August 22, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

Fishing is one of those simple pleasures that does wonders for your mental health. There’s just something about being near the water, casting a line, and waiting in the quiet that helps your mind slow down. No emails, no rush—just you, nature, and maybe a couple of fish if you’re lucky. It’s peaceful, a little meditative, and honestly, kind of therapeutic. Whether you’re out with friends or enjoying some solo time, fishing is a great way to reset and feel good. Give it a try and Go Fish Georgia.

NEWS TO KNOW:

• Hunting & Fishing Night + Braves Game! Tomorrow, on August 23, baseball meets the great outdoors at Hunting & Fishing Night at Truist Park. Join Georgia DNR in The Battery Atlanta for a night with the Braves! Get tickets at gofevo.com/event/Huntingfishing25.
• Fishing Tackle Loaner Program: Want to fish at a Georgia State Park but don’t have a fishing pole? No worries! 18 State Parks have fishing tackle ready to loan to you for free! Interested visitors can inquire at the park office and check out the equipment for the day.  Find out which parks participate at GAStateParks.org/ParkFishing#fishing
• Lake Sturgeon are back in Georgia! While the Sturgeon Moon nods to the Great Lakes, Georgia’s been reintroducing these ancient fish to the Coosa River Basin since 2002. Over 435,000 stocked so far—and the biggest one caught? Nearly 40 pounds!

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast, North, and Central Georgia; Southwest Georgia will be back next week. Need a mental reset? Grab a rod, hit the water, and let the calm do its thing—because fishing is therapy. Go Fish Georgia!

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

I received very few reports this week, but a few people got on them. The bass fishing in ponds and bowfin fishing in the Okefenokee were best this week.

River gages on August 21st were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 11.6 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 5.8 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 10.3 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla – 8.7 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 10.6 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 8.8 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 3.6 feet and rising
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 7.0 feet and rising

First quarter moon is August 31st. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The rising water finally slowed the bite some, but trolling for bowfin was still effective. Cale Brown came down and fished with me on the east side Saturday and caught a total of 22 fish in a half-day trip. We spent the first hour trying to catch a warmouth, but were unsuccessful. He caught a couple bowfin casting Dura-Spins, but the fish were spread out enough that trolling was the best presentation. The total was 20 bowfin and 2 pickerel (and lost 2 other pickerel). Jackfish, fire tiger-chartreuse blade, and lemon-lime Dura-Spins were best that day. I fished the east side by myself on Tuesday and was unsuccessful for warmouth and catfish, but when I went after bowfin they were biting well. Trolling crawfish-brass blade Dura-Spins was the ticket. I caught a total of 14 fish during a short trip. Curtis Hazel fished the east side a couple of times this week and caught a few bowfin each time on Dura-Spins. He did a lot of exploring with the higher water. Matthew (new to fishing the swamp) caught a 22-inch bowfin Thursday while casting a spoon in the canals on the east side. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 121.18 feet.

HUGH M. GILLIS  PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin)

Bass fishing has been very good for Ken Burke. He fished the area twice this week and caught bass each time. The first trip he fished 4 hours and caught 18 bass that weighed about 24 pounds. He caught 13 of them off a single point. Almost all of the fish ate a shad-colored crankbait. On his second trip he fished 4 1/2 hours and caught 16 bass that weighed 22 pounds. His biggest was just over 1 1/2 pounds. He had 4 fish on a shaky head worm and a dozen on a shad-colored crankbait. He got on a couple schools of bass that busted bait on the surface and caught some quickly. Another group of anglers talked with Ken, and he shared the location of the schooling fish. They found the schooling bass and caught a handful of them pretty quickly, as well.

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville)

Ocmulgee PFA was repaved this week. The area will be open on Saturday for anglers.

SATILLA RIVER

Chad Lee fished the extreme upper river over the weekend and worked for them but caught a half-dozen redbreasts on artificials. He said it was up and stained but fishable.

ST. MARYS RIVER

Matt Rouse caught a couple messes of catfish (bullheads) from deep holes in the upper river this week. Shrimp on the bottom worked best. Curtis Hazel fished the upper river and caught a couple big bluegills and a redbreast on artificials. Sandbars and blowdowns annoyed him in the upper river.

LOCAL PONDS

Joshua Barber fished a Waycross area pond and had a 6-lb., 10-oz. bass inhale his swimbait on Saturday. Jimmy Zinker fish ponds this week and said that the topwater bite has turned on. He caught 7 Thursday morning on Musky Jitterbugs and Squeaker Trophy Bass Buzzbaits. Ten bass ate his topwaters Tuesday night, including one that pulled the scales down to 7-lb., 11-oz.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Hurricane Erin was the story this week. Even though it stayed well offshore, her winds and swells churned up the coast. One angler said that he checked his inland dock Thursday, and the water looked like coffee with lots of cream. I heard of a few trout and some sharks being caught, but the reports I received were unimpressive. 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 also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. For the latest information and their hours, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Blog Contributor Capt. Bert Deener guides fishing trips in southeast Georgia and makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert’s Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call or text him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him (bertdeener@yahoo.com).

