurant on the left, turn left on Cat Island Road. There is a small concrete and hard sand ramp. Also a T fishing dock but the water is shallow there. Also, public restrooms there. I'm not sure if camping is allowed or not but if there is no sign I assume it's OK. I received an email from the Parks and Recretation Director of Walton County they allow camping at at all the ramps they operate if there is room to camp as well as rig parking.

I'm going to maker a run out there late this evening.


----------



## SLICK75

THATS where I saw that road. I used to get hay from the spray field just past Fannins. I remembered seeing Cat Island road somewhere on 83 and knew it wrapped around Juniper. Ive been down it from near the lake but I never followed it out. 

I went looking for it once, I just didnt go far enough north. LOL As a matter of fact I turned around in Fannins parking lot.

Well, I might see you out there somewhere. I havent made up my mind yet. Depends on what Momma has planned for me. I want to give that corner a shot since Ive never been able to make it over there.

My Dad used to fish out there a lot back in the 70s. About all he ever mentioned was good cat fishing, but he was never much on bass fishing, then he just lost interest in all of it and quit going at all.


----------



## FishWalton

*Juniper*

You can practically see the Cat Island turn-off from Fannin's parking lot....LOL

I won't be able to get out there this afternoon after all. Somethng else came up, but I did some scouting down on the river this afternoon to check out some ramps and fishing conditions. Will be posting on this a little later when I get the pictures on photobucket.

If you use Google Earth on Juniper you can see some of the old creek channels runing through the lake. These should be good deep areas. This is a channel running along Cat Island. 

Will probably hit Juniper at daylight Monday morning for a couple of hours, then down to the river on Tuesday.


----------



## SLICK75

Well, good luck with it. No way I will get a kitchen pass 2 days in a row LOL. Let me know how the river turns out, I may give it a shot one day before I go back to work.


----------



## FishWalton

Haven't made it back to Juniper yet. One thing or another going on. It's been so darn hot even in late afternoon it's not fun. Really the best time to go is first hour or two after daylight, it's cooler.

Just finished getting my rig ready for a run tomorrow. Sweated like a dog in the humidity. Anyway, headed dowon to Smoke House on the Choctawhatchee River tomorrow. More water in the lower river than up where I usually fish. I't going to be another hot one so will be there at daylight.


----------



## SLICK75

We finally made it up to Jackson this morning. Got the boys up at 4:30 and was on the lake around 5:30 and stayed till 9:30. My oldest landed one bass about 10" right after daylight on a jig, I landed a good warmouth about 7:00 and hung a bass and landed another right at 12" shortly after on Tequila worm and my oldest landed a nice 14-16" bass shortly after that.

By 8:00 the biters had all but dried up and we had fished almost all the north shorline and the west between shoreline the main boat ramp and the FL side ramp.
By 9:00 the waverunners were coming alive so we decided not to bother with the south side shoreline.

All in all it was slow but not unbearable. Just enough bites here and there to keep you interested. I wanted to do a little deepwater stuff before we left but with the waverunners I decided not to. That and my 3 yr old was getting impatient and cranky since hes not used to getting up so early. 

Hopefully I will get one more day to go before going back to work Friday, but Im not holding my breath.


----------

