November is one of the most underrated times to fish in Georgia. Cooler water has fish on the move, and the crowds of summer have faded, leaving quiet mornings and calm lakes to enjoy. Bass and crappie are feeding up before winter, trout fishing in North Georgia is steady, and saltwater anglers are finding great action along the coast. Whether you’re taking advantage of the last warm afternoons or soaking in a chilly sunrise, November offers the perfect mix of peaceful weather and productive fishing across the state.

NEWS TO KNOW:

  • Go Fish Education Center – The outdoor aquariums at the Go Fish Education Center will be temporarily closed from October 31, 2025, through January 8, 2026, to allow for exciting improvements. The rest of the Center and casting pond will remain open on weekends, with education programs continuing during the week. We look forward to seeing those refreshed aquariums on January 9, 2026!
  • 2026 Fish Art Contest Now Open – The Fish Art Contest invites K–12 students worldwide to explore fish and fishing through art and writing. Georgia participants can enter the International Fish Art Contest or the Go Fish Georgia Award, focusing on native or introduced Georgia fish species. New this year: students may submit both a 2D and 3D entry. Entries are due February 28, 2026, and top Georgia works will be displayed at the Go Fish Education Center in Perry. Learn more at FishArt.org.
  • Fish a Delayed Harvest Stream: Delayed Harvest trout season begins November 1 on five designated Georgia streams—Chattahoochee River, Toccoa River, Amicalola Creek, Smith Creek, and the Chattooga River. From November 1 to May 14, these waters are catch-and-release only with single-hook, artificial lures, and are stocked monthly by WRD and partners to provide anglers with outstanding trout fishing opportunities.

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast and North Georgia, Central and Southwest will be back next week. November may be chilly, but that shouldn’t slow you down—so Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

Hunting and football took priority for most folks this week, but those of us who went fishing did well. Winter fisheries for seatrout, largemouth bass, striped bass, warmouth, and redfish are firing off.

River gages on November 13th were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 3.8 feet and rising
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 2.8 feet and rising
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 4.8 feet and falling
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 4.6 feet and falling
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 3.5 feet and falling
  • Statenville on the Alapaha – 1.6 feet and steady
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 2.0 feet and steady
  • Fargo on the Suwannee – 1.5 feet and steady

New Moon is November 20th.  To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS

A couple of different Waycross anglers fished the lower river on Saturday and caught bass. They were the average 1 1/2 to 2-pounders. The best lures were Texas-rigged stick worms and curly-tail worms. Not surprisingly, junebug was one of the best colors.

SAVANNAH RIVER

Tyler Finch has been killing the panfish on the lower Savannah River now that it has cooled down. Last week he fooled 257 panfish (mostly bluegills) by pitching a 3/16-oz. white Perch Hounder spinnerbait. He slows it down and tips it with a cricket when the water is cold. On Sunday he caught 43 bluegills on the same presentation. One of those bluegills was right at a pound. He and a friend slammed them  again Tuesday – catching 83 fish (bluegill and a couple bass). He and his mother returned Wednesday to a slower bite. They only fished 2 hours and caught 14 bluegill on the same Perch Hounder/cricket combo.

SATILLA RIVER

Blake Edwards fished the lower river during the windiest day so far this fall and did well. He fished about 3 hours in the middle of the day Monday and caught 3 bowfin up to about 8 pounds on crawfish-brass Dura-Spins and a couple of warmouth on black plastic worms

ST. MARYS RIVER

Blake Edwards caught this giant warmouth on the middle St. Marys River Tuesday by fishing a 1/16-oz. Mirage Jig tipped with a minnow.

Curtis Hazel and Chad McCrory tried the middle river on Sunday. They flung Satilla Spins and caught a redbreast and a big bluegill. In the cold and blustery wind, Blake Edwards fished with me on Tuesday. We fished the middle river and used 1/16-oz. Mirage Jigs tipped with minnows to catch and release 15 fish total. A handful were nice warmouth up to 9 inches. Another handful were crappie (Blake had 2 of them right at a pound apiece), and the last handful were channel catfish and bowfin. We worked for them during our 4-hour trip, but caught fish at every place we tried. That little Mirage Jig is deadly in winter! We’re just starting in to the time when it shines….

