June 13, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

How many of you have a core memory of going fishing with your dad? Was he the first one that taught you how to bait a hook, or to set your line? Did he constantly ask you if you saw that bobber move? Then you have some special memories that will last a lifetime. It’s time to pass that on to your kids and make memories of your own! Celebrate Father’s Day by doing something you love, fishing, and help foster a love for the outdoors in your kids as you help create the next generation of anglers.

NEWS TO KNOW

This week, we have fishing reports from Southwest, North, Central and Southeast Georgia. Let’s pack some snacks, the poles and the tackle box and get the kids so we can Go Fish Georgia!

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

LAKE SEMINOLE 

This Sunday is Father’s Day, give the gift of a great day of fishing on Lake Seminole! According to Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com, bass fishing is fair. Anglers should head up the river and use the dark Culprit green shad worms on a light Texas rig and have the Zoom pearl Super Fluke rigged as well. The fish need to see the same bait several times, especially at midday. Work the baits off the river bends. Strikes will usually be tight to the structure in the middle of the day. It’s hard to beat a large spinner bait or Zara Spook on and over the mid lake humps close to current. Fish these baits as close to the any structure as possible and add a Mann s Rat in all black or green frog to the tackle. Swimming a 3.5-inch Bite Baits Top Toad in green pumpkin pearl over the tops of matted grass has been working well when fish are in a chasing mood. This works when the fish are chasing minnows, bream and shad up in the grass. When this type of action is present, use the swimming technique with the top toad. Use 20-pound test Sunline Super Fluorocarbon and rig the frog on a 5/0 Mustad EWG hook. Color depends on how bright the sky is. On bright, sunny days use a natural green, green tree, or toad. On dark, cloudy days use a darker color such as natural red or rain forest black. Look for holes in the grass and work the frog over the holes with a fast steady retrieve. When the fish are not active, just slow down.

In celebration of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Birthday and Juneteenth, USACE will waive day-use fees at over 2,600 recreation areas on June 16 and June 19! This includes fees for boat ramps and swimming beaches at Corps-operated parks nationwide. Before visiting, check for local updates or closures at corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/status.cfm. 

LAKE BLACKSHEAR 

Fishing on Lake Blackshear is hot right now, both temperature and bites! All species are biting from bream to catfish to crappie. The water was a little clearer this week, though it may get muddy again as it has continued to rain further north. Locally, we have had stronger winds from passing storms making it quite wavy if you are out on the water. Please remember to be careful and mindful with all these pop-up thunderstorms, and double-check if you have a life jacket in your boat.  

LAKE WALTER F GEORGE 

According to Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com. Bass fishing is fair. The shallow bite is getting better by the day. Find pads and grass and have a frog ready. Blade baits are also getting attention. Texas rigged soft plastics are working along the edges. Senko and trick worms in red shad and black and blue plus watermelon candy are good colors to work. The deeper bass are scattered near natural and manmade structure. Use lipped crankbaits geared for the depth they show up on the electronics. Shad colors and sexy shad have been good, and the blue backed crystal glow finish is good on a sunny day. Jigs with creature bait trailers in pearl or white with the tails dipped in J.J.’s Magic chartreuse scented dip are doing well. Throw a lipless crank where the shad are rippling on the surface. Use a bait with a threadfin dot on the sides. Anglers will find plenty of big fish shallow. Many target summer bass by finding offshore schools. Spend time behind the wheel riding around with your electronics to find schools of bass. These schools vary from five to six fish all the way to 100 fish schools. The bait of choice is an IMA Pinjack and a Deps Korrigan 450 Magnum for 8- to 12-foot-deep schools. For deeper schools use a 10XD, a 5/8 ounce hand tied hair jig and a 1/2-to-3/4-ounce football jig with a Big Bite Baits Ramtail trailer. 

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

Bass can be found in the upper 3 to 4 feet of the water column.  Due to the incoming hot temperatures, bass fishing will be at its best early in the morning and late in the day just before sundown. Warm summer temperatures have caused crappie to move into deeper water as well as spread out over most of the lake making them somewhat difficult to locate. Fishing deep water around standing timber with live minnows is your best bet. Bream fishing has been good.  They are actively spawning and will aggressively guard their beds, which improves your chances at catching several for the table.

SILVER LAKE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

Silver Lake: Largemouth Bass continue to school near the surface during the evening hours. Casting a topwater plug or small swimbait has been especially effective. Anglers are also finding success fishing shallow vegetation with topwater frogs and bladed jigs.

House Pond: Hybrid Striped Bass has been providing consistent action in House Pond. Keeper-sized bream have also been caught in the cooler morning hours. Try fishing with worms or live minnows suspended under a cork for the most bites. Anglers also report good results using Satilla Spins and small crankbaits.

