While the air may be cool and the mornings crisp, winter fishing in Georgia can be surprisingly rewarding. Bass, crappie, and catfish often school tightly this time of year, making patience and precision key to success. Clear, calm days offer the perfect chance to slow down, enjoy the quiet, and appreciate the peace that comes with having a stretch of water all to yourself.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Are You Following Us? We sure hope so! Be sure to check out our Facebook (Facebook.com/WildlifeResourcesDivisionGADNR) and Instagram (Instagram.com/georgiawildlife) pages, and sign up for the GeorgiaWILD e-newsletter (GeorgiaWildlife.com/GaWild), a great way to stay in the know about protected and endangered wildlife and plants.
• Go Fish Education Center – Improvements: The work on the outdoor aquariums at the Go Fish Education Center have hit a few construction delays due to weather, so the re-opening date is to be determined. But, don’t worry, the rest of the Center and casting pond will remain open on weekends, with education programs continuing during the week. 

This week, we have fishing reports from Southwest, North and Southeast Georgia (Central GA report will be back soon). We hope you find a moment of peace to Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Caroline Cox, Fisheries Biologist, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

The last few weeks have been weird temperature-wise and it seems the fish don’t know what to do with the fluctuating temperatures. Basses are unsure where they want to be so if you are out searching for them you might want to wait until there is a small warming trend to try your luck. Striped Bass seem to also be rarer and difficult to locate this winter, with reports on the lake saying they are deep and far between. More people are having luck with White Bass and Hybrids, especially with small bait. Crappies seem to be enjoying the frequent warmer weather, so bites are still good for them compared to some winters.

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

Bass fishing is fair. First thing in the morning go to the Chatterbaits on the grass. Mid-day go to the creek and river ledges with a deep running crank bait. Bass are feeding on threadfin shad around the ledges, and some sort of structure on the ledge really helps. If they do not take the crankbait, try fishing a big worm or a jig very slowly. There are a lot of small 12-to-14-inch fish out there. Also try any small shad imitating crank baits and be sure to use the smaller sizes. Concentrate on areas about halfway back in the creeks where the creek channel swings in against the bank. Use the Lowrance Down Scan technology to find schools of bait and fish in deep water. Find the fish on the Lowrance DOWN SCAN technology and if you have Fish Reveal use it on the DOWN Scan so the fish appear like on regular Sonar. Use the vertical jig in a 1/2-to-3/4-ounce spoon. Look for shad and fish activity on the surface and pay close attention to the electronics to help pinpoint key areas. The best bet for numbers and quality fish is to throw a crankbait on shallow main lake and creek channel ledges in the 6-to-10-foot range. A Spro Little John MD in the spooky shad color will work where there is a good amount of bait balls. 

LAKE SEMINOLE

According to Ken Sturdivant at southernfishing.com, bass fishing is good. The fish are deep into their winter patterns. Spring Creek and Fish Pond Drain are the two best places to fish right now because of the deep water. The bass are suspended in the standing timber and stumps and are grouped up big time. Now it is critical to use the Lowrance electronics and look for the shad. Find the shad and the bass will most likely be right underneath them. Two good ways for catching bass are on a jigging spoon and drop shot. For the jigging spoon, use a 1/2 Spro Sushi Spoon in Silver and Black. Use at least 20-pound monofilament for this technique like Sunline Supernatural. Find shad or bass on the electronics and then drop the spoon underneath them and jerk it up and down vertically off of the bottom. The bite will come on the fall so be ready to set the hook. Also try the Sushi Spoon and add a split ring on the front along with a number 4 Gamakatsu EWG Treble Hook. Put a number 2 Gamakatsu EWG on the rear and this will ensure a good hook up ratio. If the jigging spoon bite is slow, then use the drop shot. Use a spinning reel with 8-pound test Sunline fluorocarbon, a size 2 Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse Hook and a 5/16 Drop Shot weight. Use the 4-inch Big Bite Baits Squirrel Tail Worm in Tilapia. Just drop in next to the bigger stumps and shake it. 18 to 20 feet has been the key depth.

FLINT RIVER

The river has been low and clear but that has changed with recent rains.  The water is cold and stained.  The catfish bite has been descent in the deeper bends of the river.  Bass fishing should be descent, but you should use lures with more vibration.  Deep spinnerbaits, chatter baits and even jerk baits should be effective.     

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

The Chattahoochee River is rising after the rains with muddy water.  The catfish bite will remain descent but be patient and look to deeper bends. Descent catches of catfish have been recorded.  Good numbers of crappie are also being caught in deeper water on brush piles.    

