March 28, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

It has been a long winter, but spring is here and the trout are hitting the water, thanks to the long-standing partnership between the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resource Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

“The last week of March is the beginning of regular weekly trout stockings from now until Labor Day. We have four trout hatcheries and nine trout transport trucks that will be busy dispersing 50,000 trout across North Georgia,” said WRD Trout Stocking Coordinator, John Lee Thomson.  “The spring is the best time of year for trout fishing in Georgia. Streams are cold and flows are usually good, add in these weekly stockings and high catch rates are easily achievable.”

Have you penciled in a trout fishing trip this Spring yet? Get to it!

• Fish and Learn: Our Fish-N-Learn 2 is an intermediate level program designed for those interested in learning more about the basics of bass fishing! The weekend event will take place on April 25-27 (but you have to register by Apr. 9). Participants will stay and dine at the Charlie Elliott Conference Center.  The weekend will include fishing at Marben PFA as well as educational programs on equipment, fishing regulations, and species identification. Cost is $130.
• Blue Ridge Trout and Outdoor Adventures Festival: Go ahead and put this trout fishing and adventure planning event on your calendar for April 26 – it’s sure to be a good time for all! 
• Watch for Invaders on Georgia Waters: Are your waters safe from invaders? Whether you are an angler, boater, or other outdoor water recreation enthusiast, be on the lookout for Aquatic Nuisance Invaders (ANS) and report them, if seen. Find out what kinds of aquatic invaders might be seen and where to report them at GeorgiaWildlife.com/ans.

This week we have fishing reports from Central, Southeast and North Georgia. Southwest Georgia will be back next week with a new report. Whether it is a trout fishing trip or just a “let’s see what we get” trip, we appreciate that you Go Fish Georgia!

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

The reservoir reports below are brought to you by Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report, with contributions from Region 3 WRD Fisheries staff, local guides, and anglers.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.0 FEET, 60’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. Use a shallow running shad or bream DT Rapala crank bait and Stanley all white spinnerbaits. The green Zoom trick worm or a Zoom pumpkinseed lizard will work on the secondary points in the longer creeks and find shady banks early and late and then use a Bass Pro Shops Enticer buzz bait with a gold blade. Megabass Vision 110+1 jerk bait is tuned to match the of a real bait fish. Its sister bait the Megabass Vision 110 jerk bait is already a legend, and this bait will ride its coat tails. These but they are worth every dollar. Try the Alabama rig with small Zoom pearl flukes on a 1/8th ounce lead head and be sure to use a braid to save the rig if it hangs up. Up the rivers and on deeper creeks on points, use a shad color Shad Rap in the #5 size. Lower lake creeks on outside creek bends are good with spinner baits and the Poe’s 300 bone crank bait.

Striped Bass (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in March fish will be scattered all over the lake, but they will also move shallower. Pulling live herring on free-lines and planer boards is usually the best pattern.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that in March fish will start to move shallower, and depending on weather conditions there will often be a strong spawn this month. It can happen very fast once air temperatures get into the 70–80-degree range, and usually the biggest fish spawn first. Trolling jigs is usually the best pattern until fish are actually bedding, and then they can be caught casting jigs or minnows to the shallows.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that in March catfish will start to bite better again, and they can be caught on shallow points with cut herring.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 60’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The bass are roaming around in the shallows lake wide so anglers should do the same. Use a Texas rigged worm or jig and pig. Some top water action has been occurring mid-day and at dusk. Husky jerk baits and jigs along with Rapala Shad Raps will catch bass this week. There are lots of bass are on the move and will be a lot more aggressive this week. The spots are holding on gravel and rocky point in 4 to 11 feet of water. Use Carolina rigged worms in most any color pumpkinseed, green and purple. A Zoom trick worm fished with a slip shot up 18 to 24 inches fished in the pockets around the lake is working well.