Panic Pond: Although fishing has been slower overall, quality catches are still being reported. Dragging a Texas-rigged worm has produced bass up to 5 pounds. Topwater baits are also worth trying during early morning and late evening hours.

Frog Pond: Frog Pond has delivered reliable catfish action throughout the day. Channel Catfish are active, with reports of fish up to 12 pounds. Chicken liver fished under a cork or on the bottom has been the most effective method.

FLINT AND CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVERS

Water levels are very high this week and it may not be the best time to get on the water to fish. Waters are muddy and visibility is low. If you are going to try and fish be sure to wear a life jacket for safety and adjust your lure color to darker redder colors to match the environment.

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

RESERVOIR REPORT 

LAKE ALLATOONA IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Allatoona Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) — The Lake Allatoona Bass report is by Matt Driver. Bass fishing is good. To me, it seems like the water temperature is a little slow to warm compared to most years in the past likely due to rain. We are now at the tail end of the shad spawn. The bass are on the move and shad is the primary forage. Bass are holding on main lake points, and later in the month, brush will be the key to finding better size. We are using a threefold approach: a jig, a jerk bait and a jig head minnow with forward facing sonar. Where we find fish positioning on brush or rocks depends on which approach we use. We have been seeing fish scattered on cloudy days and buried up in the brush on sunny days. A jerk bait and jig head minnow are what we typically using on overcast days. As they bury up in the brush on sunny days, a jig tends to be better. There’s also a decent top water bite on the same areas early in the day. Don’t let the boat traffic ruin the day. Fishing has been good most all day long.

Allatoona Crappie, Bluegill, and Shellcraker (Report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits via http://www.redroosterbaits.com) –

• Air Temp: High: 84 – Low: 59
• Wind: Up to 10 Mph Gusts
• Lake Level: Approx. 840′ (Click Here For Current Water Level)
• Water Temp: 78 – 80
• Water Clarity: Clear Green!
• Area Fished: Victoria Area, Kellogg/Owl Creek, Galt’s Ferry area, Illinois Creek & Little River
• Jigs Used: Blue Glimmer – Small Fry, Bluegrass – Small Fry, UV Shad – Dagger and Gray Ghost – Dagger
• Technique: Casting & Spider Rigging

Allatoona Weekly Crappie, Shellcracker & Bluegill Fishing Report: The first week of June 2025 had some good fishing days and we were able to make the most of it in the early morning hours to net some nice crappie as well as some bluegills. The summer pattern is just getting started with the water temps moving towards the 80-degree mark. If you have the chance to fish in the morning this is the best time to get on the water to avoid pleasure boat traffic and afternoon thunderstorms. The afternoon weather can be a little unpredictable in the afternoons…a pop-up storm can happen at any time even if it is not forecasted.

Crappie: As mentioned in previous reports the summer Crappie pattern is upon us and will be the norm until the September/October time frame. We are seeing crappie on structure ranging from 16′ to 22′ deep. Now is the time of year where your waypoints should pay off. We can’t stress enough, if you find structure on your sidescan, downscan or FFS make sure to mark it. Even if you do not see fish on the structure they will more than likely show up at some point. This time of year you just have to make runs from structure to structure until you find the active fish. We see crappie move in and out of structure throughout the day. Sometimes they may even be several feet off of the structure when moving around. We like to cast jigs to the structure using a 1/16th or 3/32nd oz. jig head in the mornings as the crappie are usually most active in the early morning. When the bite slows down, we will switch to spider rigging minnows to finish out the trip. Natural color jigs like a Red Rooster Small Fry in Blue Glimmer, Watermelon or Fried Pickle and the Red Rooster Dagger in UV Shad, Gray Ghost, Watermelon Ghost or Motor Oil Red are great colors and sizes to start with first thing in the morning. When Spider Rigging, we set the minnow at different depths until they start biting. We usually have 2 rods set at 8′, 2 rods at 10′ and 2 rods at 12’…somewhere in those depth ranges should find a hungry slab.

Bluegill: The bluegill are still hanging around shallow structure in the backs of creeks and cuts. We expect this pattern to hold for the next few weeks. Crickets are the number one bait of choice but they will hit worms as well. You will want 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. You can always adjust your cork depth as needed if you find something different. Spawn Alert! The next full moon is June 13th, so be on the look out for bluegill beds in shallow water.

Shellcracker (Redear sunfish): Shellcracker have moved to deeper water for the summer. Start looking for shellcracker in 10′ – 12′ of water around points and rocky humps. The rig we use 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 bait of choice is either a red wiggler or nightcrawler…they will eat either one!