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Big Lazer PFA Information
• Surface water temperature:   57^o F
• Water visibility:  Visibility is about 33”
• Water level: 6” below full pool
• Big Lazer PFA Fishing Guide

Bass fishing has been slow, but we do still have some reports of decent fish being caught. Fish plastic baits at a slower pace now that water temperatures are cooler. Bluegill, this time of year, will be located in deeper water. Still, live bait (crickets, worms) will be your best bet for bream.

In general, the weather is cold, and the bite has become less consistent.  Anglers have to be more patient and persistent to have a good day fishing.  However, winter weather means less anglers are fishing; thus, less fishing pressure for the dedicated angler.

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Josh Stafford, Fisheries Biologist, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

RESERVOIR REPORT

Carters Lake

Check out this nice spotted bass recently caught on Carters Lake. Want to know more about fishing on this lake? Visit our Fishing Forecasts webpage at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts and find out what to fish for and what time of year and what to use!

Lake Allatoona Bass: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. The crank bait bite has been consistent as well by slow rolling a Spro Little John Baby DD or Bandit 300 in craw colors. The 10-to-12-foot range is the key. The jig bite is a little slow but producing good fish. Fish the Kacy’s Kustom in bluegill fire or the Kustom Kicker Freak in brown and orange. The Allatoona arm will clear up the fast go to the jerk baits. Find the clear waters. The drop shot bite is consistent this whole month. Find the fish on the Lowrance DOWN SCAN technology and if have Fish Reveal use it on the DOWN Scan so the fish appear like on regular Sonar. Use the vertical jig in a 1/2-to-3/4-ounce spoon. If all else fails, pull out a drop shot with a No. 4 Gamakatsu tipped with a 4-inch Big Bite Baits Jeff Kriet Shaking Squirrel and 3/16 ounce weight.

Allatoona Crappie, Shellcracker, and Bluegill (This report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits Red Rooster Custom Baits) —

• Air Temp: High: 75 – Low: 25
• Wind: 5-25 mph
• Lake Level: Approx. 824′ and dropping (Click Here For Current Water Level)
• Water Surface Temp: 43 – 58 (Warming Trend bumped the water temp to 58 in places, cold front dropped it back down to 43 in places!)
• Water Clarity: Stained to Heavy Stained depending on area of the lake
• Area Fished: Blockhouse & Little River
• Jigs Used: Cajun Chicken – Small Fry, Bluegrass – Small Fry, Black & Blue – Small Fry, Jive Turquee – Orange – Kic’n Chic’n, Lemonade – Kic’n Chic’n, Lemonade – Slab Dragon, Black & Blue Flake – Georgia Razor
• Technique: Trolling

Happy New Year fellow crappie anglers! This last week of December was a tale of two weather events and how fast things can change on Lake Allatoona in the winter time. The weekend leading up to this week was a glimpse into what Spring fishing normally looks like. The water temps came up to 56-59 degrees! We were finding crappie in 4’ of water! But then old man winter showed up and ruined the party! The cold and wind kicked up to 25 mph gusts the first part of the week and dropped the water temp back down to 45-47! This really did a number on the crappie. We ventured out on New Year’s Eve and found some crappie but they were “slow and low” as they had moved out to 10’ – 12’ range on points and laying on the bottom. We were able to pick up some slow biters while trolling 1/16th oz. jig heads real slow at .5 mph. We let the jigs bounce on the bottom and sped up to .6 mph to keep them just above the bottom. The morning was a light breeze but the winds kicked up at noon and we were done. Trolling was on fire leading up to the cold front at the beginning of the week! We were able to get on the water 2 days before the cold front and found crappie in warm shallow water from 4′ to 10′! Prior to the cold front the water temp in some areas was up to 58 degrees! The crappie had moved up into the warmer water as if it was Spring! With the lake drawdown it does not take long for the water to warm up in shallow creeks and flats but when things go up they are also quick to come down with a cold snap! The latter part of the week we got on the water on New Year’s Eve and the temps had dropped back down to 43! This greatly affects the crappie as they move back into deeper water when the cold fronts hit. In the warmer water we were trolling a mix of 1/16th oz., 1/24th and even 1/32nd oz. jig heads at speeds of .9 to 1 mph in 4′ to 10′ depths. When the cold front dropped the temps, the crappie moved out to 10′ – 12′ of water and were laying on the bottom. We trolled 1/16th oz. jig heads at .5 to .6 mph to get those jigs down on the bottom and were able to pick up a few but the bite was real slow. The water is stained to heavy stained and we had a lot of success on those bright solid colors with a 1/16th & 1/24th oz GLOW WHITE jig head. It looks like we are in for another warming trend in the week coming up so those crappie should move back into the shallows until the next cold snap. If you are not familiar with long line trolling or have questions, we are here to help! Reach out to Red Rooster if you need some tips on how to get started long line trolling for Lake Allatoona crappie. This time of year we rely heavily on sidescan and downscan. Sidescan will help you find schools of crappie and bait fish and downscan will tell you the depth that the crappie are in. Find the depth of the crappie and you will know what jig head size and speed you need to be trolling. This is where the Red Rooster Long Line Trolling Guide will help you! Our go to colors this time of year are Black/Blue, Black Chartreuse, Lemonade, JuneBug, ‘Lectric Chicken, Sour Grape…etc. Once the lake starts to stain we rely heavily on bright colors and colors with Orange in them such as Tannic Flo Orange, Cajun Chicken, Albright Special, Sasquatch and Copperhead, the bright colors we use are Bubble Gum and Flo Pink Pepper as examples. If you don’t know what colors to choose check out our Combo Packs, this will save you a lot of time with proven stained and clear water colors. Be sure to check out the archives for January 2025 and see what we were doing this time last year.