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

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

RESERVOIR REPORT 

LAKE ALLATOONA IS 1 FOOT BELOW 840, 80’S

Allatoona Bass (Courtesy of Taylor Rampley, Georgia Outdoor News) — Tournament angler Matt Tumlin says the fishing on Lake Allatoona has been par for the course over the last several weeks. With hot temperatures during the middle of the day, and low temperatures still staying fairly warm, the bass have been biting great. Matt said the Tuesday night tournaments are taking 9 to 11 pounds to win on average. “The more consistent the weather, the better the bite has been for us,” said Matt. The topwater bite has slowed a bit. Matt attributes that to the changing in the time of year. As the daylight gets less and less, and nighttime temperatures begin to cool off, the midday topwater bite will decrease. If you are lucky enough to find some baitfish, that’s where you’ll find the most success. “We’re still seeing plenty of baitfish, specifically herring. They’re not really isolated in one particular area, they’re all over the place,” said Matt. Matt has most of his success using a baitcaster reel with 10-lb. fluorocarbon and any type of popper lure, such as a Chug Bug, during early to mid-morning hours. As the day progresses, he switches over to a jig or finesse worm. “In the mornings, I like to start shallow and use topwater or ChatterBaits. As the day progresses, I tend to slow down and fish brushpiles or other types of cover out on lake points,” says Matt. During daylight hours, the fish have been around 20 to 25 feet deep. At night, they begin moving up shallow to feed.

Night Bite: Typically, when Matt starts his evening tournaments, he does more of the same. He starts shallow and ends up deep. The only difference between how he fishes in the daylight and how he fishes at night is the color of his lure. “I like to switch to all dark colors once in gets dark outside. I also like to try and find some type of light source, whether it’s on a dock or a streetlight shining onto the water,” says Matt. I asked Matt about the largemouth bite. “Sometimes I will go weeks without catching a largemouth. If I ease up a creek channel, or find some structure in shallower areas, then I might catch a couple.” Matt typically stays on the bigger water in the lake, fishing points and bluff walls or pitching a jig in a brushpile. He did want to make mention that with summer coming to an end, the bite will begin to change. The bass will start to transition, and many will have to change tactics. “With fall approaching, be ready to downsize bait and use more natural colors, such as those of a crawdad.”

Boat Traffic: Now that school has started back for much of the area, Matt said he’s seeing much less boat traffic during the week. However, this is not the case for the weekends. “Its still pretty hectic on the weekends. We don’t stay on the water too long. If I was able, I would fish more during the week,” says Matt.

Allatoona Mixed Bag Report: (Courtesy of CrappieMan- Allatoona Guide Service (678) 229-8110) and Red Rooster Custom Baits) —

It’s been a couple of weeks since we had a chance to put out a fishing report and to be honest August is not a thrilling time to be out on Lake Allatoona. Historically, at least for Crappie fishermen, August and September are really hit or miss due to the water temps being in the mid to high 80’s. The window of activity is small in the morning and late evenings. Now you can still find hungry crappie but it is a lot of work and planning this time of year.

Crappie– As stated in previous reports, the summer report will be very repetitive between now and September/October…it’s summer and the crappie will be in their deep water hangouts. The morning bite is when you will find active crappie hovering around the structure/brush piles. They tend to be much more prone to bite a jig or minnow between 0600 – 1000. After 1000 they seem to get lockjaw no matter what you throw at ’em whether it be a jig or a minnow. That’s just summertime crappie fishing. This past week the water temps did drop due to milder than normal temperatures. The water temps had dropped down to 80 – 82 degrees and that was the afternoon temps! We found a good school of crappie hanging out on a channel break suspended over 30′ of water anywhere from 10′ – 16′ deep. To our surprise they wanted a bigger bait moving fast! We caught several keeper crappie with a Kic’n Chic’n XL (2.3″) in the Blue Glimmer color. Sometimes you hit them just right and they are ready to chase a jig which is few and far between this time of year. It was fun while it lasted. The other times we went out they were buried in the brush and were not budging unless you dropped a small jig like the Red Rooster Dagger on their nose…even then you had to let it sit over the top of ’em and every now and then they would move up to get it. The general rule for the time being is to hit several locations to find a few active crappie. The crappie should be be found on structure anywhere from 16′ to 22′ deep and they are typically suspended above the structure in 10′ – 16′ (Just above the Thermocline). You can also find crappie on deep water docks, when we say deep water docks, we are talking about docks that sit in at least 20′ of water. If you are shooting docks, we recommend a 1/32nd oz. jig head for a slow fall. Let it sink for about 10 – 15 seconds and then slowly start reeling to the boat. If you are casting to structure you want to use a 1/16th or 3/32nd oz. jig head and let them fall down in and around the structure, count down to 10 and slowly reel your jig back to the boat. Counting to 10 using a 1/16th oz. jig head should put your jig in the 10′ – 12′ range. When the bite slows down, switch to spider rigging minnows in and around structure to finish out the trip. If you are throwing jigs make sure to use natural color jigs like a Red Rooster Dagger in UV Shad, Gray Ghost, Watermelon Ghost or Motor Oil Red. These are great colors and sizes to start with first thing in the morning. This time of year we start downsizing our jigs to the 1.5″ Red Rooster Dagger. The crappie start getting real finicky if the jigs are larger. The small profile matches the smaller baitfish perfectly and are our number one jigs of choice for the summer time. If you are Spider Rigging, 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′.

