I would guess that most people who read the weekly Georgia Fishing Report are experienced anglers looking for the latest fishing intel. BUT, I hope that beginner anglers also find the report because we share a lot of information that is great for all anglers!

WHERE SHOULD A NEW ANGLER START?

  • Georgia Wildlife Website: A great place to start is the WRD Angler Resources webpage, which includes links to the interactive fishing map, fishing forecast pages for specific reservoirs and rivers, fish ID info, reward programs (Bass Slam, Trout Slam, Angler Awards, State Records) and so much more! 
  • Outfitters, Bait & Tackle Shops: Find the shops that are run by actual anglers. These are the people who have a passion for what they do and are so eager to get others on board. Ask about local areas to go, species to target and what is the best equipment for the job. 
  • Angler and Conservation Groups: Groups like Trout Unlimited, B.A.S.S., Southeast Georgia Kayak Bass Fishing and others would love to have you involved and you will learn so much from them. 
  • Check out upcoming Fishing related trade and info expos! Two excellent opportunities coming up in early February: 

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia. No matter your experience level, we can always learn more and that will make for better success at we Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Capt. Bert Deener, Retired Georgia WRD Region Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

This winter warm-up is just what the doctor ordered for some great fishing. The Florida crappie bite is on fire right now, and so are ponds in south Georgia. The south Georgia rivers are pretty much blown out, but they should be dropping within the banks in many locations this week (if we don’t get heavy rains this weekend).

River gages on January 25th were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 6.5 feet and falling
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 6.1 feet and falling
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 11.4 feet and falling
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 11.1 feet and falling
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 12.7 feet and falling
  • Statenville on the Alapaha – 10.0 feet and falling
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 9.4 feet and falling
  • Fargo on the Suwannee – 11.0 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is February 2nd. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The water level is still high and fish are spread out, but it’s falling some. This warm spell will increase the activity level of all species. The flier bite should be good this weekend. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.44 feet.

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Tifton, more info HERE)

The crappie bite has been very good this week. Big fish bit in Lake Patrick, as Robert Miller caught a 2-lb., 13.5-oz AND a 2-lb., 3-oz. crappie on Thursday. He caught them by working a jig from the fishing pier.

Crappie fishing is fantastic right now. Tommy Davis of Baxley caught this slab crappie on Tuesday by trolling a Keitech 2” swimbait on a 1/32-oz. Zombie Eye Jighead.

LOCAL PONDS

An angler fished a Brunswick pond this week and caught a 6 1/2-pound bass on a crankbait. I heard a great report from a pond where a couple of anglers trolled 2-inch Keitechs on 1/48, 1/32, and 1/16-oz. Zombie Eye Jigheads. They said that the 1/32-oz caught the most fish. They also jigged a 1/16-oz. Tennessee shad Specktacular Jig and caught several nice keepers. They ended up with 35 crappie and a big bluegill. They released all the fish over a pound and kept 21 smaller fish. Their best colors of Keitechs were electric shad, bluegill flash, and chartreuse back pearl. Their best trolling speed was 0.8 miles per hour. An angler trolling a Waycross area pond on Monday evening caught 6 crappie, and they were all big (over a pound). He fooled them with a chartreuse back pearl 2-inch Keitech on a 1/16-oz. black-green eye Zombie Eye Jighead. Chad Lee didn’t fish much this weekend but went to a couple Alma area ponds and fooled 7 crappie on chartreuse Assassin Tiny Shads.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

This winter warm spell has gotten the fish chewing! Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had really good days for redfish on Tuesday and Wednesday. His charters used live shrimp and Gulp rigged on Zombie Eye Jigheads (1/8 and 3/16-oz.) for their reds. They caught small, medium, and large slot-sized keepers and several oversized fish per trip. The trout bite slowed this week, though. He did put his clients on 4 big sheepshead with fiddlers on Wednesday. Kenny McClain was visiting from Maryland and fished with me on Thursday. We fished the creeks around the Brunswick area and fooled 27 redfish up to 26 1/2 inches, 3 keeper trout, and 3 black drum. They all ate live shrimp tail-hooked on an 1/8-oz. Shrimp Hook or 3/16-oz. Redfish Wrecker Jighead. Fishing shell mounds and creek mouths around low tide was key. An angler fishing a Brunswick area dock spanked the seatrout on Friday evening. He started catching small fish, but then the bigger trout up to 17 inches moved in and he fooled several of them. He caught his fish with 3-inch Keitech swimbaits rigged on 1/8-oz. Zombie Eye Jigheads. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is open Friday through Sunday from 6am to 4pm each week. They have plenty of lively shrimp and fiddler crabs and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. They’re on Hwy 303 just north of Hwy 82. For the latest information, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Capt. Bert Deener guides fishing trips in southeast Georgia and makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert’s Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call or text him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him (bertdeener@yahoo.com).