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Andy Keel fished the west side for a couple of days a week ago, and he caught lots of bowfin on Dura-Spins. The first day he fooled them mostly with an all-white version and landed 15 bowfin, 4 warmouth, and a pickerel. The second day he had 30 bowfin and a pickerel and caught them with several colors of Dura-Spins.

The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 120.25 feet.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR DUBLIN)

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR EASTMAN)

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR HAWKINSVILLE)

Ken Burke fished the area on Thursday for 4 1/2 hours. He caught and released 4 bass that weighed just under 16 1/2 pounds. His big fish was 6.6 pounds, and he had another right at 6 pounds. Crankbaits worked around bait schools is how he caught them. The water temperature was 65 degrees in the middle of the day.

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR TIFTON)

LOCAL PONDS

Chad Lee, Daniel Johnson, and Regan fished an Alma-area pond on Friday and had several bass on wacky-rigged stick worms. Their biggest was about 4 pounds. Joshua Barber fished a Waycross area pond on Saturday and caught 9 bass up to 2 1/2 pounds. He used plastic worms both Texas-rigged and on shaky heads. I heard from several anglers who did well for crappie over the weekend. That bite should be great this weekend during the forecasted warm afternoons.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

David caught this gorgeous multi-spot, oversized redfish this week while fishing in the Brunswick area with Capt. Tim Cutting.

Capt. Brannan Hood caught this nice striper on light tackle in the Ogeechee River this week. He fooled it with a swimbait rigged on a Zombie Eye Jighead.

Capt. Cason Kinstle put his folks on lots of striped bass this week on the lower Ogeechee River. Plastic swimbaits on Zombie Eye Jigheads (1/8 and 1/4-oz. both worked based on how hard the current was running) fooled them. They had one spot where they caught linesides about every cast for 20 minutes! That will make your arms sore! Duane Harris and a friend fished the Brunswick area on Sunday. They ended up catching 7 trout (kept 2) on live shrimp. Capt. Chris Ruff (rccaga.com) did really well for trout this weekend with live shrimp under floats (he said that the smaller shrimp worked better than the large ones). They fooled them around docks and rubble. A few redfish and black drum were mixed in their catch, as well. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) fished Monday through Thursday and had some great catches. They had 20-30 fish per day, and most were the usual trout, redfish, and black drum. Of those, they had around a half-dozen over-slot reds per day. They caught them on live shrimp under Harper Super Striker Floats, Redfish Wrecker Jigheads, and Fourseven plastics on jigheads. After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the Waycross Fisheries Office at 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Division collects most inshore saltwater species so that they can determine age and growth for each species. All the supplies and information cards are in the freezer. Filet your fish then drop off the carcasses in the freezer. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is open Friday through Tuesday each week (closed Wednesday and Thursday). They have plenty of lively shrimp and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. For the latest information and their hours, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Blog Contributor 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).

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

The Southwest Georgia report will be back next week with fresh fishing info. Until then, check out the Fishing Forecasts reports for major reservoirs and rivers to get great intel to make your day on the water successful! GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Jim Hakala, Fisheries Region Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 6 FEET, 60’S.  Bass fishing is good. Currently the lake is experiencing turnover, which is widespread over most of the lake. Concentrate on the creeks from about half way back to three quarters of the way back. Creeks are usually the last to turnover. Concentrate on any available wood cover from 2 feet deep to brush piles in 40 feet of water. Fish the shallow exposed wood with Mini Me’s and Flashminnow 110 jerk baits. Fish the deeper brush with drop shot tipped with a Flat Tail or Kuttail drop shot worm in blue pearl color. Rig a Gamakatsu Split Shot hook with a 3/16 ounce drop shot weight and be sure to have some 8- pound test Sufix Advanced line to detect the subtle bites in deeper waters. For the next few months get used to hearing about the drop shot rig, as it will become very effective in the months to come. Lots of shad suspended on the graph, but not a lot of fish chasing them, so the deepwater bite is sporadic, especially if there isn’t structure nearby. Anglers can usually pick up a fish or two by fishing the suspended schools of bait, but it will be a long wait unless you find the right spot.

