Georgia

Fishing in Georgia

Fishing in Georgia is a wonderful experience as the state presents more than 500,000 acres of reservoirs, 12,000 miles of warm water streams, over 100 miles of coastal length and the vital saltmarshes.

Freshwater fishing

Clarks Hill Lake: This is the largest reservoir of the state having an area of 71,535 acres. It is a Corps lake, located 30 miles northeast of Augusta on the Savannah River. The numerous creeks feeding the lake, about 1,200 miles of shoreline and large open waters offer a wide range of fishing of striped and largemouth bass, redear sunfish and crappie.

Lake Hartwell: This is one of the three large reservoirs on the Savannah River operated by the Corps. It has an area of 56,000 acres and it hosted the recent 2008 Bass Masters Classic. It provides a variety of fishing of largemouth, striped, redeye and hybrid bas, and black crappie.

Lake Lanier: This too is a Corps lake having an area of 38,000 acres located 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. Anglers’ favorite species here are largemouth, spotted and striped bass, crappie and catfish.

Lake Oconee: This 19,050-acre lake is located mainly in Greene County, near Madison and Greensboro. It is operated by the Georgia Power Company. It gives good catches of largemouth, striped, hybrid striped and white bass, crappie and catfish.  

Lake Allatoona: This is Corps lake of the Etowah River of area 11,860 acres, 30 miles north of Atlanta. The main catches consist of spotted, hybrid, and striped bass and crappie.

Lake Blackshear: This is a 8,500-acre Flint River reservoir operated by Crisp County Power Company, and located in southwest Georgia, near Cordele. It supports a good fishery of largemouth, and hybrid striped bass, black and white crappie and catfish.

Altamaha River: This river flows from the confluence of the Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers, and is the largest free flowing river in the state. It supports a very good bank and boat fishing of largemouth bass, flathead catfigh, crappie and bream.

Chattahoochee River: This 48-mile river from Buford Dam to Peachtree Creek offers some of the best trout fishing in north Georgia; other fishes caught are shoal, largemouth, and striped bass, chain pickerel, catfish, bream and trout.

Coosa River: This river starts in the City of Rome and runs 30.4 miles west-southwest, meeting Lake Weiss at the Alabama state line. This river is a home to a robust, and naturally reproducing land-locked striped bass population, which is one of only a few of such populations found in the country. The best bets here are white and striped bass, crappie and catfish.

Upper Flint River: It is one of the most treasured natural resources and is a home to a unique and productive sport fishing in Georgia. It offers the most suitable habitat for the shoal bass, one of the state’s signature species. Flint River is especially suitable for canoe and kayak float trips. The best bets here are shoal bass, redbreast sunfish, flathead and channel catfish.

Savannah River: Fishing is best when this river levels drop within 5-6 feet on the USGS flow gauge at Clyo. Many anglers find excellent fishing opportunities in the numerous oxbow lakes along the river. The best bets are largemouth and striped bass, bluegill, catfish and redear sunfish.

Suwannee River: This river flows from the Okefenokee Swamp to the Gulf of Mexico. Its 33-mile portion in Georgia has dark tea colored water and offers a unique fishing experience. You will not find many redbreast sunfish, bluegill or bass, as you will commonly finding other south Georgia rivers, but there are other exclusive fishes like warmouth, flier, chain pickerel and bullheads.

Toccoa River: Running from beneath Blue Ridge Dam in Fannin County the cold, clear water of this 15-mile river has gained a reputation among anglers as one of the best trout fishing water in north Georgia. Because of its comparatively large size, it is favorable water for fly-fishing enthusiasts. You should fish the Toccoa River with caution as water level may rise suddenly when water is released from Blue Ridge Dam. The best bets here are rainbow and brown trout.

Saltwater Fishing:

Atlantic Ocean: The saltwater fishing in Georgia’s coast is excellent because of the live bottoms spread off the coast and most are found well offshore. Black sea bass, snapper, grouper, amberjack, mackerel and barracuda are common in these areas, because of the abundance of live baits like worms, crabs and small reef fish. In addition to this, Georgia has built a number of artificial reefs and they are buoyed to help anglers to locate them. The aircraft training towers built by U.S. Navy rise up to 150 feet above the sea surface and attract baitfish and predators like bluefish, tuna, king mackerel, amberjack, barracuda, wahoo, dolphin, and sailfish.

Golden Isle: Just off the southeast coast of Georgia, lies the beautiful Golden Isle, with exceptionally abundant and big tarpons! The season from June to September is excellent for everything from tarpon to sheepshead to sharks. Most of the Georgia tarpon fishing is big-rod, heavy-line, with cutbaits kept throughout the water column. Tarpons are caught both inshore around islands, creeks and the intercoastal waters, and near shore in the Atlantic Ocean within 3 mile of barrier island beaches (Golden Isle). Tidal creek junctions, myriad creeks, sounds, bays and tidal feeder streams of the intracoastal waterways are hotspots for tarpon fishing. Egg and Wold islands, the lower Champney, Hampton and Satilla rivers, Village Creek and Buttermilk Sound are such hot spots. Though these spots may sound good for big boats, due to the calm waters in summer it is in fact ideal for small-boat fishing.

In addition to these, Cumberland Sound, Doboy Sound, Dutchman Bay, Green Island Sound, Jekyll Sound and many other places offer excellent saltwater fishing in Georgia.

Now it is you who is awaited to lift your tackle and set forth towards the Peach State.