In Virginia's cotton country, it's probably a safe bet that the Suffolk Lakes are the best largemouth bass lakes in the region. The Suffolk Lakes are made up of a series of interconnected lakes, including Western Branch Reservoir, Lake Prince, Burnt Mills Reservoir, Speights Run, Lake Cohoon (sometimes spelled Cahoon), Lake Meade, Lake Kilby and the Lone Star Lakes (a series of 12 lakes -- some interconnected -- varying in size from three to 50 acres, totaling 490 acres).

Lake Cohoon, Lake Meade, Lake Kilby and Speights Run are water supply reservoirs owned by the city of Portsmouth but located in Suffolk. The city of Norfolk owns Burnt Mills Reservoir, Lake Prince and Western Branch Reservoir.

Burnt Mills Reservoir and Lake Cohoon are two unheralded bodies of water deserving of accolades for their stellar largemouth fishing. The month of May could be the best time of year to visit either excellent fishery.

BURNT MILLS' BRUISERS
An oldie but a goodie, Burnt Mills dates back to the early 1940s. This lake has two looks: The area near the dam is open and wide, while the upper end is stumpy and shallow. Burnt Mills covers 610 surface acres and is situated in Isle of Wight County.

The primary tributary for Burnt Mills is Great Swamp, a dense cypress swamp (common for this area of Virginia). Fisheries biologists with Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries indicate a good population of largemouth bass, shellcrackers, chain pickerel, bluegills, black crappie and yellow perch.

"The beauty of May is that most artificial lures are going to work well," said Mike Gizara, the concessionaire of the Lake Meade/Lake Cohoon Fishing Station. "There will be spawners and post-spawners in May, so anglers can target both stages of fish. First thing in the morning, I rely on a topwater lure (Pop-R or Zara Spook) or a 3/4-ounce, chartreuse-and-white spinnerbait. As the sun gets high in the sky, I use a Texas-rigged plastic worm or lizard to target bedding fish. Watermelon seed is my favorite color for plastics."

Like Gizara, Suffolk native Bobby Kinsey has fished these lakes for years. "Both lakes are fairly clear in their lower halves and become more tannic looking (although still clear) toward the cypress swamps that feed them," Kinsey said. "The structure and cover are the same in both lakes, too. They have plenty of coves, sandy shorelines, laydowns and treetops. Standing timber dominates the upper half of Burnt Mills and the upper part of Cohoon."

Kinsey cautions that both lakes can be hard on outboard motors. Underwater stumps are prevalent around the shorelines of both lakes, he added.

Gizara focuses in 5 to 12 feet of water during the morning at Burnt Mills, but as the sun gets overhead, he'll move to the 1- to 3-foot range for the spawners. "Specifically, I fish the points in the morning, then move into the coves when the sun is high."