Allatoona Weekly Crappie, Shellcracker & Bluegill Fishing Report (courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits, www.redroosterbaits.com):

  • Current Water Level can be found at https://allatoona.uslakes.info/Level.asp
  • Air Temp: High: 75 – Low: 39
  • Wind: 5-15 mph
  • Water Surface Temp: 55 – 58
  • Water Clarity: Clear Green to Stained depending on area of the lake
  • Area Fished: Kellogg Creek, Victoria Area & S-Turns & Little River
  • Jigs Used: UV Shad – Dagger, Watermelon Ghost – Dagger, and Gray Ghost – Dagger
  • Technique: Casting & Trolling

What a difference a week makes! Old man winter decided to pay us a visit at the beginning of the week in a big way! I hope this is not a sign of things to come. The temperature dropped from 77 to 37 in two days…wow! The wind was howling for the better part of the week with gusts up to 25 mph. Not a great time to be on the water. Also, add the fact that the infamous 40 day government shutdown closed many of our boat ramps. If you were not keeping up with the ramp closures you found yourself pulling up to locked gates trying to figure out which ramp was open. Hopefully the shutdown will soon be resolved and the ramps will open back up.

Crappie: We did manage to get out on the water a day before the weather went south and managed to find some crappie at the north end of the lake. We tried our hand at trolling for a couple of hours and just couldn’t find any schools of crappie so we went looking around with our electronics to see if we could find any. We did manage to find some schools hanging along the creek channel. Some schools were holding tight to the ledge break and some were roaming the flats close to the creeks. We managed to entice a few by throwing to them with a Red Rooster Dagger in the UV Shad, Gray Ghost and Watermelon Ghost colors. The middle part of the week the water temperature was only 55-56 degrees which was a 6 degree drop from before the cold snap. When the temps drop rapidly it tends to shut the bite down for a couple of days until the crappie recover. Crappie are generally not affected by gradual temperature drops but quick drops knock ’em in the head. We are seeing a lot of schooling crappie on flats in and around creek/river channels, but they are not in the mood to bite. The crappie schools were suspended 12′ – 15′ deep in depths of 18′ – 28′. When trolling, and you see schools at these depth’s you will want to pull 1/16th oz. and 3/32nd oz. jig heads at speeds between .7 – .9 mph to get your jigs in the strike zone. Our good buddy Jeff “Crappieman” Albright was on the lake mid-week and was seeing schools but the bite was very slow. They managed a couple of crappie and spotted bass trolling 1/16th oz. jig heads and Red Rooster custom 1/16th oz. underspins.

Bluegill: Nothing new to report this week with the cold front moving in. When the weather and temps stabilize we expect bluegill can be found in the normal locations. Keep looking for bluegill hanging around shallow docks and shallow brush, stumps and laydowns. They will be feeding up for winter and should be pretty aggressive. The tried and true method is to use a #4 – #6 gold Aberdeen hook with 4 – 6 lb. test fishing line and a bobber set about 8″ – 12″ above your cricket or worm. Aggressive bluegill have been hitting crappie jigs on a 1/32nd oz or smaller jig head as well.

Shellcracker (Redear sunfish): Nothing new to report this week with the cold front moving in. Shellcracker will be few and far between during the winter. We will start targeting shellcracker again early spring (March time frame). The tried and true rig for shellcracker is a #2 hook on 4 – 6 lb. test fishing line and a #5 clam shell split shot pinched on the line about 12″ – 18″ above the hook. The red wiggler or night crawler is still the number one way to pick up shellcracker.Lord willing we will continue to have good reports as we move through fall and into winter!