As a final note and word of caution PLEASE WEAR YOUR LIFE JACKETS! We witnessed tragedy on Lake Allatoona this past week and our hearts go out to the family who lost their loved one this past week. It only takes a split second for things to go wrong. Please Be Safe out there! Lord willing we will have a good report for you next week!

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. Lord willing we will have another report for you next week. Be sure to check out the archives for June 2024 and see what we were doing this time last year!Find existing DNR fish attractors at Lake Allatoona here.

LAKE HARTWELL IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Hartwell Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is good. The bass are on the move and shad is the primary forage. Bass are holding on main lake points, and later in the month brush will be the key to finding better size. Ther are Bass biting the jig, a jerk bait and a jig head minnow with forward facing sonar. Find fish positioning on brush or rocks depends on sunlight. Many are seeing fish scattered on cloudy days and buried up in the brush on sunny days. A jerk bait and jig head minnow are what we typically using on overcast days. As they bury up in the brush on sunny days, a jig tends to be better. There’s also a decent top water bite on the same areas early in the day. Don’t let the boat traffic ruin the day. 

LAKE LANIER IS ONE FOOT OVER FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Lanier Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) — This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845 — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. Currently the lake is one foot over full pool and overall, the lake is clear with some staining up the river. The water temperature is running right around seventy-five degrees. The bass are setting up in their summer areas which are around thirty-foot brush, humps and the ends of long points. Over the last week the most consistent baits have been the Fluke, a Slick Stick, a Skimmer or a Gunfish. For the Fluke either a white or a light chartreuse color have been the best bets. I’m throwing the Fluke on a seven-foot medium spinning rod with fifteen-pound braid backing and a twelve-pound fluorocarbon leader. This setup lets me throw into the wind much easier. This week we have been making long cast and letting the Fluke sink to the count of five and then just a slow steady retrieve. For the Slick Stick, Skimmer and Gunfish I prefer a seven-foot six bait caster with twelve-pound line. On the sunny days chrome is the color of choice and on the cloudy days it seems the white is working better. The one color for both sun and clouds on the Slick Stick is the new bone color. The Skimmer and the Gunfish have been most effective over the brush if there is wind, the Slick Stick works both in the calm and the wind. The stripers are getting in on this action also so be prepared for the big fights. The top water is definitely fun but you can still catch bass on rocky points and around docks with a three sixteenth shakey head and a green pumpkin Senko. It’s a great time to be on the water so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Stripers: (This Lake Lanier Striper report is by Buck Cannon. 404 510 1778) — Lake Lanier stripers have staged up in coves that have a depth between 30 to 70 water. Water is in the mid 70’s. Downlines, flat lines and planer boards are the most popular methods using blue backs. Double check the tackle because there may be a fish of a lifetime out there. The top water has been hit or miss but be ready with your favorite lure. Wear the life jackets. 

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 70’S TO 80’S 

West Point Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. Go early or at dusk to avoid the heat. Fish depths at 18 to 20 feet of water on roadbeds, humps, main lake structure, and the mouths of creeks. Use the Carolina rigged finesse worm or deep diving crank bait. The fish are deeper so ride the ledges and old deeper road beds with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology to find the fish. The Lowrance Fish Reveal on the Down Scan all but eliminates the need for Sonar. The smaller bass are schooling all over the lake and best baits are small rooster tails and Rat L Traps. The shallow morning bite with buzz baits along the shallow river banks is worth a shot. Use the Strike King Spinnerbaits and any top water lures on any structure or rip rap. Never overlook the bridges on this lake. The Rapala Shad Raps are still getting a few good bass off the rip rap and the shad and tiger colors are fair. Down the lake near the deeper water, the plastic worm bite is fair. Just be patient and let the worm hug the bottom. Carolina rigged finesse worms in the dark green colors seem to be working the best. Look for wood and rock near points for the best results.

WEISS LAKE IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Lake Weiss Mixed Bag (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. The shallow morning bite is fair despite the passage of a front the fish were still pretty active early off. Buzz baits along the shallow river grass has been a very reliable pattern, with some nice results. Ned rig the Power Baits Meaty Chunk Green pumpkin 3 inch. Start with spinnerbaits and top water and work docks and grass around bushes. Rapala Shad Raps are still netting a few good bass off the rip rap and anglers are throwing more of the fire tiger colors due to the stained water. Down the lake near the deeper water, the plastic worm bite is very active. Carolina rigged finesse worms in the dark green colors seem to be working the best. Look for wood and rock near points for the best results.

Crappie fishing is fair. Fish the coves and the deep docks are holding fish. Night fishing is best to avoid the heat of the day. Fish the drop in Little River and most any cove with a bridge. Fish in Cowan Creek and Spring Creek and also try 3 Mile Creek.