Lake Hartwell Bass (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. The fish are still holding to lay downs along the bank and most of them are being caught out in the tops of the trees in the heavy branches on jigs. Use a 1/4-to-1/2-ounce jig in brown and green colors with a twin tail or frog trailer. Out on the main lake points, fish are still breaking the surface and on occasion are hitting top water baits. As the lake turns over, bass tend to suspend and Ito 110 jerk baits are excellent. Down Deep Husky Jerk will work too on the deeper channel ledges. Stay on the main lake or in the rivers this week and out of the coves. Find the fish on the Lowrance DOWN SCAN technology and if have Fish Reveal use it on the DOWN Scan so the fish appear like on regular Sonar. Use the vertical jig in a 1/2-to-3/4-ounce spoon. Spinner baits are catching a few bass that are roaming the banks and most of these fish are small spots. Use the six-inch worms, the Rapala #5 RS Shad Raps and trick worms with a very light Texas rig. Fish every point and piece of structure and it may be necessary to fish several baits in one location to trigger a strike.

Lake Lanier Bass (This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 via www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is fair to good. The lake is currently over six and a half feet below full pool and the water temperature is running around fifty degrees. Overall, the lake is clear. With the changing of the water temperature the fishing has changed over the last two weeks. With the cooler water two weeks ago, we were averaging great numbers with good size mixed in but as the water temperature came back up the numbers weren’t as great but what we are catching a very good size bass, so it’s been a tradeoff. Right now, you may not get as many bites but the ones you get are very solid bass. There is still a crank bait bite early in the morning on windy big rock areas with either a DT 10 or a RKCrawler 55. These fish have seemed to be hanging in the two-to-fifteen-foot range so work the bait more parallel to the bank to keep it in the strike zone longer. After the first hour we have been concentrating on the deeper fish, thirty-five to fifty feet deep. There have been four main baits for catching the deeper bass, a two eight Keitech in Electric Shad of Tennessee Shad on a three eights head, a three eights Spot Choker with a two eight Keitech, a half ounce spoon, and a cinnamon pepper jig and trailer. For both the ball head and the Spot Choker look for the ditches and drops in the thirty-five-to-fifty-foot range and make long cast first down the middle then along the edges. Work the bait very slowly keeping contact with the bottom. The strike may be a soft tap or simply a heavy feeling on your line. Don’t use a hard hook set but simply pull slightly and increase your reeling speed. If you locate bass in the structure and get directly over them, drop the spoon. Use your electronics to get the spoon to the right depth as the may be located them at the top of the structure as well as the bottom. It’ fun to watch them take the bait. Dragging the jig slowly through the deeper structure will also produce some solid bass as well working it around the deeper docks. As the water temperature falls the bait and bass are going to be relating to the deeper structure more so be prepared to move from area to area to find the active school. It’s cold but they are biting so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Striped Bass (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778, via www.southernfishing.com) — Lanier stripers are hugging the floor looking for the best water conditions and the large schools of bait. Once you locate the bait using your electronics put your spread out and that will be down lines. Planer boards and flat lines downlines are near the bait on the bottom, weighted flat lines and unweighted 80&100’ behind the boat. The mini Mac has produced some fish pulling 25 to 40 feet behind the boards. Be careful and remember to wear your life jackets. BuckTales 404-510-1778.