Find existing DNR fish attractors at Lake Allatoona at https://gadnrwrd.maps.arcgis.com

LAKE HARTWELL

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): Bass fishing is good. The cold weather has definitely had an effect on surface temperatures. As the water gets cooler, the shad become more active. Large single shad can be seen tight against the banks in the coves. Try using shallow running Rapala #5 Shad Raps when fishing in tight to the bank. I am catching a few bass in real shallow water too, but the bigger quality Bass are coming from five feet of water or deeper. Keep using those number five Rapala RS Shad Raps on the wind-blown points and rocky banks. Follow the wind and find the fish. Make long casts and use a slow, but steady retrieve. If they won’t bite, try the Storm Stick 18 Sexy Shad. Slow cranking a number 10 Husky Jerk or a Down Deep Husky will also work. Try to find areas where either a channel or ditch runs close to the points or banks. The bass are using these deepwater channels as highways to get to their feeding grounds. Use your electronics and C Map or Navionics to mark the sharp drop offs.

Lake Hartwell Mixed Bag (This report is courtesy of the guides mentioned below)

Black Bass: Guide Lane Clark (864-254-8614) reports that in November fish should be eating bait in the creeks, but while they are unlikely to be feeding on the surface as much as last month they will often still take a bait fished higher in the water column like a swimbait or jerkbait. Drop shots and shaky heads fished around brush will also work for spotted bass. The turnover slowed the fishing at the end of October but soon things should pick up again.

Striper and hybrids: Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that in November anglers typically look for fish to set up off the end of long tapering points where they can hold on the bottom in 35-40 feet of water. Points that are too shallow, or drop off too sharply, will not hold as many fish. Fish should be about half-way back in the creeks and a similar distance up the rivers, and typically they will relate to the bottom. Finding bait is absolutely key. This pattern should hold through December when fish will eventually head deeper.

Crappie: Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that in November fish will still be found over brush and deeper docks, as well as suspended over timber. Both minnows and jigs will work. After a strong late October they expect at the very least a good start to this month.

Catfish: Captain Bill Plumley reports that in November bigger blue catfish will come shallower and move out of the timber. They can be caught with cut bait in the creek runs. This is also a good month for flatheads on live bait as well as channel catfish unless temperatures really drop.

LAKE LANIER 

Bass (courtesy of Phil Johnson (pjohnson15@hotmail.com or 770-366-8845); report via www.southernfishing.com): 

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 5.3 FEET, 60’S

Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is currently a little over five feet below full pool and the water temperature is running in the mid-sixties. Overall, the main lake is clear with some staining in the backs of the creeks. It seems we have jumped over the top water bite right into the later fall bite. There is still a little top water action but it has become more difficult to target and other techniques are producing more bass. We have been working several different patterns as the bass are scattered throughout the water column. The crankbait bite has picked up using a Spro 55 RKCrawler on the rocky banks and points especially with the wind. Cast this bait all the way to the bank and work it through the rocks to draw the strikes. On the windy days a white or white and lavender spinnerbait with silver willow leaf blades has worked well on windblown rocks with the areas with larger rocks producing the better fish. The shakey head bite has really improved and producing the most fish but they tend to be the smaller bass. A green pumpkin trick worm worked on the secondary rocky points and boat docks in fifteen feet or less has been a steady producer, On the docks be sure to work all the way back under the walkways as the bass are scattered at all depths. The shad are grouping up in balls now and the bass are following them. One key areas to look for the shad is in the feeder creeks and ditches, Once you locate a ball look for bass to be on the outside edges and target them with a three-eight ounce Pro Model Spot Choker with a Colorado blade and a three three paddle tail Keitech, FFS is critical for this bite as you need to keep the bait at the same depth as the bass. Make your cast past the bass and let the bait fall to the right depth for your retrieve. Once they react, speed up your retrieve to trigger the strike. It may take some moving around to find the shad but there are some really nice bass staging with them. With the lake down it is a great to ride the lake and learn more about the shoreline. Lots of rocks, roadbeds and structure are visible now that will pay off with fish when the water level rising again. I hate to use the word junk fishing but right now the bass are scattered throughout the water column and numerous techniques will catch them so don’t get hung up on just one bait. Try different areas and different baits to see what they want. There are some great Spots being caught right now so Go Catch ‘Em!