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Anthony Rabern, Region Supervisor and Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts) 

Lake Burton Big Bass.

Spotted Bass catch for Gianfranco Curotto.

The cold weather months are typically trophy bass months. Below are some pointers from the experts to help improve your chances of connecting with a wintertime trophy.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 10 FEET, 40’S 

Allatoona Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) — Water temperatures are cold, and under these tough conditions stay in the main lake. On the main lake look for stumps and brush in 8 to 15 feet of water especially around points and humps that have deep water access. Small Stanley jigs in green pumpkin or try the ¼ ounce size watermelon gold any other color that looks like green pumpkin will work and put a matching Zoom trailer. Check those creeks and pockets for water with some color to it. Fish the numerous shallow brush piles with the jig.  Some fish are surprisingly still shallow. On sunny days, the dingy water will warm faster and attract bait fish, so bass are likely to be there as well. When you see the shad flipping on top, cast a ¼ ounce Rat L Trap in chrome with a blue back or a small #5 Rapala Shad Rap on light line.

Allatoona Crappie (Report courtesy of Jeff “Crappieman” Albright) — Red Rooster custom baits was and is always the ticket, with multiple colors and styles catching fish on 1/16 oz jig heads.  Most fish were over 25-30 ft of water and suspended in 7 to 15 ft.  Trolling speeds varied between 0.5 – 0.9 mph.

CARTER’S LAKE IS DOWN 3.7-FEET, 40’S 

Mixed Bag Report at Carters: (Report courtesy of Eric Crowley) — The walleye are not schooled up but instead in small groups holding near the bottom on points and humps. Look for them under spots and stripers as well as feeding on injured bait. Early morning and just after dark are the best times or on rainy and overcast days. Various sizes of spoons have been getting the job done as well as live baits. Camp Branch and the area around the beach have been holding good numbers of fish.  The stripers have been eating live baits on flat and down lines in the creeks. Medium size gizzards, big alewives and trout have all been catching fish. The fish seem to be scattered in all the creeks as there’s bait everywhere. We’ve been running 12lb fluorocarbon and 2/0 circle hooks with good success in most cases.

LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 2.7 FEET, 40’S 

Lake Hartwell Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is slow. Fish in the Tugaloo River area both north and south of the I-85 bridge. In the first part of the morning, fish the back part of the creek arms and main lake pockets with a crank bait. The Ott’s Garage OG8 is a flat-sided bait and with no rattles inside. Use this flat-sided crank bait in deeper water in the 8-to-12-foot zone to catch them.  Other key baits are jigs and a Weedless Wonder lead head with a Zoom green pumpkin Trick worm. The jig and shaky head anything in a green pumpkin color is good this time of year. The key is to continue to move throughout the day. Do not spend too much time in one spot. More than 10 minutes of fishing an area is about the limit. Slow down as the bites will be light. Bait is what anglers need to find and the bass should be close by. Work the main lake area as the winter moves in to see where the food sources are.

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 2.9 FEET 40’S 

Jack Becker with a Lake Lanier Crappie catch.

Lanier Crappie (Report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) — Crappie are suspended 5 to 15 feet deep on open water brush and docks. Look to the outside edges of school over the brush piles for bigger fish. I am using a small minnow on a slip bobber and small profile jigs.

Lanier Bass (Report courtesy of Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845) — Bass have been biting a variety of baits from ten feet to sixty feet deep. The patterns haven’t changed much from last week with the spoon, Finesse Spot Choker and dropshot working on the deeper fish and the worm or jig working in the twenty-five or less depths. I have been stopping the boat in the fifty-foot range on flats or deep ditches and fan casting a three eights ounce Spotsticker with a three-inch Cast Echo swimbait in the area.  If they don’t want the moving bait, I will change to the half-ounce spoon or a dropshot with a small Lanier Baits worm. The Sweet Rosy color was the ticket this week. You can work the jig in the deeper areas but again it is a very slow presentation. A 3/8-ounce jig or a 3/16-ounce shakey head have been producing some good fish on the sunny rocky points or around boat docks in twenty-feet or less of water.  A trick worm or a Senko in a darker color have produced the most fish. Again, don’t work the bait too fast as the bass now want a slow presentation.

Lake Lanier Striped Bass catch for Johnny Pang.