Upper Chattahoochee Mixed Bag (Courtesy of Josh Stafford, fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division) — Region 2 staff assisted Gwinnett County in hosting a kids fishing event at Jones Bridge park on the Chattahoochee River. Local families had the chance to stock trout via a bucket brigade down to the Chattahoochee River and then fished for the trout they stocked. GA DNR staff from the Gateway to Fishing and Outdoors Beyond Barrier programs also assisted in educating the public and passing out fishing rods and tackle for people to use. Approximately 200 people got the opportunity to fish for trout at this event. 

TROUT REPORT 

To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page. 

Stocked Trout: Find out which trout streams received trout by clicking on the “Weekly Stocking Report” located at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

Trout Fishing Opportunities for Those With Disabilities: Check out these sites that are open to the public and offer specific amenities for anglers with disabilities. Find the list at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

Trout and More (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters) –– Quick summary: wild trout are decent at high elevations, delayed harvest trout season is now history, stocked trout are good in high mountain streams (before lunch) and in icy tailwaters, river bassin’ will be good when storms don’t muddy our rivers, stripers and gar are bonus river treats, reservoirs are warming and slowing down, and ponds will be fun when fishing their shady perimeters. 

Wes’ Hot Fly List: 

• Dries: parachute Adams, parachute light Cahill, 409 Yeager yellow, yellow stimulator, micro chubby Chernobyl, parachute and hard body ants, goober sally.
• Nymphs & Wets: Stockers: Squirminator, lightning bug, micro girdle bug, slush egg, pink tag jig.
• Mountain streams: hares ear, improved yallarhammer, drowned ant, prince nymph, crazy leg stone.
• Streamers: Sparkle minnows, small black and olive buggers, bank robber sculpin, micro dungeon.
• (Bass & stripers) Boogle popper, wiggle minnow, polar changer, yard sale, crittermite, con man.
• (Panfish) mini stealth bomber, Boogle popper #8, brim reaper, girdle bug. 

Headwaters: They’re low and clear and warming quickly. Your best bet will be fishing in the mornings, before the midday sun heats the water, or in the high, cooler water right after a chilly summer storm.  Smith Creek above Unicoi Lake was already running 64F at 1PM today. Dredger took his short three-weight rod and small box of dries to his favorite blueline stream “high above Helen” last Tuesday morning. The stream was real low and clear but a comfortable 60F at 8AM. Fishing was fun but catching was real slow for the resident wild bows. The skinny water had them hunkered down for predator protection. He managed only four dinks on dries (para ant and tan caddis) in a couple hours of prospecting. Next time he’s bringing some sunken ants and pheasant tails to add as droppers to his dry fly. The small streams need the return of weekly showers to improve flows and fishing. 

Delayed Harvest Streams: The GA streams are history and the NC streams revert to harvest regulations tomorrow. You can knock off some DH survivors from those NC streams over the next week or two. Some of those streams are also home to little wild trout year-round.

Tailwaters: No recent reports. Be on the lookout soon for black caddis squadrons.  Jimmy saw a bunch on the lower Hooch, below trout waters, last week. 

Stockers: Higher elevation waters are a best bet, while lower and wider streams (ex: Stephens County) will catch too much sun and warm air,  and will be too hot for good trout catches. Morning fishing will be better than warm afternoons, when water temps rise. Eggs, squirmies, small rubberleg stones, and small woolly buggers will help flyfishing rookies to score early successes. 

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. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

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

Thank you for all who came and enjoyed a fun-filled day of fishing at our PFAs this past weekend! Here are some pictures from the weekend’s festivities, in addition to our own Fisheries Technician Amory Cook, who worked one-on-one with youths at the annual Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation’s Girls Who Rule the World camp.

If you can get out early and dodge the afternoon showers predicted throughout the weekend, the summer bite is really firing up for catfish and early morning bassin’. Okay, let’s jump right into it then!

This Central Georgia fishing report is brought to you as always by Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report, and contributions from Region 3 WRD Fisheries staff, local guides, and anglers. 

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. By late afternoon it is not unusual to find 87 degree water in the back of the coves. The summertime pattern has now been established for this lake. Even though fishing is fair, it can be good one day and not so good the next day. Have the Rapala #5 Glass Shad Raps on 10 pound test Suffix Elite line. The top water bite is fair but with the warming water temperature, don’t expect to catch one every day when using top water baits. Three and four inch Rattle Tubes rigged either Texas or Carolina style around the deeper water wood will work fished slowly. Bass are holding extremely tight to cover while the smaller spots are roaming the banks all during the day. Deep water cranking is still active when using Rapallo OG8, the DT10, Deep Warts and Slow Cranking Deep Down Husky Jerks. For a fast shallow bite try the Terminator stainless 3/8 ounce super spinner bait and Titanium T1 spinner bait ½ ounce.