Jack Becker caught a nice striper on Lanier.

Lanier Stripers (courtesy of Jack Becker, aka Ga. Waterdog, Aquadog45@gmail.com): Cooler water temperatures and light wind on the Chattahoochee River arm of Lake Lanier one afternoon looking for schools of surface, feeding stripers & spotted bass. I launched at Lake Lanier Olympic Park and made my way up river towards Don Carter State Park. I heard reports recently of top water activity in that area. I was surprised they would be that far up river this time of year.  I was less then a mile from the boat ramp when I saw the first top water action close to a hazard marker.  There were so many fish, I actually thought it was waves breaking over the rocks. To my surprise, it was a huge school of stripers more than I have seen in several years. I was able to turn the motor off well short of the surface, feeding activity. I threw a Cast OG, top water plug, and had a “fish on” as soon as it hit the water. It’s very important to stay away from surfacing fish and make long cast to be successful. I use a size 40 spinning reel spool with 30-pound braid, no leader for topwater lures. The braided line floats and with no stretch, I get a solid hook set at long distances. Good luck out there and if you have any questions, please email me. Jack Becker Gainesville a.k.a. Georgia Water Dog. Aquadog45@gmail.com

Lanier Stripers Too (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778): Lake Lanier stripers are on the way north up the rivers. They are schooling and can be caught on top water using a variety of lures, Whopper Plopper, Zara Spooks and any of your favorite toys. The key is to be ready at anytime because they won’t stay up long. The down lines are strong using blue backs in water 50 feet of water or less and experiment with different depths. Flat lines will increase your chances using both gizzard shad and blue backs.  Run baits 80 to 100 feet behind the boat at .5 to 1 mph with trolling motor. Water temperatures in the low 60’s so wear your life jacket.

Find DNR fish attractors at Lake Lanier at  https://gadnrwrd.maps.arcgis.com.

WEISS LAKE  

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): Bass fishing is fair. The spotted bass are biting crank baits. Work Zoom U-tail worms and jigs around the trees and docks. Look down lake in the creeks and use a Texas rigged Culprit black shad worm (add the Real Craw scent). These larger worms in dark colors are worth several casts to the same area to make a big fish see the lure. Look for shad! Shad can be a good indicator of where to find bass. Try using baits that imitate shad like, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, or Culprit minnows on an Alabama rig. Work the backs of docks, as well as bank cover and sea walls. Conditions are fair up the river and a few small bass are taking a Senko on a drop shot rig. Make sure the baits are green. Several crank baits are working, so use Rapala Shad Raps and Fat Free Shad crank baits down lake.

WEST POINT LAKE

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 10 FEET, 60’S.  Bass fishing is fair. With the ever-changing weather the fishing has been sporadic this week. The bass are holding on main lake points in the lake due to the consistent water generation. A mixture of white bass, spots, and hybrid bass are schooling below the Hwy 109 Bridge on the west bank in 6 to 8 feet of water. Fish the mouths of the coves using a Rat-L-Trap or Roostertail, and have a Bandit ready all day in crawfish. Drop shot rigs will become productive for taking fish toward the middle of pockets or under the boat. Fish will be moving to shallow water in the pockets. Some other groups will be roaming in search of shallow open water bait in the pockets. Try the top water mid-day and watch the water temperatures.  Finding just a degree or two change can make all difference. Use a white buzz bait on the lead in banks to the coves for largemouth and spots.

Use caution when boating at West Point.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District has drawdown West Point Lake to support scheduled maintenance on the concrete pier between dam spillway gates 5 and 6. Maintenance and repair work is scheduled to occur from October 1, 2025, through January 15, 2026. Once repairs are complete the lake level will gradually return to normal, as conditions allow. For more information, contact the West Point Project Manager’s Office at 706 645 2937.