Bluegill– The bluegill should be in the shallows in the early morning and then moving a little deeper to 4′ to 8′ in the afternoon/evening. We are catching bluegill using nightcrawlers, red wigglers or crickets. 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 in the morning and then changing the bobber depth as it gets later in the day to pick up some deeper bluegill.

Shellcracker (Redear sunfish)– To be fair we have not fished for Shellcracker during the month of July or August but from what we understand you can still find them in 6′ – 10′ of water around wood. If you are fishing around laydowns, stick ups, stumps that are at this depth you should be able to pick up a few with a nightcrawler or red wiggler. 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. We are primarily using either a red wiggler or nightcrawler.

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

LAKE CHATUGE IS 1.5’ BELOW 1925.00, 70’S

Spotted Bass (Courtesy of Taylor Rampley, Georgia Outdoor News)- Mitchell Grimsley, with Mitchell Grimsley Fishing Guide Services, says the topwater bite is still the best tactic to use on Lake Chatuge, and its only getting better. When we’re guiding, we’re catching fish at all hours of the day,” says Mitchell. Main-lake points where brushpiles are located have been the the ticket for much of this summer for Mitchell and team. He tells me that the fish are in large schools on and around these main points, where they’re ambushing baitfish. Mitchell has been using his spinning reel with 20-lb. braid paired with walking style baits, flukes or swim baits to catch most of his fish. Most of the baits he is using are Chug Bugs, or Shower Blows 125 in size. Mitchell says, “Those three types of baits are all I throw during the day.” The herring and shad are still very prevalent on the lake this time of year. If you use any kind of imaging, they shouldn’t be hard to find. Mitchell is using his Livescope to find schools of herring scattered all over the lake. “They’re everywhere,” says Mitchell. Most of the fish he has been catching are in anywhere from 20 to 30 feet of water. On average, the fish they are catching are between 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 pounds. During a four-hour guide trip with Mitchell, you can expect to catch anywhere from 20 to 30 fish at a time. And for those who may be a bit more experienced, Mitchell tells me you can even catch upwards of 40 per trip. “With the lakes water level coming down, it’s making the fishing even better,” says Mitchell. When water levels start dropping, the fish tend to start gravitating toward deeper water where brushpiles are located and that is where they have most of their success.

Largemouth Bass: For the largemouth bass, it’s more of the same. Very similar in nature to how they’re catching their spotted bass. Focus on main-lake points and brush piles. Mitchell says, “We’re catching one largemouth to every 10 spotted bass, but when we hook into a largemouth, they’re usually pretty big. 5+ pounds at times.” Mitchell tells me that he likes to use data from previous years to locate the brushpiles that are known to hold fish.

Night Bite: Mitchell also fishes tournaments during the weekday evenings. So far this year, for a 3-fish tournament, 10 to 13 pounds is what is winning. Bluffs and rock walls are Mitchell’s go-to at night, along with the same brushpiles he fishes during the day. “At night, I like to use dark colored jigs, or dark colored worms like a 6-inch Zoom Trick Worm on a Texas rig,” says Mitchell. “The fishing gets better as the night goes on. The later in the evening, around 11:00-12:00 at night, the better.”

Boat Traffic: Boat traffic has been minimal on Chatuge as of late. Now that summer is over and families have resumed school, you’ll see fewer boats than usual. “During the weekdays, you pretty much have the lake to yourself. On weekends, you might see a few boats here and there, but it’s nothing drastic.”

You can contact Mitchell for a guide trip to see exactly how he fishes by calling or texting him at 706.970.0971 or at yourlakechatugefishingguide.com. Mitchell will also do electronics instruction, and he posts how-to videos on his Instagram at mitchellgrimsley-fishing.

LAKE HARTWELL

Hartwell Bass (Courtesy of Guide Lane Clark (864-254-8614)— Guide Lane Clark reports that August can be pretty tough for bass fishing on Hartwell, and in the latter half of July fishing slowed down. However, they are optimistic that some cooler weather could bring in improvement in the offshore topwater bite, and even in late July when storms would cool things off fish would temporarily start feeding. Fish can be caught on drop shots and shaky heads around deep brush piles, but fishing with topwaters and flukes for suspended fish is usually most effective if fish are active. There can also be some shallow action for fish feeding on bream.

Striper and Hybrids (Courtesy of Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011)- Captain Chip Hamilton reports that in August fish will stay in pretty similar patterns over deep water in the main river channels. Sometimes they will suspend over trees, sometimes they will suspend over clean spots, and sometimes catchable fish will be on the bottom in clean areas. By late July most of the fish had moved out of the Seneca and Tugaloo, and in August even more fish will be in the main Savannah River channel, and most will be caught within sight of the dam. It will still be a down-rod bite and hopefully it will be well into August before the fishing slows down.

Crappie (Courtesy of Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143)– Guide Rodney Donald reports that August fishing should look a lot like July, and fish will be over deeper brush in the creek runs or around main lake timber. Jigs and minnows will both catch fish but in the heat expect fish to be more lethargic than earlier in the summer.

Catfish (Courtesy of Captain Bill Plumley)– Captain Bill Plumley reports that during August channel catfish should bite in 20-plus feet of water on a variety of baits including cut herring, dip baits and nightcrawlers. Blues are often unfishable in the deep timber, although you can sometimes find them over humps, but this is a good month for flatheads on live bait.

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN ONE FOOT, 80’S 

Lanier Bass (Report courtesy of Phil Johnson through Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com, pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is currently slightly over one foot below full pool, and the water temperature is running in the low eighties, Overall the lake is clear with some slight staining up the rivers. The bass are still in their summer patterns and locating around structure in thirty foot or deeper water. Look for structure on humps, ledges and the ends of long points. There is still some top water action with either a Skimmer or a Chug Bug so have one tied on and ready for when they do come up. The Fluke has been a good option when worked over deeper structure or off the points especially if there is some wind. White or Blue Pearl have been steady colors to use. The Spot Choker has been steady when paired with a white, chartreuse or citrus shad color fluke. Using your FFS, cast the Spot Choker past the structure and quickly reel it by it watching for the bass to react. A quick pause in the retrieve often triggers the strike. This bait can be effective at any depth, and you can find fish in water as deep as one hundred feet with standing timber. The drop shot with a Blue Lily or Morning Dawn worm has been working on the bass around structure in the thirty to forty foot range but be prepared to check several areas for the active bite. It takes a little more effort this time of year but some really nice bass are being caught deep so get out there and go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Stripers: (Courtesy of The Striper Experience Guide Service and GA WRD Fisheries Biologist Josh Stafford) — The lake level is at 1070.05 (.95 feet below full pool) with water temperatures from 79-80 degrees and the main lake is clear. Water temps had reached their normal summer temps, but the recent cool nights and rain has severely reduced the lake temperatures.  The lake is definitely setting up a thermocline at the 35 foot depths closer to Hwy 369 and closer to 45 feet of water closer to the dam.  Most of the stripers have pushed down below the bridge and are in their normal summertime hangouts.  South end creek channels like Orr, Flowery Branch, Two Mile, Young Deer, and Bald Ridge all have fish in them.  In early August there will still be some fish in primary creek pockets and main lake pockets in 45-75 feet of water first thing in the morning, but as the sun gets up they will move out to the creek channels and the river channel in 90-120’ of water.  The best bet for catching these fish is a down lined herring placed 30-80’ down, over and in these fish.  The key to catching fish in August is to make sure that your bait is as lively as possible.  The herring are easily stressed out so give them plenty of leader to swim on.  Attach a Striper Tackle 1.75 oz Pro Pencil sinker to your main line and then 8-10’ of 12# fluorocarbon leader to a #1 octopus or octopus circle hook and change your baits out every 3-5 minutes as well.  This long, light set up will allow the herring to swim as natural as possible without stressing it out dragging a big heavy leader and hook around.  You will go thru a lot of herring this time of year if you want the best bait possible down there, so make sure you are prepared to bring along a bunch.  We will be taking around 6 dozen baits for a four-hour trip knowing that we will be sending down fresh baits often. The power reeling bite will also be a go to technique as the schools get bigger and bigger as the smaller schools get pushed together.  A Striper Tackle Hawg spoon or a 2 oz Capt Mack’s Chipmunk jig with a 6” white or chartreuse u-tail trailer will be the best choices for power reeling to these fish that are stacked up under the boat.  Drop down past the school and start cranking it back up thru the school and hang on because when that fish eats it will try to rip the rod out of your hands. A lot of time, especially with the spoon, they will eat your artificial as it is going down, so make sure you are watching and feeling that line for any sort of difference as it falling. This technique is a great way to keep a school of fish fired up as you will be keeping them interested in eating because of the movement of the baits down and back through them.