Lanier Striped Bass Fly Fishing report (This report courtesy of Jeff Durniak, Angler Management) — Two Unicoi Outfitters (unicoioutfitters.com) boats brought 20 Lanier stripers to the net today, with the biggest pulling the Boga down to 17 pounds. The key was reconning the lake and “birdwatching,” and then tossing a Cowen’s Something else fly to the breaking fish under the gulls.  Most fish hit after the long pause, following several quick strips. Tune into the shop’s Friday fishing reports (blog.angler.management) for more great Lanier intel from UO striper guide Joseph Clark.

Lake Weiss Bass (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. Fish the shaky head and jigs will take fish off the docks. Fish these baits under and around docks, as well as other shady structure during bright skies. Also work and swim jigs on shallow rock. Top water baits can take shallow fish in the early morning and that bite should begin to improve through more of the day. Turn to crank baits quickly in the mornings. Next use the lipless baits may be hard to put down if they produce better results. Fish can also be found in wood, so blow downs and brush should not be overlooked. Worms and jigs will get bit in the wood, but a favorite bait to throw first, is a shallow square billed crank. Again, a Bandit 100 will do. Drop shot rigs will become productive for taking fish toward the middle of pockets or under the boat when bank fishing with other baits. While many fish will be moving to shallow water in the pockets, other groups will be roaming in search of shallow open water bait in the pockets. Use the rig to present Finesse worms and Trick worms to fish passing directly under the sonar and roaming high in the water column.

West Point Lake Bass (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. Now is a good time to hit the lake and learn to use spoons. Several sizes are working up to a one-ounce Flex it and the Nichols spoons on the road beds down lake. The upper end of the lake is “silty” right now so go south to fish. The dam area up to the Maple Creek area is the best fishing spot right now for all fish. All of the fish are bunched up together in 25 to 30 feet of water. There is a mixed bag of fish to be caught vertical jigging on the bottom. Find the fish on the Lowrance DOWN SCAN technology and if have Fish Reveal use it on the DOWN Scan so the fish appear like on regular Sonar. Use the vertical jig in a 1/2-to-3/4-ounce spoon. The large mouth, whites, spots, hybrids and crappie are all bunched together. Fish along the edge of tree lines and flats.

RIVER REPORT

Trout Report: (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters & “Angler Management”) —

Wes’ Hot Fly List: 

1. Dries: parachute blue wing olive, parachute Adams, griffiths gnat, little black stone (or #18 gray elk hair caddis), small tan chubby on dry/dropper rigs.
2. Nymphs & Wets:
   1. DH Stockers: twister egg, pheasant tail or Frenchie, sexy Walts worm, rainbow warrior, zebra midge, root beer midge, Duracell, micro girdle bug.
   2. Mountain streams: zebra midge, soft hackles, prince nymph, hares ear.
3. Streamers:
   1. Black and olive woolly buggers, jig leech, barely legal, UV polar Jig.

Welcome to our new year’s weather rebound. After a few chilly days and cold nights, we’ve now started a warming trend that might peak near 70 degrees by next weekend.  Warmer trout waters should pick up the bite on bluelines and delayed harvest streams, while tailwater temps in the 50’s will keep that action going. Bring some dries along with your nymphs. My Smith DH walk this afternoon verified these predictions. DH streams in GA and NC are low, clear, and warming back up after our midweek chill.  Low flows still have fish bunched up in the pools to avoid predators, and very spooky to any movements over them.  Holiday crowds have been hammering DH streams, but angler numbers should finally drop as vacationers go back to work and school next week. Smith DH was 48F at 2PM during my streamside hike today (2nd).  The parking lot was packed and every good pool had an angler in it. Rookies were striking out, but veteran anglers I spoke with had luck on squirmies, micro eggs, and even tan caddis dries.  Those Christmas stockers should start getting pickier soon, so try small nymphs and soft hackles when your eggs start getting passed over this weekend.  If you’re coming up to DH streams tomorrow, come early or come late to avoid the midday crowds.

Chattahoochee River Tailwater (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters & “Angler Management”) — UO buddy Ryan: “The Chattahoochee tailwater has cleared in the past week and the fish seem to be happy with the warm weather.  I’ve actually seen risers multiple days in a row.  Wading, I’ve stayed consistent catching fish on 6-6.5x tippet while tight lining small hares ear and frenchie variations.  I’ve fished 4 access points the past week and all have produced wild browns.  They seem to be very active, and I’m seeing some quality fish caught by friends floating the deeper water.”