Striper and Hybrids (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that in March fish will move shallower off channel points, and first thing in the morning there should be a really strong bite right at daybreak. After that it will be more of a grind with deeper down-rods, although some anglers will pull planer boards across points.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that – except for the wind – March is one of the best months of the year for catching crappie on Clarks Hill. Generally, fish are feeding heavily in preparation for the spawn and then actually spawning, and they will be shallow in the backs of creeks and coves as well as along the banks around cover. Long-line trolling, tight-lining, and casting a cork with a jig/minnow at the bank will all catch fish.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson reports that March can also be a good month for catching large catfish on Clarks Hill, although again the wind can be problematic. Anchoring in shallow water where fish are feeding on threadfin and gizzard shad is generally the best pattern.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 60’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The lake is full. Start in the middle of the coves and main lake creeks. Fish boat docks, wood structure, and sea walls. Work to the back of the coves and creeks. Use Rapala Shad Raps and small crank bait like the Rat L Traps with rattles fished on sea walls and around docks. White and chartreuse spinner baits fished along the Sugar Creek and Lick Creek bridge rip rap has also been producing some larger fish. Richland creek has also been producing some good fish in the upper reaches of the creek. Megabass Vision 110+1 jerk bait is tuned to match the of a real bait fish. Its sister bait the Megabass Vision 110 jerk bait is already a legend. This bait will work well in tandem with the blue black and brown jigs. Fish these baits in and around wood cover.

Bass & ‘Crackers Report (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Chad Kaiser): Walton District fisheries staff conducted annual spring electrofishing surveys of Lake Oconee this week. Spring electrofishing is used to assess the health of key sportfish populations each year. The number and size distribution of largemouth bass, black crappie, and redear sunfish (shellcracker) have been encouraging and should allow for great fishing excursions this spring. During this late-March window, this trifecta of centrarchids draw up into the shallows under docks, blowdowns, and on the edge of vegetation lines to spawn. Largemouth in the two to four-pound range are common and can be targeted with a variety of jerkbaits or crankbaits. Jigging a worm around holding areas can also be effective, but since most of these fish are spawning or guarding nests, we encourage local release to ensure these soon-to-be parents can find their way back to the nest. Jigs and minnows fished just overhead of shallow crappie can elicit strikes, and covering large swaths with the spider rig is a popular tactic this time of year. Shellcracker nest on hard and soft bottoms in shallow water (2 – 4 feet of water), and the discerning eye can spot these beds that mimic a golf ball-surfaced moonscape. Shellcrackers are aggressive defenders of their nests and will readily strike any unidentified fishing object (UFO) that enters their territory.

Tournament Alert (courtesy of ABA news):   The next Division 72 tournament is scheduled for April 19, 2025, also at Lake Oconee, launching from Sugar Creek Marina. For additional information, please contact Tournament Director Benny Howell at 770-365-4795.

Oconee Derby Week 5 Update (courtesy of Doug Nelms & the Oconee Derby): Russell Arnold weighed in 2 nice crappie today, one that took the Week 5 lead. 1 pound 9.7 ounces was enough to bump Paul Edwards out of first, but there are still 2 days in Week 5. The new moon is this week, which will probably make the crappie do one final push, so sharpens your hooks and get ready to rumble. Congrats Russ, nice fish. There’s a new lineside sheriff in town…that’s kinda how a takeover starts, right? The truth is when Kevin Hester took the lead this morning with a 15-pound 5.4 ounce striper, it put everyone on full tilt! I mean everyone, even my grandson who has grand thoughts of running up the river to catch a spawning monster. Kevin takes the Week 5 lead and the Overall Lead today, and it is a really nice fish. Congrats sir!