Bass 2 (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that bass were already getting deeper by the last week of May, and in June they will go even deeper. Fishing with deep running crankbaits or plastics worms around deep structure out to 40 or more feet down will be the best pattern for anglers who don’t want to use live bait.

Striped Bass (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in June fish should be on both ends of the lake, with herring on free-lines working in the shallower upper lake and down-lines working in the deeper lower lake. Fish will also be holding around deep timber wherever it is found.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fish will move onto deeper brush or natural timber this month where they can be caught on jigs and minnows. Night-fishing around bridges will also be productive.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that fish will move deeper this month into 15-25 feet where they can be caught on cut herring. May was an excellent month for catfish and expect more of the same at least to start June.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is slow. The surface temperature is well into the upper 80’s and this is slowing the bass fishing down a bit. Try running from point to point looking for any signs of blue backs breaking or skimming the surface. If this occurs have the #10 Husky Jerk in either the Glass Minnow or Shad color. Work the bait with a medium to fast retrieve. Try the stop and go retrieve with the Storm Thunder Dog especially on main lake rocky points. They key this week will be to stay in the main portion of the lake or rivers and out of the pockets. Carolina rigged Zoom finesse work in red shad and green pumpkin can work during the hot periods of the day off main lake points and stump rows in depths from 7 to 15 feet of water. The bigger fish are deeper and ride the ledges with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology to find the fish. The Lowrance Fish Reveal on the Down Scan all but eliminates the need for Sonar. Remember as the day heats up slow the bait down. Try the Ned rig with the Power Baits Meaty Chunk Green pumpkin 3 inch.

Bass 2 (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia report that once again high water levels to start the month may have more fish shallow around flooded cover, but by the end of May the herring spawn bite was already mostly passing and so at least one group of fish was moving deeper. Still, for a while longer fish should be caught off points first thing and then a little deeper in the same areas before the sun really gets up. Later in the day, and then all day later in the month, fish will be caught deeper over humps and around brush on worms or jigs. Anglers who prefer to fish shallower can look up the rivers or for bass feeding around bream beds – or continue to target the flooded cover if water levels stay high.

Striper and hybrids (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that to start off the month fish were still fairly shallow early, or at least high in the water column, but this month they should move down the lake and deeper – and then continue to go deeper from there. Down-rods with herring will be the main technique for most anglers this month.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service reports that this month fish should be found around brush in 20-25 feet of water. Anchoring and then fishing vertically with minnows is usually the best pattern although at times the fish will show a preference for jigs.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the best fishing in June will be in the early morning or late evening. Anchoring on humps and points and fishing with cut bait at a variety of depths is the best bet.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Using a Carolina rigged Zoom finesse or u tail worm, fish the long points and underwater islands around Reynolds Plantation and the Great Water areas of the lake. When Georgia Power is generating fish in 5 to 10 foot of water and if they are not generating back off and fish in 10 to 20 foot of water. Fish as slowly. A big crankbait fished in the same areas will also bring a few bites. Slow down mid-day and use the Net Bait Paca Chunk and Paca Bug 3/8 ounce Alabama craw Black neon and Okeechobee 3 inch and Sapphire craw.

Tournament Alert (courtesy of ABA News): The next tournament for Division 72 is the 2-Day Championship, set for June 7 on Lake Sinclair and June 8 on Lake Oconee. For more information, contact Director Benny Howell at 770-365-4795.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report):  Bass fishing is fair. The presence of brush under or near a dock also increases the chances of success. Zoom Trick worms and Yamamoto Senko’s have both been good choices recently. Green pumpkin and June bug are reliable colors for each. Use the lightest weight possible on either worm rigged Texas style. A lot of bass are now located around open water structure such as points, humps, flats, and ledges. Depths are varying from 8 to over 20 feet deep. Most of the fish are hitting Carolina rigs. A 3-foot leader of 12-pound line matches well with 14-to-17-pound main line and a half ounce weight. Several different worms have produced well, including Zoom baits Trick, finesse, and U Tale. Red bug, June bug, green pumpkin, and watermelon are a few good color choices. A few of these open water fish especially larger bass, may also hit larger worm’s rigged Texas or Carolina style. Crank baits can also be the best, especially during power generation. Some good choices are Norman DD14 and DD22, Fat Free Shad in ½ and ¾ ounce sizes, and Rapallo DT10 and DT14. Varying chartreuse and shad patterns have worked well. The fish are deeper so ride the ledges and old deeper road beds with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology to find the fish. The Lowrance Fish Reveal on the Down Scan all but eliminates the need for Sonar. A jig head and Finesse worm should also produce and extra fish or two after the bite has slowed.

Bass 2 (courtesy of Lake Country Fishing reports): Though the water temps have breached 80 F and may still have a slight stain, early June reports maintain that the topwater bite is still hot in Sinclair. Frog, Ploppers, poppers, and Chug bugs in colors like Bone and shad patterns are very effective in the early morning before the fish push deeper. On the north side, look for shaded seawalls while submerged vegetation is producing on the south end. Overcast conditions will keep the fish shallow for longer so work with the sun and clouds depending on the conditions.

Crappie: While Sinclair-specific reports are few and far between right now, the overall them is targeting mid-range depths of 10 – 20 feet, and fishing jigs over brush. Jigs seem to be outpacing minnows. With all of the rain, consider pink or chartreuse jig heads with a complimentary color for the body. You might have to be patient to pull them up and out of the brush.

Tournament Alert (courtesy of ABA News): The next tournament for Division 72 is the 2-Day Championship, set for June 7 on Lake Sinclair and June 8 on Lake Oconee. For more information, contact Director Benny Howell at 770-365-4795.

Catfish: Reports show that the catfish bite is really heating up now that we have entered “summer mode” on Sinclair. Blues and channels in the 4-8 lb. range are common and will readily find still-fished baits like nightcrawlers or chicken livers fished off docks or fanned out from a boat on features like river and creek channels, ledges, and along transitions like flats and points. The bite will be steady during the day and will pick up significantly at night as well.

LAKE JACKSON IS UP 1.2 FEET, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. The bass are scattered all over the lake. The best bet will be a Texas rigged June bug finesse worm on a light Texas rig or a shot Carolina rig for spots and an occasional largemouth bass. Work as many docks as possible but try to concentrate on the docks that sit in the deeper water. A very slow presentation will be necessary for the best results. Crank baits have been slow all week but try a Rapala DT10 in hot mustard on every location. Just make ten casts and then move on. Go to top water early and a Fluke thrown right to the bank on mid lake points and pockets. Mid-day go a little deeper with Zoom Finesse worms on a jig head around brush piles. Green pumpkin will work but try some of the many similar colors available. Find docks with brush try Strike King ¼ ounce jig and add the small matching Zoom Trailer in green pumpkin. Long points as well, back off a bit and throw a Carolina rigged mini lizard in green pumpkin. Night fishing is more productive and more comfortable. Try slow rolling a big Colorado blade spinner bait after dark across those long points. Also, the deeper diving Bill Norman crank baits are beginning to catch quite a few. The key is bouncing them off deep rocks. Slow down mid-day and use the Net Bait Paca Chunk and Paca Bug 3 8-ounce Alabama craw Black neon and Okeechobee 3 inch and Sapphire craw.

RIVER REPORT

SAVANNAH RIVER

Summer Panfishin’ (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Hunter Erickson of Martinez shows off some impressive redear sunfish caught from the Savannah River. Even in the summertime heat, redear and bluegill can still be caught in the river and make for a memorable day of fishing! Anglers can use crickets or worms in and around woody cover, or try artificials such as mini crankbaits or poppers in the same locations. While a recent record-setting 2 lb., 6 oz shellcracker from Clarks Hill made headlines, CSRA anglers shouldn’t pass up the Savannah River itself as a destination for quality redear too!

Striped Bass: The Thomson Fisheries crew wrapped up their annual surveys for American shad below New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam last week. While shad were the target species, a few nice striped bass were also encountered, including this one weighing in around 25 pounds, according to Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray. The Savannah River is currently running between 15,000 cfs and 5,000 cfs, so check the flow before you go! Striper in this section can be targeted with a variety of options including drifting live bait in the flow, or casting artificials like bucktails, flukes, swimbaits, or large jerkbaits.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Fisheries Technician Nick Brewer) —

Temperatures on our Public Fishing lakes are in the mid-to-high 70’s and likely will continue to rise with the continuing heat.  Bass spawning has come to a close and fish are likely moving into slightly deeper waters.  Lake chub suckers were removed from Rodbender Lake and added to Willow Lake to increase forage fish for bass in the future.

Bass: Anglers are still having success with topwater lures, but with rising temperatures they may have better luck with deep-diving lures.  Try fishing shallow areas in the morning, but be prepared to hit deeper water as the sun gets high! Plastic worms and creature baits may produce good results at these lower depths.

Striped and Hybrid Bass:  Anglers should use chicken livers in areas with lots of bird activity for the best chance of success.  Many small hybrids and striped bass are being caught in Clubhouse and Bridge Lakes.  A large hybrid bass was caught while electrofishing on Clubhouse in mid-May!

Channel Catfish:  Catfish are still being caught regularly. Worms or chicken livers on the bottom of the lakes seem to produce good results for anglers, but anglers may also want to use lures that mimic small bait fish near the bottoms of lakes as well.

Bream:  Bream on the PFA are being caught frequently, anglers targeting bream should use live worms or crickets in and around structures in the lakes during peak hours of sunlight.

Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Area Manager Amory Cook) —

• Water Level: 50” below full pool
• Water Temperature: Low 80s
• Water Clarity: 24″ and green

Bass:  The Bass bite has picked up significantly with anglers reporting catches of 3-5 lb. fish. Try using Yum Dinger rubber worms in green pumpkin chartreuse wacky rigged.

Bream:  Red Wigglers fished deeper and around structure.

Crappie: Experienced Crappie anglers will find success by locating deeper, cooler waters. Deeper water can be found around the aerators and the water control structure near the dam.

Catfish:  Anglers are having continued success catching catfish from the dam and some anglers are reporting catches from the fishing pier. Cut baitfish and chicken livers continue to produce catches. Also, if you are lucky enough to land a catfish that you believe to be over 10 pounds (about 30 inches long), please notify DNR staff, we are looking to fill the PFA catfish record, which currently is wide open.

MARBEN PFA FISHING REPORT (Courtesy of Fisheries Technician Jacob Landry) —

• Marben Public Fishing Area
• Water level: All ponds are full or nearly full.
• Pond Closures: Margery, Hillside, and Clubhouse ponds remain closed while under renovation.
• Water clarity: All the lakes have visibilities ranging from 16” to 48” depending on rainfall amounts and frequency.
• Surface temperature: 75-83 F
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Cooler than usual temperatures have the bass working shallows at daylight.  However, fish the deeper water when the sun is high.  June temperatures will surely push them deeper.   Shad are still gathering on the surface late in the evenings.  As temperatures increase through the month, the bite is expected to slow.  Most any bait choice will work when fished in the right situation – depth, temperature, visibility, and presence of bait. Go-to’s this time of year are crankbaits, spinners, top water, ned rigs, and drop shot.   

Crappie: Relatively few crappie are being caught at this time, although some have been caught off suspended brush using jigs and minnows.

Bream: Crickets and waxworms fished on the bottom continue to produce well, particularly in the smaller ponds.  Fox Lake has produced some nice catches of bluegill and shellcracker.

Catfish: Nice channel catfish have been harvested at Fox and Bennett using night crawlers and live bait.  Remember, cast nets are not allowed on a Public Fishing Area.

Hybrid Bass:  Hybrid bass continue to be harvested at Bennett Lake.  Find schooling shad late in the day and cast into the school with a small hair jig, bucktail, under-spin, or even a small A-rig, which will trigger a reaction strike.

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

Okefenokee Swamp fishing has been great this week. Pond fishing has been consistent, but the number of reports has been low as the heat and evening thunderstorms have increased. Get used to it for the next several months!

River gages on June 12th were:
• Clyo on the Savannah River – 10.1 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 7.3 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 9.7 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla – 5.9 feet and rising
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 7.7 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 3.0 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 2.6 feet and rising
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 4.5 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is June 18th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

SATILLA RIVER
A Waycross angler fished the middle river on Friday and only caught a couple fish on Satilla Spins. He said that the river had come up and muddied since he fished earlier in the week. Unfortunately, it’s rising again just as it was getting right for floating for panfish.

ST. MARYS RIVER

Check the Bream Reapers Bream Tournament Trail out on Facebook for information about their next bream tournament.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Chad and Casey Raulerson fished the east side Friday and caught a bunch of bowfin and pickerel. Their catch of the day was a largemouth bass that ate Casey’s parrot-colored Perch Hounder Spinnerbait – the same one they use for cichlids in the Everglades! It was 1 1/2 pounds. Congratulations, Casey!

Joshua Barber fished with me on the east side Friday morning for a few hours, and we caught and released a total of 28 fish. Half of them were on the fly rod, and the other half were casting a Dura-Spin on spinning tackle. We caught fliers, warmouth, pickerel, and bowfin on flies. Most of the fish ate a 3-inch white Game Changer fly, but the fliers chewed a small, green-backed shad fly. Our biggest bowfin was around 4 pounds. The only species we added with spinning tackle was a Florida gar, and we caught two of them and had at least a dozen of them slash at the in-line spinners.

Kent and his son John Kent, Jr. (10 years old) stayed at the cabins at Stephen C Foster State Park and fished the west side over the weekend. They whacked fish on Dura-Spins each day. On Friday they caught a total of 34 fish, with the biggest bowfin 5.36 pounds. Their scale broke, so that was it on weight, but they said they didn’t have any bigger than that 5-pounder. On Saturday the bite was better, but they had to dodge storms. They were in and out of their cabin but caught fish when they were out. They caught a bunch of bowfin, pickerel, several warmouth, and even a bluegill on the big spinners.

On Monday, Wade and Mychaela Eatmon came down from Atlanta to fish with me on the east side. Wade used a fly rod almost all day, and Mychaela cast Dura-Spins. We caught a total of 26 fish, and about half were on the fly and the other half the in-line spinner. The best fly was a jackfish-colored (red/white/yellow) Clouser minnow, but a pickerel cut it off after only a few fish. After that we could only get one or two fish to inhale each pattern we tried. The best color Dura-Spins were jackfish and fire tiger-chartreuse blade. Wade fooled our biggest bowfin (5-lb., 14-oz.) with the fire tiger version.

On Tuesday, Justin, Jax (10), and Axel (6) came down from Metter and fished with me on the east side. The amount of energy those boys had is a distant memory for me, but it invigorated me to see them having so much fun! They boot-stomped the bowfin and pickerel, catching a total of 51 fish during a half-day trip. Justin had a few pickerel up to 18 inches early in the trip on jackfish-colored Dura-Spins then it was a bowfin-fest. Jax had the biggest – a 5-lb., 15-oz. monster. Lemon-lime was the color late in the trip, and fire tiger-chartreuse was best at the beginning. Jackfish fooled the most in the middle. They kept a few bowfin and made fish tacos that evening for supper. The whole family enjoyed them – no leftovers! The key to bowfin is to eat them the same day you catch them. I usually make “crab cakes” once a year with bowfin and haven’t done that yet this year, so it’s time.

Jeremy Robertson and Robert Pittman fished the swamp Thursday and caught 15 pickerel and quit counting the bowfin while casting Dura-Spins. Their first color that they killed them with was blood red, but they had to switch after a bunch of bowfin destroyed it. They also caught them on fire tiger, chartreuse, and white. They ended up deciding that color didn’t really seem to matter that day.

Jim and Clay Spencer fished on the west side Wednesday and east side Thursday. They caught plenty of bowfin and several pickerel on each side using mostly Dura-Spins. Clay had the hot hand on big fish and had their biggest Wednesday on a fire tiger Dura-Spin and Thursday (8 1/2 pounds!) on a white-red body version. He also had a big gar on the same lure.

The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 120.70 feet.

LOCAL PONDS
Joshua Barber had a stellar trip Thursday at a local pond. His top four bass weighed just over 22 pounds. He had two over 7 pounds, with his biggest 7-lb., 15-oz. He fooled them with SPRO topwater frogs fished over vegetation. He released the bass after a few photos.

Jimmy Zinker has been night-fishing for bass but has not caught any big fish lately. The 2 and 3-pounders have been hitting musky Jitterbugs and Trophy Bass Buzzbaits.

Ella Kate fished with her dad, Chris, in their Ware County pond and caught some bluegills and bass on bumblebee Satilla Spins.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville, GA)
Ken Burke fished Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area on Monday morning and had a great day for bass at the catch-and-release only (for bass) lake. Water temperatures hovered around 85 degrees in the sunny to cloudy conditions, and the fish were chewing as bad weather moved in. Another boat on the lake had 5 bass with one over 5 pounds on topwaters early in the day. Ken had nothing for the first 3 hours, but then it turned on. He got on a good stretch and within 30 minutes as the rain started caught and released 6 bass that weighed a total of 18 1/4 pounds. His biggest was just over 4 pounds. He fooled them with a squarebill crankbait in 2 different color patterns.

On Wednesday David Blake caught and released 3 bass, with 2 over 5 pounds and 1 over 6 pounds. The big fish are chewing at the area!

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

I got one excellent flounder report from the St. Marys Jetties. They caught 18 keeper flounder up to 20 inches using mudminnows as bait.

Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) said that the trout bite has slowed a little, but they’re still catching fish, and they released a decent number of trout longer than 18 inches this week, as well. They caught oversized and slot reds along with a few under-sized fish starting to show up, which is typical for this time of year. He and his wife (Michelle) had a dozen nice redfish Tuesday – all released. Michelle was pitching Gulp 4-inch grub and even caught a big flounder on it. The bigger trout have been eating the stellar blue-colored Fourseven 3.5-inch swimmer pinned to a Zombie Eye Jighead. His trips had a handful of solid flounder this week by floating live shrimp under Harper Super Striker Floats. The trick was to float the shrimp shallow next to shell beds on the outgoing tide.

After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the GA Wildlife Resources Division 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 have live worms and crickets for freshwater. For the latest information and their hours, 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).

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