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.

Supporting Trout Fishing: 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 GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/trout. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Joshua Barber, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

I hope you guys will be able to fish the upcoming warm weekend (it’s probably going to be very cold for a while after it). The crappie bite is on fire right now, and people have been catching some giants!

River Gages as of January 1st:

• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 4.5 feet and rising
• Lumber City on the Ocmulgee – 2.0 feet and rising
• Clyo on the Savannah – 4.9 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 1.9 feet and steady
• Waycross on the Satilla – 5.4 feet and steady
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 3.9 feet and rising
• Quitman on the Withlacoochee – 1.8 feet and steady
• Macclenny on the Saint Marys – 2.1 feet and steady
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 2.1 feet and steady

Last Quarter Moon is on January 10^th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

A local angler went fishing this week at Altamaha Park and he caught 15 nice crappie while using jigs. A few anglers went back to the middle river again this week and caught their limits of specks on minnows and jigs.

SATILLA RIVER

Craig James recently fished the river and he caught 8 bass (biggest weighed 5 lbs.), 15 panfish and a big jackfish. He reported that a wacky rig was the ticket for the bass and the panfish were caught on a Colt .45 spinnerbait. Before your next trip to the river, stop by Satilla Feed and Outdoors located at 2270 US-84 in Blackshear. They have a variety of rods, reels, and fishing tackle. For their hours, call 912-449-3001.

SAINT MARYS RIVER

Charles Vaughn fished last Friday and Saturday and caught a total of 19 redbreasts, 2 bluegill, 1 shell cracker and 3 channel catfish.

ALAPAHA RIVER

I got a great report of a local angler who recently fished the river. He caught 70 crappie on live minnows and said that all the fish were caught in deep water.

DODGE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Dodge County PFA Information  
• Dodge County Fishing Guide

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR DUBLIN)

• Hugh Gillis PFA Information
• Hugh Gillis PFA Fishing Guide

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR TIFTON)

• Paradise PFA Info
• Paradise PFA Fishing Guide

Jesse Boles, assistant manager at Paradise, reported that fisherman have been tearing up the crappie this week. He said that three people turned in an angler award sized crappie in the last couple days. An angler caught 10 crappie this week on live minnows. I also got a report that a man fished the bank at Lake Patrick and caught 7 bass up to 5 lbs. on a soft plastic worm.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Ocmulgee PFA Info
• Ocmulgee PFA Fishing Guide

Ken Burke fished for five hours on Tuesday and caught 4 bass up to 5.25 lbs. while using crankbaits and soft plastic worms. Another angler fished the weekend and caught a giant 8 lbs. bass.

LAKES/PONDS

Jimmy Zinker fished at a pond last weekend and landed a 4 and 5 pound bass on a glide bait. He also fished at another pond this morning and caught 15 bass up to 3 1/2 lbs on a glide bait, Bang-O-Lure, and a crankbait. A Waycross area angler fished a pond on Tuesday and caught a few bass on soft plastics.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Captain Bert Deener made a trip to the east side after church on Sunday and caught and released 21 fish (18 bowfin and 3 pickerel) on a fly rod. The biggest bowfin weighed around 4 lbs. and the biggest pickerel measured 20 inches long. Most of the fish were caught on a Capt. Bert’s bladed electric chicken fly, but he also caught some on a prototype fly with a blade. A North Georgia angler fished the east side on Monday and caught 10 bowfin and 4 jackfish. Most of them were caught on crawdad colored Dura-Spins. Captain Bert Deener offers guided fishing trips in the Okefenokee. To book a trip with him, visit his website bertsjigsandthings.com. Recent Swamp level was 120.20 feet.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Captain Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) went trout fishing in the Brunswick area this morning in the foggy conditions. He had to weed through a lot of short trout in the first hour of the trip and then he got on some good ones. He caught his limit of trout with the biggest measuring 20 inches long. Fourseven shrimp and 3.5 inch swimbaits fooled them. An Amelia Island angler fished the Amelia River this week and caught 15 speckled trout while using live shrimp. I also heard of some anglers catching nice messes of sheepshead this week at the Saint Mary’s jetties on fiddler crabs.

Before your next fishing trip, stop by Wings Bait and Tackle located at 440 Memorial Drive in Waycross. They have all the tackle you need for a successful trip! For their hours, call 912-283-9400.

If you have any fishing reports or fish pictures that you would like to be included in this report, email them to me at joshuabfishhunter@gmail.com.