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

WEST POINT LAKE IS FULL, 80’S 

West Point Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is good. Some largemouth are starting to show up on deeper brush piles and roadbeds as the water warms and drops a little. Best fishing is around brush piles or cover even in these areas. Try deep diving crankbaits or Texas rigged Old Monster worms. Top water baits such as Pop R, Zara Spooks in bone and buzz baits can still be effective for shallow fish especially around bream beds. Some largemouth are still being weighed in by guys who sight fish targeting bass that are around these beds feeding on the bream. Spotted bass and some largemouth are being caught by casting Spot Remover heads loaded with Zoom Speed Craws or dragging a Carolina rigged Zoom Finesse or Zoom Trick worms around sloping gravel banks and shoal marker poles. Also try a small Texas rigged worm or a pig ’n jig around any fairly deep blowdowns. Try fishing around the bridges and bridge pilings with small crankbaits and shaky head rigs especially during periods of water generation. All summer expect the fishing for all species to be better during the time when they are generating power at the dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, will initiate a drawdown at West Point Dam beginning August 1, 2025 to support scheduled maintenance on the concrete pier between spillway gates 5 and 6. The drawdown will proceed gradually lowering the lake from elevation 635 feet to 625 feet, depending on weather conditions. The lake is expected to reach elevation 630 feet by Labor Day, a level chosen to balance the project’s flood risk management, hydropower, and recreation missions. The drawdown will continue to be lowered until it reaches the target elevation of 625 feet by October 1, 2025. Maintenance and repair work is scheduled to occur from October 1, 2025, through January 15, 2026. Once repairs are complete, the lake level will gradually return to normal as conditions allow. For more information, contact the West Point Project Manager’s Office at 706 645 2937.

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.

WEISS LAKE IS FULL, 80’S

Lake Weiss Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com)– Bass fishing is good. Most fish have moved to a summer pattern on main lake point’s roadbeds and the creek and river channels. Crankbaits and Carolina rigs are working well. Spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits in and around the grass beds are still producing a few fish. Use a Spro rog or a frog with purple strands for legs. Prop baits are another good choice a Pop R in bluegill colors and a Rapala minnow twitched on top. Many are working the shaky head worm with a chartreuse tail or a Zoom green pumpkin finesse worm in redbug. In the grass beds, a frog or buzz bait early then a worm in the grass and then retrieved out 2 to 3 feet from the grass will get some bites. This should be consistent fishing for a few weeks. Soon it will get tougher but fishing early in the morning will be the best bet as water temperatures will be high.

Lake Weiss Crappie (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com)– Crappie fishing is good. Anglers are catching fish by dropping minnows on No. 2 gold Aberdeen hooks into the many submerged trees and brush piles throughout the lake. Use the Lowrance Side Scan and Down Scan to locate deeper trees and brush piles that are holding fish. Some of the bigger fish my clients are catching are coming from trees 15 to 20 feet down in 40 to 50 feet of water. This pattern will stay through the rest of the summer months so get out there and get in on the action.

SMALL IMPOUNDMENT REPORT

Buck Shoals WMA (Courtesy of Josh Stafford, GA WRD Fisheries Biologist)– GA DNR hosted another kids fishing event at Buck Shoals WMA this past Saturday. We had 64 people that attended and nearly 100 fish were caught amongst the group. Most of the fish that were caught were channel catfish and bluegill, but a good amount of redear sunfish and largemouth bass were landed by anglers as well.

TROUT REPORT 

Trout Info and Trout Stocking: To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities, including the latest stocking information, visit 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 (Courtesy of Tad Murdock, Georgia Wild Trout Guide Service)– The dog day of summer mean it’s time to escape the heat and head for the headwaters and small streams of North Georgia or the cooled tailwaters of the Chattahoochee River or Toccoa River. The dry fly bite has been excellent. Trout can be caught on a myriad of flies as all insects are present in the past few weeks. Stoneflies, mayflies, caddis and terrestrial imitations will catch fish throughout the day. We have seen fair numbers of tricos, salmonflies, and the occasional caddis flying around. If you are out at an odd time when trout don’t want to rise add a small/simple dropper fly below your dry. Majority of the hatching bugs are on the small end of the spectrum with some larger mayflies showing up in the evening. The Appalachian slam (brook, brown, and rainbow trout) is still very achievable on most days and will earn you a Trout Slam too! Several customers have landed theirs on half day outings since June. Be sure to keep an eye for yellow jacket nests as they’ve been quite abundant on the overhanging limbs again this year. The afternoon thunderstorms can pop up quickly as well, the thunder and lightning are not quite as scary as the heavy winds which down branches and trees quickly.

Chattahoochee Tailwater: The tailwater below Lanier is still a good bet for a shorter day on the water. The normal patterns of midges and junk flies are still catching most of the trout. The recent rains we have had have thrown a bit of a curveball at the trout but with the right adjustments you can still do well. Bigger flies or small streamers have been fishing well in the lowlight hours. For a break in the trout action, bigger groups of bass than normal have also been gathering at the mouths of creeks once water levels in the feeder creeks reside. August is a great time to get out on the tailwater before the Lanier turnover begins at the end of the month which will render the river less than ideal.

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) 

This Central Georgia fishing report is made possible through information from Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report, and contributions from Region 3 WRD Fisheries staff, local guides, and anglers.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL DOWN 2 FOOT, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. The largemouth and spots are beginning to feed. Expect the best action on points and off the rip rap early in morning. The shad have recently spawned and bunches of them can be found up shallow in the rocks and under over hanging trees. Small bass and bream are chasing these shad with the bigger fish mainly feeding on the bream and crawfish. Use the Rapala Shad Raps and DT6 early and switch to small jigs and worms on a Carolina rigs. Also try using a double Colorado blade spinner bait on the main lake rocky points. Watch the Fish and Game Forecaster and fish the major feeding period during the day for better success. There are plenty of stumps in 25 to 50 feet of water all over this lake. Use the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and scan the creeks up lake for the stumps holding in the fish. This is a typical summer time pattern. A slow presentation along with patience is also needed. Four inch worms and small flukes seem to be the favorite baits to use.

Bass 2 (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that bass should be in fairly tight, deep schools in August. Fishing with deep-running crankbaits or drop shot rigs around deep structure will be the best pattern, and of course live bait will catch fish. You can also find some shallower largemouth in the creeks. At the end of July the bite was still strong, and they hope it stays that way in August.

Striped Bass (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in August they expect to continue to find a good bite for striped bass on the lower end of the lake with down-lines. Another group of fish will be found in shallower water below the Hartwell dam where cool water temperatures on the upper end of the lake can draw in striper.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fish should still be caught on deeper brush in August, but at the end of July the creeks were pretty dead and you had to fish the main lake. With some cooling this could change in August, but to start off the month expect fish to be in coves off the main body of water. They will be caught on jigs and minnows.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that fish will be caught this month in 10-35 feet of water on cut herring and more.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 2.1 FOOT, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is slow. Early in the morning the surface temperature is high but cooler weather is coming. Up in the Little River the water color is slightly stained and bass are on the thicker grassy bottoms up shallow. Watch the Fish and Game Forecaster and fish the major feeding period during the day for better success. Most of the fishing is with the Carolina rig. And of course a Zoom pumpkin seed lizard and use bit the small one and the larger one. Continue using the Carolina rig and a have the Rapala DT10 or DT14 out in deeper water. Use the light fresh 8 pound test Sufix clear Elite line will get these baits deeper. Always have the Zoom Super Fluke in pearl ready and try fishing it fast first then slow down and keep it just below the surface. Dip the tail in some Spike it garlic chartreuse color.

Bass 2 (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that August is usually a tough month for bass fishing on Lake Thurmond, but at times July fished better than expected in deep water and August could too. One group of fish is shallow-feeding on bream and will take topwater lures and buzzbaits, while another group of fish is offshore. They will take soft plastics on the bottom around humps and brush – but the best bite is when they come up to take topwater lures or flukes.

Striper and hybrids (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that in August catchable fish should be concentrated in a small area in the lower lake where they will be caught on down-lined herring in deep water. Earlier in the day they can be shallower, and as the day goes on they will move deeper. A lot of fish will be in the vicinity of the oxygen lines.

Linesides 2 (courtesy of McDuffie Area Manager Chalisa Fabillar) — Matt Palmer and his brother have been hitting The Hill day and night recently to take advantage of big striper feeding aggressively on shad and herring in the lower reservoir. Downlining live herring and shad matches the hatch and brings the big fish to the boat. As we move into the month of September and surface temperatures begin to decrease, you’ll find that striped bass become more scattered throughout the reservoir.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service reports that there is traditionally very little fishing activity for crappie in the heat of August, but fish are usually around deep brush where they can be caught on minnows. At the end of July the bite was better than expected in the backs of creeks and it could stay the same this month.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson reports that in August fish will continue to move shallower early and late and deeper during the heat of the day. Fan-casting baits at a variety of depths is the best pattern. Exercise caution, but night-time is often the right time to fish for catfish in the summer on Lake Thurmond.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Richland Creek and the main lake are clear, up the river is stained. On the south end there is a good frog bite in the grass early in the mornings. Soft plastics fished under docks and on wood structure in the rivers above I20 will also produce. There is still a buzz bait bite on the main lake on deep banks with sea walls and deep water nearby. This is an early morning or late evening bite.

Striper (courtesy of Doug Nelms & Big Fish Heads Guide Service): Doug reports that with the lake so heavily stained the lineside effort has come to a grinding halt. Keep an eye on the tribs as they will tend to clear first before the dust settles in the coves heading out to the main lake. Eventually, the forebay area will lose its color and downlining live bait, freelining, and trolling over the active oxygen lines should produce bites once again.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is slow. A few fish continue to hit top water baits at first light. Use a Pop R, Chug Bug, and Tiny Torpedo along main river and creek banks that drop quickly into deep water. A few more fish are beginning to feed around docks and boat houses especially those with good depth and brush present. Watch the Fish and Game Forecaster and fish the major feeding period during the day for better success. Soft plastics continue to be the best chance for success along with an occasional bite using small to medium crank baits and jigs. If a normal presentation isn’t producing, try “dead sticking” the bait, allowing it to sit motionless for 10 to 30 seconds before moving slightly. Open water structure fishing has gotten tougher, but bass can still be caught around some points and ledges, especially up both rivers. Depths are mostly 6 to 15 feet deep up the lake. Carolina rigs and crank baits are proven choices, but lightweight Texas rigs and jig head and worm rigs are better on some days. Watch the Fish and Game Forecaster and fish the major feeding period during the day for better success. A Zoom u tail worm works great rigged Texas style with a 1/8 to ¼ ounce weight. Also try a Finesse worm rigged on a 1/16 to 3/16 ounce jig head like a Spotsticker. For either of these worm rigs, use the lightest weight possible, with wind or current dictating the size. These same rigs are also producing a few fish along rip rap.

Bream: By August, shellcracker fishing on Lake Sinclair slows compared to the spring peak, but persistent anglers can still find success targeting deep, shaded areas with harder bottom, and aligning their fishing effort with full moon windows when shellcracker will bed. Using electronics or scanning shallow water for saucer-shaped depressions will reveal large spawning beds, and opportunity for success. Focus on the edges of creek channels, main-lake flats, or points with sand or gravel substrate in 4 – 8 feet of water. Areas near Twin Bridges, Crooked Creek, and Rooty Creek often hold scattered fish through late summer. Bottom fishing with red wigglers or small pieces of nightcrawler on a Carolina rig is the go-to tactic. Early morning and evening hours offer the best chance for active fish, especially in areas with some current or cooler inflows. Be patient and prepared to move often to locate reliable concentrations of late-summer redear.

Catfish (courtesy of The Ol’ Captain): A white rooster tail in the stained waters of Crooked Creek helped him bring in a big ol’ blue on a Walmart special this week. It took a lot of patience of self-assurances to tire the big blue out, but Ol’ Captain’s been well educated by Crooked Creek over the years and landed his fish with eventual ease. Check out the action here. It put a smile on my face, and I’m sure it will yours, too.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Early in the day some small bass are roaming the banks as well as on the ends of points. The bass are shallow around any wood and cast baits to shadows all day. Have a green Zoom finesse worm down lake on the Weedless Wonder heads and use the lighter weights. The bite has been light from the fish. Watch the Fish and Game Forecaster and fish the major feeding period during the day for better success. Look in the mid lake half way back in the creeks and hit any dock or on points. Brush is a must and the fish are on the shady sides. This is the lake to use the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and scan the docks before stopping the boat and use the palette #9. Try a 1/2 ounce Mini Me spinner bait and be sure there is some green in the skirts. Zoom Baby Bush Hogs in greens o drop shot rig mid lake at the creek mouths an work be sure to work the baits slowly on wood and docks. Use a rigs and fish all lures slowly and let them fall. There has not been a decent top water bite all week. Cooler nights are on the way. Any rain could fire up the bits so watch the water temperatures all day.

Brad Snipes caught a flathead catfish on Lake Jackson

Catfish (courtesy of WRD Fishing Forecasts): Lake Jackson provides an array of catfish species with fishable populations including bullheads, channel, white, blue and flathead catfish. Jackson holds a greater proportion of large sized channel and blue cats than most other central Georgia reservoirs and most will average 3-5 pounds. If anglers are patient, some trophy channel catfish exceeding 20 pounds are available. Anglers should target deep holes mid-lake for trophy catfish. Highway 36 bridge on the South River Arm has been a popular area when targeting large catfish. Most trophies caught have been at night. Lake Jackson is an untapped resource for anglers targeting catfish. The current lake record flathead exceeds 50 pounds! Cut shad and liver fished on or just off the bottom is effective. Night fishing with live bream may also produce some quality catfish. Target the deep waters near the dam or deep holes on the outside bend of the old creek channels. Flathead catfish will typically be found near rocky structures or hard bottoms.  Mid-lake and the South River arm are current hot spots on the lake. Popular areas include the South River Arm near the 36-bridge crossing . Most large fish caught have been by anglers fishing at night.

LAKE JULIETTE

Linesides (courtesy of Jeff Mooney with All Seasons Guide Service): Jeff reports the bite can be both challenging but rewarding on Juliette in August. There’s a quality over quantity theme right now, suggesting an off year for numbers, but that may improve

Hybrids caught on Juliette

as we move into fall and the fish start congregating in large schools. Currently, covering lots of water with electronics will help you find scattered schools, and using a combination of live bait (blueback herring, threadfin, or gizzard shad), bucktail jigs, and spoons are all effective on different days. The fish aren’t keyed into any specific depths or features quite yet and seem to be roaming the reservoir in pursuit of baitfish.

RIVER REPORT 

SAVANNAH RIVER

Linesides (courtesy of Lost Pond Fishing): Our river buddy with Lost Pond had an “epic” day on the Savannah recently. He reports, “Not every day is like this but when that day arrives….you better be in the river, because it is incredible. I landed at least 30 fish this on this morning. I had three big fish get off, one really big striper bent two of the three hooks on a treble straight. My cameras didn’t catch it all, but they caught a lot. Come see how good river fishing below dams can be when it’s really on.” Live bait and some heavy action rods were the ticket to this memorable day out on the water. Hopefully, this video whets your appetite for a river fishing trip soon!

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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

Overall, fishing activity has slowed with the recent heat wave, but cooler weather this week has increased angler traffic and success at McDuffie.  Anglers are reporting less successful trips on the PFA during the mid-day window, but better activity in the morning and evenings. Overcast, cloudy days like we’ve had recently will create excellent, long windows for great fishing activity.  Throughout the month of July, McDuffie PFA treated nuisance algae on PFA ponds, so anglers should enjoy catching more fish and less hangups on vegetation in August. Fishing early morning or early evening periods will be the best bet for avoiding the heat and aligning with the best bite windows for bass, bream, and other species on the PFA. The sunsets over Jones Lake are a good enough reason alone to launch your boat or kayak and get in some casts in before last light.

Bass: Bass anglers are successful when targeting deep structures and features.  Use a Wacky or Carolina rig in deep water around logs or stumps.  Swim baits that mimic golden shiners will also be effective when fished deliberately around riprap on dam faces.

Striped and Hybrid Bass:  Few striped or hybrid striped bass have been caught on the PFA recently.  Anglers should use chicken livers on Bridge or Clubhouse lake to have a chance at landing a lineside.

Channel Catfish:  Catfish are a best bet species option during the month of August.  Anglers seem to have better luck in the mornings while using either chicken livers or an artificial bait. This week, Willow angler “Dee” caught a nice channel on cut chicken breast.

Bream:  Quality bream catches have challenged some anglers recently, but the numbers are always there. Target bream using traditional summer terrestrials like live worms or even better, crickets, in and around shallow habitat and brush.

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

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

Bass: Anglers are reporting success from a wide variety of lures. Topwater frogs, buzzbaits, and rubber worms in red, green, and blue have been producing catches  between 2 and 6 lbs.

Fishing on Flat Creek

Bream: The bream bite has slowed slightly, but fishing during cooler hours should continue to produce catches. Red Wigglers continue to produce.

Crappie:  Use live minnows and jigs while targeting deeper, cooler water overnight and early in the morning since Crappie are hugging tight to structure.

Catfish: Anglers fishing at night and early in the morning are reporting 5-6lb catfish while daytime anglers are reporting 1-3lb catfish. Catfish are being caught on chicken livers, live baitfish, and cut baitfish. 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: 16” – 24”
• Surface temperature: Upper 80s+
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Early morning and late afternoon have been the most productive for bass.  Several nice hybrid bass have been caught at Bennett Lake.  There are large schools of small shad on the surface most every afternoon late.  Smaller largemouth have been observed feeding on schooling threadfin on Fox Lake in the open water.

Crappie: A few crappie are being caught this time of year.  If you fish for crappie in August, your best bet is to fish deep (> 10 ft. depths) and cover a lot of water.  Look for suspended fish over large brush piles.

Bream: Most of the larger bream are being caught on the bottom in deeper water near dams and creek channels, unless they are on the bed around the full moon.  Waxworms, crickets and pink worms continue to be good bait.

Channel Catfish:  Several nice channel catfish have been harvested at Fox Lake.  Anglers are fishing with night crawlers and cut bait on the bottom on flats adjacent to deep water.

Like this:

Like Loading…

Related