We are ready for the weekend because that means it is the beginning of National Fishing and Boating Week (June 1-9), which includes TWO FREE FISHING DAYS! This celebratory week began in 1979 and was created to recognize the tradition of fishing, to broaden the spirit of togetherness and to share the values and knowledge of today’s anglers with tomorrow’s anglers.

Ways to Celebrate:

Where to Celebrate: Anywhere there is water! Georgia has trout streams, large and small lakes and ponds, and extensive river systems just waiting for you. You can always start at one of the 11 Public Fishing Areas (GeorgiaWildlife.com/allpfas) or at one of many Georgia State Parks (GaStateParks.org/) that offer fishing opportunities.

This week we have fishing reports from North, Central and Southeast Georgia. Celebrate your love of fishing and boating as you Go Fish Georgia!

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Cicada Hatch Report: (This report courtesy of Matt Morrison from Cohutta Fishing Company) —Cicada hatches are full bore on some of the lakes around. Not our lakes here in the mountains, but more towards Tennessee and middle Georgia. The best thing about the Cicadas is that it’s one of the few hatches where you can catch carp on dry flies. If you would like a chance at some once in a lifetime fishing, Garner Reid and Chase Pritchett are some great guides to go with. Give us a call at the shop and we can give you their info.  Striper and bass fishing on fly has been great too. As we get into the summer and trout fishing gets slow midday, this is a welcome change of pace. A good popper bite has been starting to appear, so get your Boogle Bugs, Stealth Bombers, and other bass bugs ready. Striper fishing has been great in the mornings and evenings, with the occasional fish showing up midday. Our guides here at Cohutta all have their different bass water that we are each dialed in on. If you’re looking to change things up from your normal trout floats, this is a great time of year to try some other options. 

Trout and Walleye at Lake Blue Ridge.

Catching trout and walleye on Lake Blue Ridge.

Blue Ridge Lake Walleye Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) — Water temp 76. Level full. Clarity 10ft. Summer is here and so is the boat traffic but fishing during the week or early in the morning is the best practice until after Labor Day. Lots of walleye were caught last month both day and night fishing. We had several fish in the 5 to 6lb range come on the boat recently. The bait spawn wasn’t great this year again, but they can’t all be spectacular. Now that the bait has spawned and spread back out over the main lake the walleye have followed them and are now set up in their favorite summer time locations. Look for fish holding just offshore in cooler deeper water. 35 to 50ft will be the area of interest. Look for bait on or around the major main lake points and flats. Crankbaits, spoons, jigs, and live bait will all catch fish this month it really just depends on how you like to catch them and what they will respond to. Some days they will chase down a crank or jerk bait and some days you may want to go vertical depending on their mood. Normans, Bandits, and shad raps are all at the top of the list for crankbait options and the Hopkins and krocolidle spoons are my go-to vertical baits. As we get later into June you may want to look a little deeper during the daytime as the sunlight can really penetrate the clear water of this lake or look in the grass beds in deeper water.

Blue Ridge Lake Rainbow Trout Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) — We have been catching some nice trout on the main lake trolling lures. Smaller baits in 2″ range, like finesse Rapala minnows or flicker shads are killing ’em right now. Most fish are between 12 and 16″ with a few nicer ones mixed in. 20 to 50ft seems to be the target depth right now.

Blue Ridge Lake Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) — The Spotted bass are done spawning and are out packing on the pounds for summer. Lots of activity at sunrise with fish chasing bait on the surface in the creeks and on the main lake in open water. We have been throwing top water plugs at them or flukes if you are close enough. Both have been drawing the attention of these hungry green fish. Cloudy days seem to draw the bite out a little longer vs the sunshine usually shutting it off early. Star Creek, Green Creek, and the area around Points 5 and 7 have been hot at sunrise.

Walleye catch on Carters Lake.

Check out the walleye catch on Carters Lake!

Carters Lake Multi-Species Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) — Water temp 79. Level +/-6ft from full. Clarity 7ft. Well, we live bait and trolled our way through May with some really nice fish to show for it. The waters almost 80 now and the walleye are moving out to deeper water to beat the heat. We have been on some good fish in the 50 to 60ft zone both jigging, live bait fishing, and trolling Rapalas in natural and vivid colors. Finding what the fish will react to each day is key to being successful on Carters. Right now, we are looking for fish in the backs of creeks and secondary points. Fisher, Worley, and Camp Branch have all been holding good numbers of fish. As we move through the month look the bait to finish up spawning and for it to start a consistent daily migration from the back of the creeks to the main lake. This is a great time to catch feeding fish of all species. The stripers and hybrids will follow the big schools of alewives, and this is the best time to catch them. 6 am to 8am is prime time on Carter’s and you should have baits in the water by then to optimize your chances. Big fresh alewives caught at the lake under the Hydroglow Lights are the bait of choice. You’re going to want to run a variety of baits at a variety of depths to cover the water but they all should have light fluorocarbon leaders and small but strong inline circle hooks. As far as artificials go I’m a fan of the Capt Macks umbrella rigs and Bucktails in chartreuse and white fished 140 to 180ft back after the sun’s up.

Lake Allatoona Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — Lake Allatoona is 1.3 feet over full, 70s. Bass fishing is good and the fish are feeding after the full moon on small recently hatched baits. Use the small shad crank baits but also use the larger Sebile Swimmers for the bigger bite. Small shad top water lures slowly fished around wood in the creeks and around docks can draw a fish. The fluke style baits like the Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow, jerk baits by Lucky Craft and swimbaits with the 4-inch Keitech and a Picasso round ball swim head are working. Galt’s Ferry south to Bartow Carver is a great area to start. It’ going to get better daily/ Try the trick worm in any color in the river and also use a Zoom Creepy Crawler watermelon seed or pumpkinseed. The pumpkinseed Zoom U tail worms on 2-foot Carolina rig on point’s is fair. The Shad Raps in any color in the size #5 on light line can get strikes early and late all over the lake. Move around and hit docks and points. The best action is early and late but early daylight has been best for a better fish. Many fish seem to be feeding later after dark. Pop R’s and Zara Spooks are good top water producers even in the middle of the day.

Lake Allatoona Crappie Report: (This report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits) –

Come on in the waters fine! The weather was pretty decent the 3rd week of May 2024 on beautiful Lake Allatoona and was just right for some good crappie fishing!  The water temperature is mid 70’s and will soon be in the 80-degree range which means you better have some deep water brush piles or structures picked out for the summer pattern. The water level is a little over 2′ over full pool, which means that the crappie are hanging on to some shallow brush and structures for the time being. This will change as the water level returns to full pool and water temp gets in the 80’s. This past week we found crappie suspended at 6′ to 8′ on brush and structure in depths of 14′ to 18′. We were able to catch them using two different techniques: Casting and Spider Rigging.

Casting: Once we find an area with crappie, we are casting a Red Rooster Dagger with a 1/24th oz. Jig Head. We are using the 1/24th oz. Jig Head due to the slower fall rate and steady retrieve depth of around 3′ – 4′. Since the crappie are suspended in the 6′ range, the slow retrieve is working well. Spider Rigging: We had great success spider rigging with minnows. Our spider rig set up is 4 to 6 – 10′ and 12′ rods on the front of the boat. Each rod should be rigged like a “mini–Carolina Rig”, which is: a 12-14” leader, 1/2 oz. egg sinker, bobber stops, bead(s) and a #2-#4 Aberdeen hook and plenty of minnows. Troll in and around the brush piles and wait for the rods to go down. Keep those minnows in the 4′ to 8′ range and you should be able to put some fine Allatoona slabs in the live well. On a side note, we landed a Yellow Perch on the main lake this past week…don’t know how we did it…but seems like everything hits a Red Rooster crappie jig! Let’s take care of our lake and only keep the fish that you can use and put the rest back for our next day on the lake. God Bless and Lord willing the weather will cooperate and we will bring you another report next week!

Lake Lanier Striper Report: (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404-510-1778 via www.southernfishing.com) — Lanier is heating up for the stripers. Water temperature is mid to high 70s and the down lines seem to be working well. Using blue backs over a 50′-80′ bottom put your bait 25 to 40 feet deep. Points and coves right off the river channel are a great place to start. Proper equipment is needed to locate your bait areas. Line counting reels with 20-pound test main line with a 6-to-8-foot fluorocarbon leader, 1 once sinker and #4 hook. Get ready for the trolling umbrella rigs and lead core once the water temperature reaches 80 degrees, +you will need bigger equipment and the fun just begins reeling in a big Striper 250 feet behind the boat. Remember to wear your life jackets. Buck Tales 404-510-1779 Openings available.

Lake Lanier Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 via www.southernfishing.com) — Lake Lanier is .52 feet over full, 70s. Bass fishing on Lanier is good. The lake is currently about a half foot over full, and the water temperature has risen back into the mid-seventies. Overall, the lake is clear. The bass are in the middle of their transition to their summer homes in the twenty-five-to-thirty-five-foot range around structure. The fishing has been somewhat up and down with some really strong bites and then a window of grinding to catch one which is typical of this time of year. The Slick Stick and the Jerkshad continue to be the most consistent baits for the week when worked over deep brush, humps and long points. The true top water bite is just beginning and there has been some activity on the Ima Skimmer in the same areas. The top water activity is scattered and random right now so be prepared for it to happen anywhere anytime. If the activity in the top of the water column slows drop down with the shakey head on the deeper edges of the humps and on the end of the long points. A green pumpkin green Senko has worked good at times this week. Be sure to check the dock bite on the docks in fifteen to twenty feet of water with the shakey head also as the fish are seeking shade this time of year. The bass tend to bite better with when there is wind on Lanier so be sure to use it to your advantage by fishing the areas the wind is blowing on or into. When you hit the right window now it is a lot of fun so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lake Lanier Crappie Report: (This report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton, 770-530-6493 via www.southernfishing.com) — The water temperatures are in the low to mid 70s. Crappie are suspended 10 foot deep under docks. I have been having a lot of success on brush piles in about 15 feet or less water Try bright jig color combinations. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is a Acc crappie stix 1 piece rod and reel with a 4-to-6-pound test K9 line, along with Garmin Live Scope and Power Pole.

Lake Weiss Multi-Species Report: (This report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service 256-996-9035 via www.southernfishing.com) — Weiss Lake is 0 foot 3 inches below full pool and clear 77-80 degrees. Bass fishing is fair, and most have spawned and moving to a summer pattern on the creek and river channel ledges. Some bass are being caught in the grass on spinner baits.  Crappie fishing is fair. Most have spawned and some are still spawning, long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs is catching fish.  Striper fishing is poor and no reports this past week. Catfish are biting well in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water, cut bait is working best.

West Point Lake Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — West Point Like is full, 80 degrees. Bass fishing is fair. With current lake levels fish have spread out a bit. Best bites have come from fishing rip rap early in the mornings for the last remaining shad spawn. Clouds or sun the fish are feeding and almost anything can and will catch fish. All white 3/8-ounce Rooster Tails are a small easy bait to use for any age and this bait will catch fish. Use spinnerbaits and buzz baits with silver blades as close to rocks as possible. Once the sun is over the trees switch to Carolina rigged trick worms on a twenty-four-inch leader. Worm colors do not matter as much, but all colors green have produced the best. The best locations have been on points mid lake from the Hwy 109 Bridge to Wehadkee Creek.

Lake Hartwell Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — Lake Hartwell is .61 feet over full, 70s. Bass fishing is good early and late both up and down lake. The Lunker Lure white buzz bait and a watermelon seed lizard or worm either on a Texas or Carolina rig has been good. The bass are on the main lake points and deep pond dams in the lower lake creeks. Cast a chrome Rat L Trap on points all over the lake and tick to the bottom with the bait. Upriver the Stanley Rattle Back jig and Zoom salt trailer in dark colors on the heavy bank cover can get a strike. Stay close to the river current on points at 5 to 10 feet. Up the river, both buzz baits and buzz baits are fair. Hit the pockets and points in the creeks right off the river. Rapala Shad Raps in the #7 shad/black back and carp colors on 10-pound test line are good.

TROUT REPORT

Stocked Streams Report: (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) — We have four trout hatcheries in Georgia (3 WRD hatcheries, 1 US Fish and Wildlife Service hatchery) and all of them have been stocking heavily the last two weeks around the Memorial Day Holiday.  Do you want to know where they have been stocking?  Did you know that we update our WRD website every Friday afternoon with the latest trout stocking info?  You can also sign up to have these updates sent automatically to you every Friday!  How easy is that?

Toccoa Tailwater Report: (This report courtesy of Matt Morrison from Cohutta Fishing Company) — Summer is here so make sure you have your summer bugs ready. Sulfurs, Light Cahills, and Terrestrials are all on the menu. Definitely think of the bugs falling into the water this time of year. There are Hoppers, Beetles, Ants, and Inch Worms falling into the water. Fishing has been great early morning and late in the afternoons. Dry fly activity has been going strong. Parachute Sulfurs, CDC Comparaduns, and Yellow Stimulators are some of my favorite dry flies for this time of year. For your dry dropper rigs, Chubby Chernobyls work great, but you can be rewarded for changing it up a bit. Foam PMX’s and Donkey Kong Hoppers are great to run on top of a dropper rig as well. As far as nymphs, Frenchies, Pheasant Tails, and Flashback Hare’s Ears have been working well. Pat’s Rubber legs with a Crust Nymph off of the back has been my go-to rig.

Upper Toccoa Report: (This report courtesy of Matt Morrison from Cohutta Fishing Company) — The Upper Toccoa has still been fishing great. Wading opportunities are still slim with the flow staying above 500cfs. But if you keep an eye on the gauge, you may find it creep down to a wadable level between the storms we’ve been having. Temps are definitely starting to creep up on the Upper so keep an eye on that.

Small Streams Report: (This report courtesy of Matt Morrison from Cohutta Fishing Company) — Dry fly fishing on the small streams have been great. Anything yellow has been killer. There are plenty of Sulfurs and Yellow Sallys, so Yellow Stimulators, PMX’s, and Parachute Sulfurs have been working great. Yellow is a very noticeable color, so it is easy for the fish to detect as well. Ants and beetles are on the menu too, so cinnamon and peacock bodied flies work great too. For some of the stocked trout streams stick with a dry dropper rig with a Rubber Legs or a Frenchie and you should find some fish.

North Georgia Trout Fishing Guide: (This report courtesy of Tad Murdoch from Georgia Wild Trout) — Georgia Wild Trout posted a great quick-guide that will help first-timers get started fishing for trout in North Georgia.  There might even be a few nuggets of wisdom in here to help more seasoned anglers as well.  The guide covers stocked streams, wild trout streams, and tailwaters with advice on hatch timing, flies to use, tactics for each type of water, etc.

The Dredger’s Weekly Report: (This report courtesy Jeff “Dredger” Durniak at Unicoi Outfitters) — Unicoi Outfitters puts out a full fishing report every Friday.  Although this week’s report was not yet posted as of this writing, you should be able to find it at Angler Management later today.

Parting Trout Note: 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 Georgia’s trout conservation and management programs. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Reservoir reports below are courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing report and other contributions by WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 70’S

Striped Bass Catch.

Striped Bass catch from Lake Russell (photo courtesy of Wendell Wilson).

Bass: Bass fishing is good and there is a great top water bite even in the middle of the day. A small bone Zara Spook Jr. Pop R shad top water bait will work. The bait fish are migrating to these pockets during the day, and the bass seem to be keying on these areas. Anglers may have to run into several pockets or ditches to locate which ones are holding the baitfish and bass. Once the Lowrance Structure Scan technology locates these areas use a Strike King black or brown jig and the Blade Runner rigged with a Zoom Fluke down the middle of these pockets. Keep a pearl Zoom Super Fluke ready all day. As the water continues to warm use a jerk bait to trigger a reaction strike in these same areas. Use the Zoom Baby Brush Hog to any wood while fishing these areas because the fish will use this cover all day for ambush points.

Striped Bass: (Report courtesy of https://www.anglersheadquarters.com) — Guide Wendell Wilson reports that in May some striper should be found off the sides of the same points where the herring are spawning, but by the end of May when herring move out to deeper water the striper will get over deep trees in 40-50 feet.

Crappie: Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the crappie spawn essentially wrapped up in April, but in May the fish will stay fairly shallow around brush. They can be caught within a few feet of the surface on minnows or even trolling jigs.

Catfish: Guide Jerry Kotal reports that by the end of April the channel catfish bite was really good, and in May it should get even better. Channel cats will be caught pretty much everywhere including points, pockets, coves and more on cut herring.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 70’S

Striped Bass catch.

Celebrating a striped bass catch on Clarks Hill (photo courtesy of Little River Guide Service).

Bass: Bass fishing is fair during the day and head up the rivers for cooler water and the fish are a little more active. The bass are off the river points and stump rows. Flipping a dark Zoom U tail on a Texas rig greens on wood and brush very tight bank and river structure, can draw a strike. Keep a pearl Zoom Super Fluke ready all day. Later in the day, try casting or flipping the river docks and shallow bank with a Zoom motor oil lizard. Main lake docks and sea walls are fair and a buzz bait early and late. Bass cruising in the backs of many pockets. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerk baits and jigs will work but the spinnerbait is a great all-day bait.

Striper and Hybrids: (Report courtesy ofhttps://www.anglersheadquarters.com) — Little River Guide Service reports that early in May there should continue to be a good bite in the shallows early, but once it gets hot then fish will be in mid-depths in the morning. As the water gets hotter fish will move deeper and eventually the pattern will switch over to more of a down-rod bite.

Crappie: (Report courtesy ofhttps://www.anglersheadquarters.com) — Little River Guide Service reports that in May the spawn is behind us but the fish are back feeding again, and about all you need to catch them is minnows and the location of some mid-depth brush in the creeks. For once the post-spawn bite has been better than the pre-spawn bite this year. By the end of May fish may go deeper if the water gets very hot.

Catfish: (Report courtesy ofhttps://www.anglersheadquarters.com) — Captain Chris Simpson reports that in May he likes to anchor on humps, points and saddles and put out live and cut herring. This is a good technique for catching a mixed bag of catfish and striper. You can also start to fish shrimp or dip baits for eating-sized channel catfish. With a cicada hatch this year it could be a really good month for catfish.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70’S

Catfish Catch.

Kids, kayaks and catfish – great time at Oconee!

Kayaking Fun.

Kids, kayaks and catfish – great time at Oconee!

Bass: Bass fishing is good. Small white buzz baits with white skirts in the morning and spinnerbaits in chartreuse and white are working well in the really. Keep a pearl Zoom Super Fluke ready all day. A buzz bait in the shallows up lake early has also been producing. Little Earl crank baits and Rat L Traps are other moving baits to try. Docks and blowdowns fished with Ole Monster worms in June bug and black emerald and a Trick Worm on a shakey head in the same colors are producing. The dark Senko in various colors or a weightless Trick Worm in Methiolate or bubblegum will work shallow. A Carolina rig with a short leader and a Zoom pumpkinseed lizard will be hard to beat.

Catfish: The Athens angler duo of Blake and Brant took their kids and kayaks down to Oconee over the weekend with the goal of catching some Oconee cats on jugs. Fishing out of Old Salem Campground, they used a combination of live bream and cut bait, but all of the blues and flatheads they landed were enticed by the cut bait. Though they lost one big blue right at the boat, the kids were still clearly thrilled to get a few fish back to shore for dinner.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.2 FEET, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. There has been a decent top water bite early in the morning and late in the evening each day. We have not seen many mayflies over the past week, but there should be a good hatch any day now. Good baits to try around are the Spro Bronzeye frogs, square bill crank baits or a Stanley jig. When the morning top water bite is over, move out deep to catch the fish holding on deep structure. Keep a pearl Zoom Super Fluke ready all day. Most of the deeper fish are holding in 7 to 19 feet of water on the offshore humps, ledges, and points. A Spro Little John DD in the cell mate color should catch some of these schooling fish when Georgia Power is moving water. If no water is moving or the fish stop biting the crank bait use the football jig or a Carolina rigged Zoom baby brush hog to pick up a few extra bites.

Striped bass catch.

Lake Sinclair Linesides (photo courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing).

Linesides (courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Dillan reports that the water temperatures on Sinclair are pushing into the upper 70s and touching 80 F this week. He’s still marking the linesides at a variety of depths, but mostly in the 15’ – 30’ range in the creek mouths and main lake points. Fish can still be found shallow in the early morning but pushing deeper into the 25’ – 30’ range as the sun gets up and water temperatures warm. Downlines and flatlines with threadfin shad and gizzard shad are producing the bites. Trolling artificials like the mini Mack or Captain Mack’s u-rig on points is also an effective way to cover more water when the bait are scattered.

LAKE JACKSON IS 0.7 FEET OVER FULL, 70’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair on worms and crank baits. The lake is full, and this will help the bass spend the summer close to or under the deeper dock tight in cover. The lake is clear main lake with a slight stain in the rivers and creeks. Crank baits are fair, and a Rapala #5 Shad Rap is a good all-day bait. Use Sufix 10-pound test Advantage line on a spinning reel. Use a green pumpkin Zoom finesse worm and the Wheedles Wonder lead head jigs for the spot all year is the best bet on the docks. Avoid the weekend traffic and go early and head up the rivers. Same tactics up as down and add the darker jigs and a matching Zoom slat trailer. Fish on the downstream current pockets. Never overlook a jig even for shallow bass on this lake up the rivers. Blacks, blues and greens are good choices and add a Zoom salt trailer in matching colors.

SWEETWATER CREEK STATE PARK

Stockable bluegill.

Walton Fish Hatchery staff stocked 800 catchable bluegill at Sweetwater Creek State Park.

Bream: Walton Hatchery staff recently stocked over 800 catchable bluegill into George H Sparks Reservoir at Sweetwater Creek State Park. While we typically stock bluegill and other bream species at smaller (fingerling) size and in larger quantities, stocking at catchable size is an effective approach to supplementing fisheries for immediate use (translation = these fish are ready for fishing!). Bluegill are a great species for anglers of all backgrounds to target due to their readiness to bite, and they are particularly well-suited for summer fishing as they tend to stay shallow near beds and woody cover all summer long. You can use methods as simple as a bread-baited j-hook on a Zebco 202 to a surface popper on a fly rod.

RIVER REPORT

Ocmulgee River (courtesy of Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson):

  • Bass: Many 2-6lb largemouth have been spotted holding tight to shoreline cover. Multiple schools of larger hybrid striped bass were seen mostly gathering around bends in the river and near structure.
  • Bream: There is a large population of redbreast sunfish in this part of the river with many seen around the banks spawning. Many small-to-medium sized bluegill and redear were spotted, but a few larger bluegill (9-11in) were also present.
  • Bowfin and Gar: Many large bowfin and gar were seen hanging out in eddies and log piles throughout the river.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

MCDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of McDuffie PFA Manager Chalisa Fabillar; More Info HERE)
*   Surface Temperature:  76°F and rising
*   Water Visibility:  23” +
*   Water Level: Most lakes are full
*   McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

Waters are still warming up and bass are becoming more mobile as the days grow longer. In the shaded shorelines of morning, look for largemouth lurking in the cool shallows. In particular, look for bass cruising the bream beds, which have been active recently thanks to the full moon. Bream beds can be found in about 4-5 ft of water and will look like sand bowls. They are great for both bass and bream anglers. For bass fishing near the beds, use swimming lures, spinnerbaits, and creature baits sunk on light weights. Anything that resembles a small fish and/or creature could entice a bite. For the bream, live baits such as crickets and worms are solid and trusted baits. Sink the baits about 2/3 of the way down the water column. Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA’s!

As the summer days wear on and the sun warms the surface waters, the ponds will stratify more strongly, and the bass can be expected to move into cooler, deeper water. While the upper area of Bridge Lake isn’t as deep as the lower area near Bream Buster, there is a constant flow of cool water to attract bass seeking a respite from the summer heat. There is also enough structure to provide habitat for some forage fish. Willow Lake is always a solid choice for bass fishing. There are several brush piles and structures in the deeper waters closest to the dam between Rodbender and Willow. Recent advice from area anglers: “Be creative and be flexible. Bring a few different lures and try each one a few times. If they aren’t producing, move on until you find a winner.”

Crappie Catch at Flat Creek PFA.

Dedicated Angler shows off a crappie that he reports weighed just over 2lb from Flat Creek PFA.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (this week’s intel courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Amory Cook and Deven Thompson; More Info HERE)–

Flat Creek PFA Lake Level is 24in below full pool. The well has been turned on and anglers can enjoy targeting the fish that like to gather near the cool water. Below is a summary of fish activity compiled by technicians Deven Thompson and Amory Cook: 

Bream: The bream bite has been picking up over the last two weeks with many hand-sized or larger bluegill and redear being caught. Most fish are being caught on red wigglers fished with a small bream hook and split shot rig on the bottom or with crickets under a float. Try fishing for bream in and around weed lines and shallow brush.

Crappie: The crappie have moved into their summer holes and are mostly hanging around deeper structures like the standing timber and the aerators feeding on shad. Anglers using live minnows and medium to small jigs in white or translucent have been reporting successful catches. When fishing in the later evening and up until dusk, try using a slow retrieve to keep the jig towards the middle or upper part of the water column.

Catfish: The catfish bite is in full swing with most anglers getting their limit by the end of the day. Best methods have been fishing small chunks of chicken liver on a small circle hook and split shot rig on the bottom or using crickets fished deeper under a float. Night fishing has proved to be the most productive although daytime catches are not rare. 

Bass: The largemouth bite has been notably slow but the opportunity for quality size is not uncommon. Best bet is to use worms or creature baits fished slow on the bottom near brushpiles. Frogs or buzz baits in dark or black colors fished in shallow water at night will also be producing larger fish in the coming weeks. Weightless soft-bodied jerk baits around deeper structure and the aerators have been producing catches for some anglers.

Hybrid bass catch.

Hybrid catch at Marben PFA.

Redear Sunfish.

Redear Sunfish catch at Marben PFA.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of PFA Manager Jamie Dowd, more info HERE:

*   Water Level: All ponds and lakes are full.
*   Water Clarity: Most ponds have 20” visibility.  However, Fox is clearer and has a visibility near 3’.  Heavy rainfall will reduce visibilities.
*   Surface Temp: 72 – 84 degrees.
*   Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass:  The warm temperatures have pushed the bass back out to deeper water—a typical pattern for a warm May like we’ve experienced so far. However, we are still seeing a few bass harvested from 6-10’ water.  The shad spawn is in full swing so take advantage of the first half of May.  Early morning shad schools create a bass feeding frenzy.

Crappie:  The crappie bite has slowed but several anglers have picked up a few fishing from the bank at daylight.  Boaters seem to do well fishing over deep brush piles.  As always, jigs and minnows are the best bait.

Bream:  The bluegill bite is hot right now.  The usual pink worms and wax worms are the ticket. You may pick up a few shellcracker as well.

Hybrid Bass: Look for shad schooling early morning and late afternoon.  Put your bait right in the school and hold on. Hybrid bass pack a punch.

Channel catfish: Catfish should be bedding now. Fox Lake along the rip rap are good targets this time of year. Cut baits like livers and hearts, or nightcrawlers patiently fished along the bottom will produce.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

Fishing is getting really good, and the rivers are becoming more fishable with each dry day. Lots of different fish were caught over the holiday weekend, and this weekend looks to be just as good based on the weather forecast.

River gages on May 30th were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 5.4 feet and falling
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 5.1 feet and rising
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 8.4 feet and falling
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 13.1 feet and falling
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 14.0 feet and falling (still above flood stage)
  • Statenville on the Alapaha – 20.8 feet and rising (still above flood stage)
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 3.0 feet and falling
  • Fargo on the Suwannee – 10.2 feet and falling

New Moon is June 6th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

I didn’t receive any reports from the big muddy, but it was just that when I went over it this week. It’s still high, muddy, and flowing fast, but you can catch some panfish and bass in the lower river backwaters if you want to fish there this weekend. Expect the upper river to be rising for the weekend from a pulse coming from the Piedmont rains early in the week.

SATILLA RIVER

Nope…. it’s still in the floodplain and rolling! There are plenty of other places to fish this weekend.

ST MARYS RIVER

This is a good option this weekend because it’s at a good level for bass and panfish. Expect company – it’s a busy river because you can run any boat you want below Folkston.

LOCAL PONDS

Bluegill fish catch.

Brantley Wester caught this nice bluegill earlier in May from a pond while flinging a stumpknocker Satilla Spin.

Bass catch from Brunswick area pond.

Teddy Elrod caught this 5-lb., 2-oz. bass Thursday evening in a Brunswick area pond with a bluegill-colored crankbait.

Teddy Elrod and I fished a Brunswick area pond on Thursday evening and caught 33 bass up to 5-lb., 2-oz. and jumped off 3 that were even bigger than our biggest. The biggest 5 we landed weighed 21-lbs., 10-oz. Fish were mostly offshore, and crankbaits (bluegill and shad hues) and Keitech Mad Wag Worms (midnight blue color) produced some of the bigger fish. As the sun got low, fish started schooling on shad, and we caught about half of our fish on Keitech Swimbaits (3.8-inch sexy shad and 3-inch chartreuse back pearl) rigged on chartreuse 1/8-oz Flashy Jigheads and 3/16-oz. Zombie Eye Jigheads. Teddy had the magic hand with the Flashy Jighead and sexy shad 3.8-inch combination. Mark, his kids, and their friend Jackson fished a Guyton area pond several trips over the weekend and caught some giant panfish and a bunch of small bass. Tripp caught a 12-inch shellcracker on a worm fished around their beds. Wyatt and Charlie (brothers) fished a pond this week and caught bass up to about 3 pounds and crappie by flinging chartreuse grubs on Roadrunner jigheads. They caught 25 and kept 10 for their aunt. Cooper and Jackson fished a Bacon County pond this week and caught a bunch of bass, crappie and bluegills, and even a flier. Cooper fooled some big bluegills with red wiggler worms, while Jackson flung small beetlespins to catch all species. Black was his best color. They picked some wild blackberries after the trip, so keep an eye out for the tasty berries on your next pond-hopping adventure.  Jimmy Zinker night-fished and had a good trip for smaller fish. He fooled 8 bass up to 3 pounds with Jitterbugs and buzzbaits. He missed one big bite that he said sounded like someone dropped a bowling ball in the water. David Montgomery fished a pond on Saturday and had a blast catching 9 bass up to 5.6 pounds on bream-colored buzzbaits and bladed jigs. Joshua Barber and a friend fished a lake on Friday and caught 7 bass with the biggest pulling the scales down to 7-lb., 3-oz. Speed worms, senkos, and topwater frogs fooled their fish.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The bowfin bite picked up this week. William Waldrop of Tifton took a family member (I believe he told me it was his grandson) to the east side last weekend and caught a BUNCH of bowfin. They were all 4 pounds or less, but they had a blast pulling on them. Their best color Dura-Spin was white-silver blade, and trolling was their best presentation. Charles West fished with me on the east side Friday, and we caught 28 fish (all but one were bowfin). We had an 18-inch pickerel casting a lemon-lime Dura-Spin, but trolling is how we caught most of the other fish. Lemon-lime and crawfish-brass blade were our best colors. We had some big bowfin, with 10-lb., 7-oz. as our biggest, but we also had 7-lb., 12-oz. and 7-lb., 6-oz. bowfin. The big fish were chewing! Buck Johnson caught a dozen nice warmouth early that same morning by pitching plastics on some custom 1/16 and 1/32-oz. jigheads he got me to make him with sickle hooks. He had some nice warmouth up to about 9 inches. A Blackshear angler walking the boat basin was targeting panfish with a yellow sally and caught a 6-inch bass on the little fly. That was a surprise! I didn’t receive any reports about warmouth fishing on the west side this week. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.12 feet. Yellow flies were around this week, but they weren’t out of hand…yet…

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Sheepshead catch from Brunswick GA area.

Rickey O’Berry fooled several sheepshead recently in the Brunswick area by dabbling fiddler crabs around pilings and rocks.

Tarpon have arrived at the St. Marys Jetties. Capt. Cody Baker of Top Hook Charters out of Fernandina (fishtophook.com) caught 7 tarpon at the St. Marys Jetties on Saturday. Four were on the same Tarpon Tamer Hook (that Gamakatsu point holds up – even to tarpon!). Jack Crevalle have been mixed in on the rocks, also. A 34-pounder is the biggest I heard of this week from St Marys. Chris took his son John Ross to the Brunswick area on Thursday afternoon and caught a bunch of whiting fishing shrimp on the bottom. The 20-foot depth range was the most productive for them. They also fished creeks and shell beds with electric shad 4-inch Keitech swimbaits and caught several nice flounder and a few big trout in the 16-to-18-inch range. Gynni fished with her husband and a friend on the St. Simons Pier on Memorial Day and caught 15 flounder up to 14 1/2 inches (had 4 keepers). They could have caught more, but they ran out of mudminnows and finger mullet. A pair of Waycross anglers fished the Brunswick area on Wednesday afternoon and fought the strong sea breeze. They ended up catching two 18-inch trout on artificials. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) had a great day Wednesday in the Brunswick area. His folks caught a bunch of trout on live shrimp under Harper Super Striker Floats. Tommy Sweeney got on a good trout bite at the St Marys Jetties on Friday. They had a “slam” including a really nice flounder that looked to be about 20 inches, along with a matching pair of 18-inch trout and reds. They had some oversized reds, as well. Bouncing live shrimp on a jighead was their approach. 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.

Blog Contributer 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).