Find DNR fish attractors at West Point at  https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories.

SMALL LAKE OPPORTUNITIES

State Park Lakes: Want to enjoy some fall fishing potentially close to home?  If so, Georgia State Parks has got you covered. Small lakes can offer great fall fishing opportunities close to home.  Here are a few north Georgia State Parks with small lakes you may consider fishing this weekend.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PFA

TROUT REPORT

Delayed Harvest Report (courtesy of GA DNR fisheries biologist Chris French): The delayed harvest season for trout kicked off on November 1st with several streams being stocked with Rainbow and Brown Trout. Portions of Amicalola Creek in Dawson County, Smith Creek in White County, Toccoa River in Fannin County, and the Morgan Falls Tailwater in Fulton and Cobb Counties were recently stocked with several thousand trout. These delayed harvest areas are catch and release, using single hook artificial lures only until May 14th, 2026. Fish will be periodically stocked in these streams throughout the delayed harvest season. More information can be found at https://georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

Trout and More (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters at https://www.unicoioutfitters.com):  Check out Unicoi Outfitter’s regular “Angler Management” fishing reports here to get the complete story and more!

Small Trout Streams (This report courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Company at  https://cohuttafishingco.com): Small streams are still running a bit low and clear even after some of the rain we’ve gotten. Nevertheless, that hasn’t kept the fish from feeding. Being stealthy, downsizing your tippet, and making sure you have a good presentation is key. These creeks are already running plenty cold. With nightly temps getting down in the 30’s some nights, expect fishing to be better once the sun gets on the water. We’ve been seeing plenty of caddis around midday through the afternoon. Dry droppers are still the best bet right now as the fish are looking up a lot. Some spawning activity is also beginning to start so keep some eggs on you. Eggs and stoneflies have been working well early in the mornings, but as the bugs start to hatch, put them away. Fish have been a lot buggier in the afternoons eating Caddis, BWO’s and Midges. Watch your step this time of year. Fish will start spawning and making redds in shallow, “riffly” water. Stay clear of these so that you don’t step on and crush the eggs. If you see fish on them leave them alone and let them do their thing.

Hot Flies: 

  • Pat’s Rubberlegs
  • Globug
  • EZ Egg
  • Squirmy Worm
  • San Juan Worm
  • Holy Grail sz14-16
  • Bird’s Nest sz14-16
  • Walt’s Worm sz14-16
  • Flashback Hare’s Ear sz16-18
  • Flashback Phesantail sz16-18
  • Rainbow Warrior sz14-18
  • Elk Hair Caddis Tan sz16-18
  • Elk Hair Caddis Olive sz14-16
  • Elk Hair Caddis Cream sz14-16
  • Elk Hair Caddis Orange 12-16
  • Foam Run October Caddis sz12
  • Cornfed Caddis Olive sz14-16
  • Cornfed Caddis Peacock sz14-16

Where to Go for Trout Info: To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

More Trout Intel (This report courtesy of Georgia Wild Trout at https://www.georgiawildtrout.com):  Low water and spooky trout have been the story of fall. The bite on the wild waters has been outstanding following the brief rains that have passed. The dry fly bite has been up and down with only a few smaller caddis, BWOs, and midges present, but there is still hope for a few warmer days in the upcoming future carrying the bite to the end of the month. Some better news is, the larger trout waters have been fishing well, both public and private. The stocked fish and migratory wild fish are feeding up as they try to make there way to there normal spawning waters. If we do see some heavier rains look for bigger fish to move up the creeks in what I call the Georgia “salmon run”. I’ve seen both browns and big rainbows, like the one above, getting flirty with each other and moving upstream. Approach slowly from downstream and keep your eyes peeled. Once you spook these monsters it’s all over. The brown trout are still on the move, both coming and going from the areas they plan to spawn in. If you can find a fish or two staging, you can bet they will be hungry.