Lanier Stripers (Report courtesy of Captain Mack Farr) — The Striper bite is good. The best overall pattern is fishing over deep concentrations of bait, dropping the bait to the bottom and reeling up a couple of feet. The depth varies.  On the lower end, the fish and the bait may be as deep as 90-ft.  In the upper ends of either river, 30 to 50-ft may be a more likely number.  Either way, the dropping the bait to the bottom strategy has paid off well, just adjust to the conditions as you move up lake. Herring are producing well, and a Gizzard Shad on the down line has also been strong and may bump up the odds of hooking some of the larger fish. Trout are also good baits if you can find them, however the Trout have been in short supply from the commercial suppliers in recent weeks.

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 5.9 FEET, 50’S 

West Point Mixed Bag (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — The south end of the lake is the best fishing area. Ride the creek mouths with the Lowrance Structure Scan and find the old roadbeds or any old pond dam. The fish are there. Largemouth bass will focus on hard objects during the winter months. Look for shoreline rocks, there is usually a population of bass that live shallow year-round. These fish simply adjust their position for feeding and water temperature preference. Fish the mouths of all major coves and creeks around West Point Dam. Maple Creek, Veasey Creek and Stroud Creek are all good places to fish. The fish are bunched up together in 25 to 30 feet of water. There are schools of bass, hybrids and small white bass bunched up now. Use the vertical jigging spoons on the bottom. Find the fish on the Lowrance Down Scan and vertical jig using a 1/2-to-3/4-ounce spoon of your choice. The largemouth, whites, spots, hybrids and crappie are all bunched together. Some fishermen have had some success trolling for hybrids on the south end of the lake, but activity is relatively slow right now and will continue until the water begins to rise and warm.

WEISS LAKE IS DOWN 3.2 FEET, 40s 

Weiss Lake Mixed Bag (Report Courtesy of Mark Collins ,(256) 779-3387) — Bass fishing is fair, and they are on their winter pattern on the river and creek channels. Drop shot rigs and Carolina rigs are catching fish. Crappie are on the creek and river channel ledges at 18 to 25 feet deep. Spider rigging with live minnows and jigs over brush and stumps is the way to catch fish. A lot of Crappie have suspended in the Coosa river channel 20 25 feet deep. A few Crappie are still being caught shooting docks with jigs. Some fish are starting to suspend in the river channel in Little River and can be caught long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs and a float and fly.

SMALL LAKE REPORT

Fishing for Walleye, catching a giant Yellow Perch instead on Lake Yonah.

Yellow Perch Anyone? (Report courtesy of Jack Becker)  — Fishing for walleye on Lake Yonah, Matt Dorsey hooked into a giant yellow perch.  Matt was dragging a live herring on or near the bottom.  Our friend, Jack Becker, also has a knack for catching yellow perch on Yahoola Creek Reservoir in Dahlonega.  He suggests trolling in about 10-feet of water at 0.5 mph with small crankbaits (1½-inch size) in hot perch and fire tiger colors. Keep moving until you locate fish and then start trolling back and forth over the schools. If you don’t get a hookup on two passes, then change lure colors.  Using a 2 lb. or 4 lb. leader will also get you more bites. Remember no gas motors are allowed on Yahoola Reservoir.

Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area (Report courtesy of PFA Manager Dennis Shiley) — Use your electronics to find the shad schools and fish small swim baits through the schools for bass at Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area. Mostly look in 30 feet of water to start with then move shallower up to the 15 foot range. If the weather is nasty, the shad schools will be tight. As you get a warm spell the schools will separate, and the bass will move along with them into smaller pods. If this isn’t working for you then move to the 8’ range and start throwing a lipless crank bait and a bladed jig bounced on the bottom. There are always a few fish shallow, just fish slow. If you want a big one right now, stay out deep! Crappie are also biting if you can get out in your boat and use your electronics to find the schools. Look along the bluff walls and just out from them for stacked schools. In winter, crappie at Rocky like to pile up on the old bulldozer ridges on the bottom of the lake.

TROUT REPORT

Trout Stocking at Blue Ridge on Jan. 23, 2024.

Blue Ridge Lake Rainbows — This winter, over 13,500 catchable (10″ – 12″) rainbow trout were stocked into Lake Blue Ridge by WRD trout hatchery staff to enhance this unique reservoir trout fishery. The good quality of year-round cold-water habitat in Lake Blue Ridge combined with an abundant blueback herring population creates excellent conditions for growing rainbow trout that anglers can fish for all year.

As for trout fishing in rivers and streams, you already know that flows are high, and the water is cold. The best piece of advice from fly-flinging gurus is to pound the deeper holes with weighted nymphs, eggs, stoneflies, worms, and/or wooly buggers.  And remember the key word is WEIGHTED.  After all, “Hunker down!” doesn’t just apply to the Georgia Bulldogs, it is also a wintertime strategy for trout, especially at higher flows.  Since the rivers and larger streams will be running a little high from this week’s rain, why not give the smaller, headwater streams a try while you wait for the bigger streams to shed their excessive runoff?  Remember to match your bugs to the stream conditions, and if the water is big, high, and/or stained from all the rain, use bigger and brighter bugs to grab a nearby trout’s attention.

Big Brown Trout from Lanier Tailwaters for Tom Oswald.

Beautiful Brown Trout caught on the fly.

Lanier Tailwaters –Congrats to Tom Oswald who landed a 10 lb, 11 oz brown trout this week! Check out the videos posted on NGTO of Tom landing this trophy brown by clicking HERE.

Chattooga River DH — With plenty of rain in the forecast, be sure to check the water level at Burrell’s Ford Bridge HERE, and the local weather forecast for the Chattooga River area HERE. Periods of higher flow provide opportunities to fling some bigger streamers. Aggressively strip ‘em in.  Modestly weighted hare’s ear, nymphs and Silver Copper Johns, have worked well, especially on mild and cloudy days when small Blue Winged Olives might be hatching. 

Wild Trout in the Cohuttas — Fly-fishing enthusiast and outdoor writer, Jimmy Jacobs, offers some excellent wild trout fishing tips in the Cohutta WMA. Here is the link: Trekking to Georgia’s Conasauga River – ON THE FLY SOUTH. Hot Tip: “Drift nymph patterns through the pools under a strike indicator or use a dry-dropper rig.  Prince Nymphs and Red Copper Johns have been a couple of patterns that have worked here.  For some of the bigger pools, you might want to slow strip a weighted Wooly Bugger looking for a bigger trout.”  Here are links to a couple of articles of interest from On the Fly South this month:

Winter Fishing Tips — Check out the latest report and video links on the Unicoi Outfitters website by clicking HERE.  Here are a few tips from the staff at Unicoi Outfitters on staying warm during your wintertime outing.

  1. Carry two pairs of wool or fleece gloves. That dry, second pair will make the hike out much more enjoyable.
  2. Stuff a small hand towel into the top of your waders.  Dry your hands off any time they get wet, and they’ll stay warmer, longer (tip credit: Slide Inn’s Kelly Galloup)
  3. Place a “hot hands” chemical hand warmer on top of your wrist, in between your glove and a tennis wrist band over the base of the glove (tip credit: Rabun TUer Jerry McFalls)
  4. If you’re using a double nymph rig behind some split shot, also place a small tin shot on the dropper line halfway between bugs to sink the rear one.
  5. To learn more winter fishing tips, read this excellent article by Idaho guide, Boots Allen. 

Where to Find Trout Fishing Info:

  • Reading: To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page.
  • Demos, Experts and More: For great learning opportunities, the Atlanta Fly-fishing Show is coming to the Gwinnett County area on February 2-4 at the Gas South Convention Center.

Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia? Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. Aside from being a great looking tag, each purchase or renewal of a Trout Unlimited license plate directly supports trout management in Georgia. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Steve Schleiger, Region Supervisor and fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

RESERVOIR FISHING REPORTS BELOW COURTESY OF SOUTHERN FISHING WITH KEN STURDIVANT.

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 40’S

Bass fishing is fair.  The lack of a good wind on some days put a damper on the bigger bass moving up to the shallow water in numbers.  Look in the shallows on the windy days.  The shad and silver color Rapala DT10 will work on the shallow rocky points.  The best results are coming during the first half of the day.  Up the Savannah River and down towards the dam are producing as well as Beaverdam Creek.  Down towards the dam try cranking the Rapala OG8, DT10 and the Shad Raps are working.  The strike will be light so be a line watcher.  The bigger baits like the #7 Shad Rap will catch bigger bass.  The spotted bass are really on the move and are chasing the shad and herring up to the shallow water.  This is a really good time to fish as many points as possible a day.  The Carolina rig and the drop shot rig is working fair on the days the wind is not blowing.  Anglers are finding bass in the two-pound range in water depths anywhere from 15 to 25 feet deep.  Green pumpkin and watermelon colors are the favorite for the deep water.  Do not expect to fill the live well quick with these methods.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 2.2 FEET, 40’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Bass are still being caught on the main lake points early.  Reese Branch is producing some quality bass.  Good roadbeds with plenty of rock are holding the bass here.  The water is deep enough for the bass to go and hide and the points are providing an ample supply of herring for them to feed on.  Fish the Rapala DT10 in the shad color and the Glass Shad Rap in the glass shad color.  For the ledges and deeper water, use the Rapala OG8; Shad Raps in the #7 and the #5 will work fishing shallow.  The Carolina rig will catch the cold-water fish in the deeper water up the lake near the Little River area.  Use a small Zoom lizard in dark colors; use a ½ ounce weight and work the ledges with this rig.  Try to find brush piles is the fifteen to twenty-foot range.  These areas are where the bass like to hang around this time of the year.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL 50’S

Bass fishing is fair.  The lake is full and a heavy stain over most of the lake, Richland creek light stained.  Water temperature is 48 to 52 degrees.  Richland Creek and Double creek have the best water.  When anglers find the cleaner water a shaky head with a dark trailer fished under docks and around wood structure have been producing fish.  There is also a spoon bite on the south end of the lake where Richland Creek and the Oconee come together.  Find the schools on the Lowrance Down Scan and Side Scan technology and drop a spoon down to the school.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN .75 FEET, 40’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Lots of debris is floating lake wide.  The number of bites in a day has decreased.  The size of fish seems to have increased.  The recent rains have dirtied up the water particularly on the upper ends of the lake and creeks. The influx of fresh water has also caused rapid changes in water temperatures in a short period of time.  Water temperatures in any given area can fluctuate up to 10 degrees in just one day.  Keep an eye on the Lowrance water temperatures when fishing new water and try to stay around the warmest water available.  Crank baits, big bladed spinner baits, and jigs are fair fishing for shallow fish.  The Spro Little John MD 50 in the fire craw color will get a bite when fished extremely slowly over primary and secondary points in the rivers, as well as short pockets located near deep water.  A chartreuse and white spinner bait with a large gold #7 willow leaf blade slow rolled around laydown trees on the main riverbank will get fewer bites but look for them to be big fish.  A black and blue ¼ ounce Buckeye Mop Jig is great for flipping docks in short pockets or docks that have brush around them.  Fish can be caught deep as well with most of the deep fish being in 25 to 40 feet of water and the Lowrance Down Scan technology can help spot them with the wider beams.  A gold Hopkins ¾ ounce spoon will catch these fish that are relating to bait schools in deep water.  Try to find structure in the same depth the fish are holding.

The 2024 Fisharama/Turkeyrama is Feb. 9-11, 2024 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia. Meet Ken Sturdivant, Captain Mark Smith, and the Hawg Trough fishing team and learn fishing techniques at the world-famous Bass Tub. 

LAKE JACKSON IS 1.1 FEET OVER FULL, 40’S

Bass fishing fair.  Fish down lake and around the dam.  Since this is the deeper parts of the lake, work the channel ledge, stay off in the deepest water and cast along the channel with a Rapala RS Shad Rap.  Use the darker colors if rain moves in and the water is stained.  Stay with the shad and blue shad colors in the clear water for the best results.  Use the trick worm weightless and the crank all day and throw an occasional jig around the stumps and rocks.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Information HERE) 

Anglers are reporting an overall decrease in fish activity but this decrease has not deterred anglers from enjoying the area. Take the opportunity to explore Flat Creek PFA and perhaps find your new favorite fishing spot. There are several well-placed benches around the lake. Avoid the high-pressure areas like the fishing pier and near the parking lot. Try using new lures and bait.

Anglers are reporting success for some species using the following techniques and lures/bait:

  • Bass: The last anglers to report catches were using shallow running jointed square-bill crankbait lures.
  • Bream: The last anglers to report catches were using red wigglers and jigs.
  • Channel Catfish: Anglers are using nightcrawlers and cut baitfish.
  • Crappie: The last anglers to report catches were using live minnows.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Information HERE)

Anglers are reporting success for some species using the following techniques and lures/bait:

  • Largemouth Bass: During the colder temperatures largemouth bass have been feeding on lethargic shad.   These feeding frenzies are often against or near a windblown shoreline.   A good lure choice would be a rattle trap, jerk bait, or any crank bait that closely resembles a threadfin shad. Look for gulls feeding.
  • Crappie: The crappie will start feeding good after 3-4 days of warmer weather.   Using a jig tipped with a minnow is your best bet.   Try different depths until you find them.
  • Bream: The bluegill and shellcracker bite is slow.  However, bottom fishing with worms is your best bet.
  • Hybrid Bass: Bennett, Fox, Greenhouse and Otter have all been stocked with hybrid bass. Most lures work but fishing with liver on the bottom seems to work best.