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 60’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. Catching these fish will require slowing down and fishing soft plastic baits in protected sandy pockets. Isolated stumps, dock walkways, and sea walls will be the best targets to hit when trying to catch these shallow fish over the next few weeks. Make sure to make repetitive casts to each target before moving on to the next one. Bottom crawling baits that can be fish slowly will work best. A Buckeye mop jig with a craw trailer and a Texas rigged Zoom 6-inch lizard in pumpkinseed has been extremely effective this week. Also, there are some aggressive fish early in the morning and late in the evening. Try a buzz bait and a chartreuse and white spinnerbait.

LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 50’S

Bass(courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The lake is clear but the wind still keeps a little stain up in the shallows. The bass are on the move up shallow. With this lake having its share of wood and stumps the bass that are on the holding pattern are relating to this wood. Anglers will see the fish sitting on top of the stumps on the graph and will bite almost any bait right in front of them. The shad are now moving back in closer to the bank and the bass are feeding on these baits along with the bream and crawfish. With the large shad schools around the lake, this would be a good time to use the Alabama rig. Crawdad colored Rapallo Shad Raps and jigs are still good baits to use this week. Bass are being caught up every river and creek on the lake. Picking one good area will be difficult to do this week on this lake and any lake during the spawn. The best hint for this week is to keep those hooks sharp and wet.

SMALL IMPOUNDMENT REPORT 

Beaverdam Creek Lake (courtesy of Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Beaverdam Creek Lake in Wilkes County offers plenty of access to both bank and boat anglers. Fisheries staff recently surveyed Beaverdam Creek Lake and noted the excellent condition of largemouth bass in the impoundment. Black crappie were also abundant in and around fallen trees in shallow and midrange depths. Anglers can also find some nice channel catfish here for those pursuing more casual fishing exploits. Harvestable channel catfish will no doubt be a popular pursuit at the upcoming family fishing event at Beaverdam Creek Lake on Saturday, May 31st from 8:00 to noon.

Lake Olmstead (courtesy of Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Fisheries staff recently sampled Lake Olmstead in Augusta – and encountered several trophy fish! Augusta residents likely pass by Lake Olmstead all the time, but they shouldn’t pass it up for the quality fishing opportunities it provides. Plenty of hefty largemouth bass turned up in the sample, capped off by a nearly 8-pound lunker! Redear sunfish are also plentiful here, with several chunky fish over 10 inches showing up around treetops near the Lakeshore Loop bridge and the northern shoreline. Lake Olmstead also connects to the Augusta Canal, which offers ample kayaking and fishing opportunities of its own.

RIVER REPORT 

Appalachee River: Jamie Jr. & a friend hit the river this week and caught a good mess of hearty hybrids in the stained water throwing Jiffy Jigs. GON’s Hunter/Mason likewise hit Jackson’s headwaters last weekend and caught fish for the cooler ice, he commented that he “caught ‘em on Jackson Friday and Saturday took a while to find some. But the white bass were big and full of eggs still. Also caught striper and hybrid. Soo many fast jon boats on the river made it very hard. My son and his buddies and 50 others running the rivers and playing made fishing tough.”

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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

Warming temperatures continue to beckon anglers back on the PFA and they are reporting successful fishing trips!  Application of lime has been completed on PFA lakes to condition water for fertilization this spring.  More than 30 stumps were added to Willow Lake to increase fish cover–this should substantially increase locations for anglers to target whether fishing on the bank or by boat.  With daylight savings time, anglers will have more time for fishing in the evening before the great diel migration to Jones kicks in at sunset.

Bridge Lake Report (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): McDuffie Public Fishing Area in Dearing offers seven lakes ranging from 5 to 37 acres for anglers pursuing a variety of species. Fisheries staff are currently assessing the condition of McDuffie’s fish populations through boat electrofishing surveys. Bridge Lake – very popular among boat and bank anglers – holds some impressive largemouth and redear sunfish! Anglers can also catch striped and hybrid striped bass in Bridge, both unique opportunities in smaller impoundments. Lipless crankbaits, soft plastic jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and shad patterned topwater lures may be used to fool these sportfish. Local anglers have also reported catching impressive largemouth around shallow wood cover on soft plastic creature baits. Patience is often the name of the game in getting these fish on the end of your line!

Bass: Bass have begun spawning on the PFA. Anglers targeting bass should fish the shallows using shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, or soft plastics that imitate baitfish or a worm of course.  Fishing in vegetation using top water lures such as frogs may also produce bites on the PFA. This month, several anglers have brought us proof of healthy 6 – 8 lb bass caught on the area. This week, an angler showed off his nearly 8 lb female largemouth that was caught jigging a ned-rigged craw.

Striped and Hybrid Bass:  Hybrid and Striped Bass are beginning to move to shallow water.  Anglers should consider using flukes, paddle tail swimbaits, or other lures that mimic baitfish in the shallows.  Anglers will also have success fishing with chicken livers just off the bottom of the ponds. Bio-tech duo Aaron and Greg shocked up several health pre-spawn striped bass in the 4 – 8 lb range this week!

Channel Catfish: Channel catfish have been biting consistently throughout the winter and will feed even more aggressively in the spring! Anglers can target catfish using chicken livers or nightcrawlers fished directly on the pond bottom or use lures mimicking smaller baitfish.

Bream:  Bream are biting! Anglers should target areas with structure using live worms or crickets for the best chance of success. Some anglers have caught bream using rooster tails.

Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed at McDuffie PFA.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Area Manager Amory Cook and Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson) —

Water conditions: With the recent influx of run off from last week’s rain, combined with pollen starting to spread and algae growth typical of this time of year, the water clarity has decreased. Anglers should take this into consideration when choosing colors/ locations to fish. Water temps have been fluctuating due to air temps/sun exposure, making fish patterns tough to figure out.

Bass: The bass fishing has been pretty decent this past week with a lot of moderate to larger size fish being caught. This week your bait choices should lizards, worms and buzz baits. Other baits that could work as well would be whoppers, poppers, and spooks.

Bream: Bream fishing remains stable with worms being the bait of choice by successful fishermen. With water temps floating around the low to mid 60s the bream should be moving shallower than in past weeks. Using floats to keep the worms about 1-3 feet off the bottom along the bank should produce some good fish.

Crappie: Due to the recent weather events, crappie bite has shut off. As the next few days pass, they should start biting again. According to creel data collected this past week, most crappie are still holding offshore in the lower columns of water, mostly chasing jigs. Within the next week or so they should move up to spawn, making them easily accessible from the bank. Minnows or slow-sinking jigs under a float should produce some good fish. Once the spawn starts, try to target over hanging brush.

Catfish: There has been no recent activity from the catfish; However, with the water temps quickly rising, anglers should expect to see increased catch rates here soon! Try targeting 7-10 feet deep shelves near deeper water, which should provide good fishing spots. This time of year, chicken liver and cut bait will produce the best success.

ATTENTION ANGLERS: Flat Creek PFA staff are conducting an annual angler (creel) survey on the lake this year. If you are approached by a PFA staff member after your fishing trip, please take a moment to answer their questions and share information about your fishing success (or, lack of success, whichever may be the case). These surveys are a valuable management tool that can improve our understanding of the fishery and ultimately improve fishing quality on the reservoir.

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

• Marben Public Fishing Area
• Water level: All ponds are full.
• Pond Closures: Margery, Hillside, and Clubhouse ponds remain closed while under renovation.
• Water clarity: All ponds are very clear with some ponds reaching over 46 inches in visibility. The exception to this is Dove Pond which remains murky due to rain.
• Surface temperature: Water temperatures during the first part of March are in the mid 50’s; however, temperatures may enter the 60’s during a string a warm March days.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Anglers fishing for bass on smaller ponds should see better catch rates for bass on shallow structure as these ponds fire up more quickly the larger ponds (like Fox, Bennett, and Shepherd). Black, blue, and purple plastics worms are effective, with some success coming from small spinner baits and jerk baits. Marben staff conducted standardized spring electrofishing on several Marben ponds this week and found the bass.

Crappie: A few crappie have pulled up shallow and numbers should increase if water temperatures stabilize in the low 60s.  Using jigs tipped with minnows will put bites on the line as crappie get ready to spawn.  Use electronics to locate schools of crappie or adjust your bobber to fish different depths until you find them. White and chartreuse jigs retrieved slowly with a float or by trolling have also produced good catches.  Fox and Bennett are good targets for spring crappie at Marben PFA.

Bream: Several catches of shellcracker have been seen.  Most continue to be caught on the bottom in the smaller ponds with wax worms and pink worms, however fishing has been slow.

Hybrid Bass: Hybrid bass are a big hit at Bennett and Greenhouse.  March is hit or miss, but when it’s good—it’s good.   Fish when you can, but typically a few mild or warmer days preceding a cold snap will induce feeding and increase your chances for success.

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

The reports were as varied as the weather this week. The best reports came from ponds and the Okefenokee Swamp. Saltwater was hit-and-miss. The southeast Georgia rivers are still high but are falling now that the leaves have budded out and the trees are pulling more water.

River gages on March 27th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 6.3 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 6.7 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 10.0 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla – 11.7 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 11.7 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 9.6 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 7.3 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 11.9 feet and falling

New Moon is March 29th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ST MARYS RIVER

The Temple Landing is currently closed while the GA Wildlife Resources Division boat ramp crew rebuilds the ramp. The ramp itself is complete, and the crew is working to improve the parking area. The project is winding down, and it should reopen in early April if weather and river levels cooperate (which they are currently not doing…).

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Mike and Matt Rouse fished the east side of the Okefenokee on Saturday in the cool, super-windy weather and still caught fish. They had a few warmouth and fliers on black sparkle/chartreuse Warmouth Whacker Jigs. They also caught a couple bowfin by flinging crawfish-brass blade Dura-Spins. Bill Stewart fished with me Tuesday on the east side. We ended up catching and releasing a total of 22 fish (3 pickerel, 3 fliers, and 16 warmouth). We had one of the pickerel on a copperfield Wobble Blade but the rest were on a crawfish or popsicle Warmouth Whacker Jig or Keitech 2-inch chartreuse back pearl swimbait on a Zombie Eye Jighead. Another angler, Steve fishing that day caught and released 20 warmouth. He used chartreuse curly-tailed grubs. Another angler kept 15 warmouth that day. Buck Johnson fished Wednesday and had 31 warmouth by pitching chartreuse pearl artificials on Zombie Eye Jigheads to shoreline cover. The water is high, but fish are biting. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 121.34 feet.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

I got a report of the crappie biting well. One angler reported catching a good mess of fish that included a 2.66-pound slab. He was pitching around cypress trees.

LAKE EUFAULA

Sammy Gaskins of Waycross and a buddy made the trek west to crappie fish this week. They brought home 109 crappie in 3 days of fishing. Sammy usually only uses artificial lures, but I didn’t ask him what he caught them on.

CLARKS HILL RESERVOIR

Jamie Hodge traveled up to the big lake to chase crappie this week. On Thursday he had a good catch of slabs, including a 2.82-pounder. He was long-lining them with plastics.

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

The bite slowed this week according to Ken Burke’s trip on Tuesday. He fished 5 1/2 hours and only had one bite. He caught the 1-lb., 13-oz. bass with a squarebill crankbait, but that’s all he could muster. He said that he didn’t see anglers fishing for crappie do much of anything either.