Toccoa Tailwater (This report courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Company at  https://cohuttafishingco.com):  Blue Ridge Dam is currently under maintenance. They are sluicing 600cfs with water temps coming out of the dam at 64 degrees. Wading at the accesses is very limited at this flow with the water level 1-2ft higher than normal. Float fishing on the other hand has been great. Keep an eye on the average outflow on the TVA generation schedule for a change in flows and expect changes in the flow when there is rain in the forecast. These sluice flows have always been a favorite of ours for float trips. The extra water coming down really turns the fish on. Earlier this week, flows were running at 350cfs. This is a flow great for wading and floating. At this flow, the afternoon hatches were great. BWO’s have been starting first, followed by Olive Caddis, Grey Caddis, and October Caddis. Dry droppers and dry flies fished great at this flow. On 11/03, flows were bumped up to 600cfs. Expect to fish bobber rigs and streamers at this flow. Really take your time to work thoroughly on the higher flow and adjust your depth and weight frequently to make sure you’re getting in the zone. The hatches haven’t been as thick on the higher flows but keep that dry fly rig handy in the boat. All of these flows can be good for streamers as well. Lots of the browns have been feeling chasey and getting in the prespawn mode. Even the 350cfs flow gives fish plenty of water to sneak into cover on the bank. The extra water really has been getting the big fish feeding. Fishing has really been firing up out here and it’s looking like these sluice flows will be around until Nov. 25th so get out there while you can! Give us a call to book your float during one of the prettiest times of year on the river.

Upper Toccoa River (This report courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Company at  https://cohuttafishingco.com): DH season is here! The Upper Toccoa is currently running at 200cfs. This can be a low flow for floating but a great flow for wading! Always check the flow on the USGS website to stay up to date with the flow after some rain. Anything over 500cfs is too high towade safely. Stockings started on Nov. 1st so these fish are pretty fresh. Throwing junk flies like Eggs, Worms, Rubberlegs, or anything flashy is always a safe bet to catch fish. Dry dropper rigs are my go to up here at these low flows. A lot of these fish will come up for a Chubby. Swinging Wooly Buggers or Sparkle Minnows is also a fun change of pace up there as well. This should be your best wade fishing option while the sluice flows are high on the tailwater

Georgia Trout Slam:  If you have the skill to successfully catch all three species of trout (brook, brown, rainbow) in Georgia within a calendar year, consider giving the Georgia Trout Slam a try before 2025 runs out!  All successful submissions will receive the coveted Georgia Trout Slam Sticker and be entered into a drawing for an annual grand prize.  Program details can be found here.  Slammer-intel: Brown trout have been stocked in the Morgan Falls (Chattahoochee River) and Smith Creek, Delayed Harvest Areas, as well as Lake Burton.

Trout Fishing Opportunities for Those With Disabilities: These sites are open to the public and offer specific amenities for anglers with disabilities.

Parting Trout Note: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia?  Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. See more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenseplates.  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 which can be found at https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing/trout. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

MISCELLANEOUS

How Healthy is My Fish?  With each fish at the end of their line, avid anglers often ask themselves a simple question: How healthy is this fish? One way that fisheries biologists answer that question is by looking at the relative weight of a fish.  Most fish have a relative weight between 90 and 100. A value below 80 means the fish is very thin, while anything over 100 means its relative weight is above average. Be in the “know” by checking out this handy relative weight calculator for ten common Georgia sportfish at georgiawildlife.com/how-healthy-my-fish.

Aquatic Nuisance Species Are No Joke!  Remember, moving live fish, aquatic plants, or mussels from one body of water to another can cause irreversible damage to the existing ecological balance of Georgia lakes, rivers, and streams. Releasing unwanted aquarium species or other non-native species into a water body can have severe negative impacts on Georgia’s native fish and fauna.  Learn more about aquatic nuisance species, how to stop their spread, and ways to report them if you observe them at https://georgiawildlife.com/ans.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

The Central Georgia report will be back next week with fresh fishing info. Until then, check out the Fishing Forecasts reports for major reservoirs and rivers to get great intel to make your day on the water successful! GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts