June 20, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

You definitely want to be around for all the future fishing trips, so when you head out on the water, be sure you are boating responsibly. Even if you have been handling a boat all your life, it is worth it to slow down, take your time and be sure that you and your passengers return to the dock safe. Find out more about boating safety, rules and regulations at GeorgiaWildlife.com/boating/boater-resources. We strongly encourage all anglers and boaters to wear a life jacket when on the water – it can save your life.

NEWS TO KNOWS

• 

  Prepping water willows for installation at Clarks Hill Lake.

  Planting for Fishing: Central Georgia fisheries staff recently coordinated a water willow planting day at Clarks Hill Lake, with help from the Army Corps of Engineers and several volunteer groups. Over 1,600 Walton Greenhouse-grown water willow plants and 115 bald cypress trees were planted in several coves near the Amity Recreation Area. Additions of native aquatic plants to Clarks Hill aligns with a longstanding management effort to improve aquatic habitat in the reservoir to benefit reservoir water quality, protect shorelines, and enhance fish habitat. 

• Catfish Producing: Check out some behind the scenes action about catfish production at McDuffie Fish Hatchery. 
• New Fishing Hole? Need a new-to-you location? Visit one of the 11 Georgia Public Fishing Areas across the state. These locations are managed for fishing, but many offer other amenities for family enjoyment. Find out more at GeorgiaWildlife.com/allpfas.

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia. Southwest GA will be back next week with a report. Buckle up that life jacket and let’s Go Fish Georgia!

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

Fish are moving toward their summer patterns. Summertime saltwater fish like tarpon, big jack crevalle, and sharks are around now. Some big bass are nailing topwaters, and bowfin in the Okefenokee Swamp are CHEWING! Most of the southeast Georgia rivers are back into the floodplain with the rains the last couple of weeks.

River gages on June 19th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 10.9 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 9.7 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 10.1 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla – 12.2 feet and rising
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 9.9 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 3.8 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 4.1 feet and steady
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 5.9 feet and falling

New Moon is June 25th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

SATILLA RIVER

The main river is way out in the floodplain again with the almost daily rains. A Blackshear angler fished some small tributaries to the Satilla River on Thursday afternoon and had a blast. He pitched orange #10 Okefenokee Swamp Sallies and caught 25 fliers and 3 bluegills. They weren’t big, but he said that they were run to catch on a bream-buster!

ST. MARYS RIVER

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

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Brantley Wester fished with me Saturday, and we caught lots of bowfin and a half-dozen pickerel – 26 fish total. Brantley cast Dura-Spins, and I flung a prototype fly. I fooled our biggest fish (7-lb., 8-oz. bowfin) with a jackfish -colored (red/yellow/white) fly. Crawfish-brass blade Dura-Spins fooled most of the pickerel, while bowfin ate the lemon-lime, jackfish, and crawfish-brass blade versions. Seth Carter and Van Palmer fished the east side of the Okefenokee Swamp on Monday and caught dozens of bowfin and a few pickerel. They tried to keep count but kept losing track. They fooled them with the high-dollar Jackall vibrating jigs and Bull Shads and caught most of their fish on Dura-Spins. Their biggest bowfin was a 6-pounder. Harvey and Micah came down from Douglas to fish with me on Thursday morning on a 2-hour trip. It was Micah’s first-time fishing from a boat, and the fish were chewing! They caught a total of 33 fish (all bowfin) and had a couple pickerel pull off.  They had 4 “doubles”. Both trolling and casting worked well, and the best colors of Dura-Spins (all their fish ate the in-line spinners) were lemon-lime, fire tiger-chartreuse blade, jackfish, and crawfish-brass blade. Micah caught the last couple fish on red/white, as well. I flung a prototype fly on a long rod for a few minutes before they got there and about a half-hour after the trip and caught 7 bowfin. The 2 best flies were jackfish (red/yellow/white) and pink/white colors. On the way home, Micah was trying to convince his dad that they needed a boat! Another angler fishing Thursday morning said that he caught 7 bowfin and 13 pickerel. He didn’t say what he caught them with. One group fishing for warmouth said that the bite was slow for them. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 120.84 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Miles Zachary fished a Hazlehurst area pond on Friday and caught a bunch of bass. He was flinging several different colors of BDD Buzzbaits rigged with Down South Plastics creatures and toads, and the bass exploded on it! Chad Lee fished an Alma-area pond on Monday and caught several bass. His biggest was a 4 1/2-pounder, and it inhaled a shad-colored swimbait. Joshua Barber had a great Saturday, coming close to the money in a local tournament. Then in the evening Billy Lee and he fished an area pond and caught about a dozen solid bass. Their biggest was Joshua’s 7-lb., 4-oz. pig that slurped a frog off a lily pad. He also lost another big bass on the same lure. Jimmy Zinker fished a lake on Saturday night and had 3 fish – 2 of them were good bass. They weren’t quite to the 7-pound mark where he gets out his scales, but they were good-sized. He fooled them with his signature black Jitterbug.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Tommy Sweeney fished the Cumberland Beach and the creeks near the sounds on Saturday. They caught a couple dozen throwbacks and 4 keeper trout. Their bigger fish came on the last of the incoming on live shrimp. Their keepers were 16 to 18 inches, and they had a nice flounder, as well. Bonnethead sharks kept them busy breaking off and tearing up leaders, also. Todd Kennedy had trouble this week with redfish hammering his topwater but pulling off. He figured out the magic combination Thursday morning and landed 5 of them (both slot fish and oversized) by flinging a pearl Gulp 5-inch Jerk Shad rigged on a 3/16-oz. rootbeer crackle Zombie Eye Jighead. He worked the offering around oyster mounds, and they slammed it. Some good flounder reports came in again this week from several places along our coast from Tybee to St. Marys. Peter Turlington and a couple of friends fished the Brunswick area from the bank. They caught redfish (slot fish and oversized reds to 30 inches), flounder, and mangrove snapper. Kelly Vest had the catch of the week, though. She caught a 24-inch flounder on a mudminnow. It was her biggest fish ever. 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).

The Southwest Georgia report will be back next week with fresh fishing info! 

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

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.

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

RESERVOIR REPORT 

Don’t Forget to Focus! Most of Georgia’s lakes are full from the recent rains.  When lakes are full, focus on areas most recently flooded like grassy vegetation, wind-blown banks, and areas with large obstructions. Use baits that create vibrations and attract attention, like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and rattle traps.  Fish topwater real early and very late, the cooler temperatures often trigger fish into feeding. Additionally, consider fishing deeper in the cooler water just above the thermocline.  Finally, fish areas just downstream from muddy inflow that comes from major tributaries.

LAKE ALLATOONA IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Allatoona Bass: (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is good. Fish are holding on brush piles around docks and there are some fish under the docks. A 3/8 ounce black and blue Stanley jig with a Gene Larew salt craw trailer in June bug color or a 4-inch tube rigged Texas style in June bug flipped into the brush and under the docks will work. A 6-inch Zoom lizard is also working well. Spotted bass have moved to point’s humps and the old river channels and get them with the Fat Free Shad crank bait in citrus shad color or a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait in chartreuse and white. Ride these areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology and “find” the fish first. Always have a pearl Zoom Super Fluke rigged and use it on every stop. Fish main lake points early up shallow with spinner baits and Texas rigged worms. Ride these areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology and “find” the fish first. 

LAKE HARTWELL: IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Hartwell Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. Go early on the weekends. The top water schooling bite has slowed and will continue to get slower and slower to almost nothing as it gets hotter. First thing in the morning work points on the main lake and also secondary points for schooling fish using a big swim bait. If the fish are active, it is hard to beat a Rapala #5 and #7 Shad Rap and use a shad pattern and a baby bass pattern. Use these on 10-pound test Sufix elite clear line on a spinning reel. Try the drop shot rig and pick a main lake point and start at 20 feet deep. On the drop shot and adds a Yamamoto Flat Tails 3.5 inch Cut tails Tiny Flukes baby Sluggos and Basstrix baits. Use a #4 split shot drop shot hook by Gamakatsu 8-pound Triplefish Fluorocarbon line which is mandatory to feel those deep bites and 1/2 ounce Quick drop sinkers. Always have a pearl Zoom Super Fluke rigged and use it on every stop.

LAKE LANIER IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Lanier Bass (This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson Pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770-366-8845) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is one foot over full and the water temperature is in the seventy-six-degree range. The main lake is clean but as you move up the river and back in the creeks you will find more stain from the recent rains. The lake is acting stingy right now with the bass. You can catch some really good bass but you may not get great numbers. A mix of topwater, sub surface and deeper baits are working right now. For the topwater a Gunfish or Skimmer have produced with the wind over the twenty-five to thirty-foot brush plies. The basic on color for all the baits is chrome for sunny days and bone or white for the cloudy days. Look for the humps and long points to be the key target areas. The Slick Stick has also been a good choice with a steady retrieve just under the surface. The fluke is still producing some good fish with a steady retrieve and an occasional twitch. When you locate the bass tighter to the structure and on the ledges the drop shot is beginning to catch some bass. The best colors have been the Sweet Rosy and the Blue Lily drop shot worms worked vertical in and around the brush. It seems we are having to work a little harder than usual for this time of year but have still been able to still put together some solid bags of fish so be prepared to cover a lot of areas. It’s still a great time to be on Lanier so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Crappie: (report crappie report by Captain Josh Thornton at 770-530-6493) — Lake Lanier crappie fishing is good the water temperature is 78. The fish are in large groups under docks in the shade. Crappie have been at depths of 10 to 15 feet above a 25-to-40-foot bottom. The jig color combo that worked the best for me this week was the green and chartreuse single tail 1.5-inch jig minnows have been working well over brush. For your best fishing experience consider using the following equipment: a one-piece ACC Crappie Stix rod and reel paired with 4- or 6-pound test K9 line with an Atx lure company jig. Further optimizing your efforts, a Garmin LiveScope, protected by a sonar shield cover, and a Power Pole are highly recommended.

WEISS LAKE IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

Weiss Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. The jigs and spinner baits are working well around the grass beds. The spotted bass are doing well on deeper structure and the creek channel ledges, Carolina rigs and crank baits are working well. If the fish are active it is hard to beat a Rapala #5 and #7 Shad Rap and use a shad pattern and a baby bass pattern. Use these on 10-pound test Sufix elite clear line on a spinning reel. Always have a pearl Zoom Super Fluke rigged and use it on every stop. 

WEST POINT LAKE IS FULL, 70’S TO 80’S 

West Point Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is good. Fish are holding on brush piles around docks and there are some fish under the docks. A 3/8 ounce black and blue Stanley jig with a Gene Larew salt craw trailer in June bug color or a 4-inch tube rigged Texas style in June bug flipped into the brush and under the docks will work. A 6-inch Zoom lizard is also working well. Fish main lake points early up shallow with spinner baits and Texas rigged worms. Ride these areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology and “find” the fish first. A 1/4 ounce with a Strike King KVD Filler Worm. On the drop shot 6-inch Roboworm Straight Tail Worm. Or a 6-inch Roboworm Flat Worm with a 1/8-ounce drop. Spotted bass have moved to point’s humps and the old river channels and get them with the Fat Free Shad crank bait in citrus shad color or a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait in chartreuse and white. Ride these areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology and “find” the fish first. Always have a pearl Zoom Super Fluke rigged and use it on every stop.

Lake Level Information: Find West Point Lake Water Level Information at westpointlake.info/Level.

West Point Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including West Point, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

(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) 

Surface temperatures jumped up this week and sit squarely in the low-to-mid 80s when the sun gets high in the sky. Pop-up thunderstorms are common this time of year, so keep an eye on the radar and don’t get caught with your Bimini down. Fishing the early morning and evening windows, or finding some flowing water, will be key for increasing your fishing success for the remainder of the summer. Me, Daniel, and Kimberly had a blast last weekend with the boys from Steve Harvey’s Mentoring Program for Young Men. These kids wore out a mess of monster bluegill and hybrids and left with a newfound love for fishing and the great outdoors, that’s what it’s all about!

Okay, let’s jump into this week’s Central Georgia fishing report, 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, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. There is still a shad spawn, but this will slow soon. Spinnerbaits in chartreuse and white buzz baits and frogs are working in the morning. As that slows throw a Little Earl Crankbait in pearl and chartreuse that dives 4 to 6 feet and work the docks with June bug red lizards and Trick Worms. A ChatterBait and a Zoom Methiolate Trick worm tare good choices. A 1/4 ounce with a Strike King KVD Filler Worm. On the drop shot 6-inch Roboworm Straight Tail Worm. Or a 6-inch Roboworm Flat Worm with a 1/8-ounce drop. Top water prop baits and frogs will all work. Use top water early then a shaky head or creature bait in green pumpkin with chartreuse ends. Soon bass will migrate out to the ends of the points and creek channels in 8 to 15 feet of water. Ride these areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology and “find” the fish first. Be prepared for a lot of boat traffic by midday. Always have a pearl Zoom Super Fluke rigged and use it on every stop.

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, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. 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. 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. 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. The key this week will be to stay in the main portion of the lake or rivers and out of the pockets. 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.

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, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The shad spawn is still going on but slowing down. Spinner baits fished on sea walls and bridge rip rap, along with small crank baits fished in the same locations will produce, at first light. Soft plastics fished under docks in the middle of the coves will produce some good fish. Find the structure under or around the dock with the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and this will increase your chances. Carolina rigs fished on points have also been producing. Some fish are starting to show up on the humps on the south end of the lake. Try the Berkley PowerScent Hit Worm Magnum on a 3/16-ounce shaky head. Carolina rigs fished with a short leader will draw strikes. Also start looking for the grass beds on the south end and work a frog in and around the grass.

Linesides: Striper and hybrids have two options this time of year: 1) find cooler, flowing water or 2) find cooler, deeper water. Striped bass, and to a lesser degree, hybrid striped bass, tend to avoid exposure to water temperatures above 80 F, and so with surface temperatures sustaining around 80 F throughout most of the day, this means electronics or shallow drafting vessels are a must. On the main lake, you can cover water with an umbrella rig, or quickly downline live bait over schooling linesides. Again, this is where your electronics have to put you on the fish. Heading north and into the river, you can pick off the striper holding in deep holes in the bends of the river, usually associated with large woody cover, and live bait, jerk baits, or flukes are effective in this environment. Although with all the rain we’ve had recently, you’d be wise to wait until the Oconee clears up from its current “chocolate milk” vibe to try river fishing.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.2 FEET, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report):  Bass fishing is fair. As the bass move to summer homes start out as early as you can and use a buzz bait. After early top water dies off the bass move to the creek channels and Senko’s and Stick O’s on a 3/0 Mustad hook will work. Add a nail weight to the center of the bait so it will sink and also use a light Carolina rig. A Zoom trick worm is deadly off the edges of the grass beds all day. If you want to try for a bigger fish head up the river and use a Strike King spinner bait with gold and silver combos and buzz the bait on the edges of the river. A Rapala D10 in hot mustard will also work. There are not many fish biting up the river in the current so get off the edges and work the coves and small creek mouths. Always have a pearl Zoom Super Fluke rigged and use it on every stop.

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 the rain, consider pink or chartreuse jig heads with a complimentary color for the body. You might have to be persistent to pull them up and out of the brush.

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 1.5 OVER FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Best baits are the drop shot, the worm and crank baits. The bass close to the brush on the docks tight to heavy cover. The lake is clear main lake with a slight stain in the rivers and creeks. Crank baits are fair for an hour early in the day. Then the bass tight and a Weedless Wonder lead head and a Zoon green pumpkin worm is best bet on the docks. For mid-day fishing, head up the rivers. Now have the dark jig and pig or a worm in the downstream current pockets. The 3/8-ounce Stanley spinner baits with willow leaf blades in silver and golds on the banks can draw strikes. Worms are still slow and it’s still best to move around all day. Silver floating Rapala’s are fair at daylight. The down lake fish are biting blue back Rat L Traps or blue crank baits on the points and humps. This is where the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology works best. Find the fish and now run the Active Target beams out in front of the boat.

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) —

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.

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