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Tifton)

Seth Carter tried out a new spinnerbait design he’s working on at the area this week and fooled a handful of keeper bass on the white version. The bigger ones were a few pounds apiece. The Wildlife Resources Division is conducting a bass study for the next 10 months on the area. They have tagged 430 bass in 10 of the bigger and more popular lakes (Patrick, Paradise, Bobben, Beaver, Russell, Horseshoe 2, 3, 4, and 5, and Tacklebuster). If you catch a tagged bass, clip the tag and return it along with the information requested on a tag return form (available on the porch at the area office). Each person returning a tag will receive a custom-embroidered ball cap and be entered into a drawing for a Yeti cooler. Each angler will only receive one cap, but there is no limit to the number of times you can be entered into the drawing. The Waycross Office has already had 14 tags returned.

LOCAL PONDS

Chad Lee and Daniel Johnson fished an Alma-area pond over the weekend and caught 20 nice crappie and about a dozen bass up to 2 pounds. Christy craws fooled the bass, and Assassin plastics produced the crappie. Chip Lafferty fished a Brunswick area pond this weekend and fooled a dozen bass up to 4 1/2 pounds. I didn’t ask what he caught them on, but he’s been fooling them on Junebug stick worms in the shallows. Jimmy Zinker is fired up that the topwater bite is finally working. He fooled several this week on Squeaker Trophy Bass Buzzbaits and one on a musky Jitterbug. His fish were up to 4-pounds (he had several that size), but those are much smaller than his double-digit goal. He will be fishing into the dark some beginning this week. Joshua Barber fished a Manor-area pond on Saturday and caught a half-dozen bass. His biggest 5 weighed about 13 pounds. He caught them on Texas-rigged stick worms and plastic craws.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Teddy Elrod fished a couple of hours after work in the Brunswick area on Friday evening and got on both trout and redfish. He ended up catching 10 reds (4 oversized up to 27 inches) and 9 trout. He released them all. He had one fish on topwater, and it jumped like a bass. All of the others were on Keitech swimbaits. Brentz McGhin and Joseph Mitchell fished the Brunswick area on Saturday and whacked the whiting. They caught 91 by fishing dead shrimp on the bottom. Capt. Duane Harris took his cousins Tom and Kelly Pollihan in the Brunswick area on Monday. They had a great time with live shrimp, catching a dozen redfish and a trout in 2 hours of fishing. 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 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).

Apologies for no Southwest report this week, our staff were busy on the water. Don’t worry, they will be back next week with a report for your April adventures!

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA 

Crappie (Courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits, via T & W Bait & Tackle) — The month of March is like a ride on a roller coaster as the weather is up and down. You have to study your weather to find the best days to be on the lake as the wind can make for a long day! This was one of those weeks, the storms came in over the weekend and dropped 2″ – 3″ of rain which trashed and muddied up the north and south end of the lakes…as well as any place with a major creek with run off. The wind made it almost impossible to be on the lake…except for Tuesday which was not too bad with 15 mph gusts. We went looking for clear water and found it between Illinois and Victoria…the water was stained with a green tinge. The creeks were heavy stained, but the main lake wasn’t too bad at all. We trolled for a while but couldn’t find any, so we checked a few brush piles in the area. Some brush had a few hanging over the tops but most didn’t have any squatters yet. It is still a little early for the brush bite, but you may find a few. The water is warming up quick which means crappie will be roaming the banks soon if not already. You will want to break out the corks and start throwing to the banks. Look for cuts, stickups, laydowns, tree tops and cover in general. Corks and small jigs like the Dagger and the Georgia Razor are fantastic choices under corks this time of year. As always, a small crappie minnow under a cork is a tried-and-true method for catching shallow bank roaming crappie. We wish we had a better report, but the windy conditions have kept us off the lake this past week. Even the early morning was windy which is usually the best time to get out before the wind kicks up. Hopefully next week’s weather is better, and we can get some more time on the water! If you are new to fishing and want to learn more about electronics, jig head sizes, jig colors and more be sure to tune in to FRIDAY NIGHT BITES which is a 30 minute Facebook livestream that we do on “Most” Friday Nights around 7PM you might learn something or teach us something new! 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 March 2024 and see what we were doing this time last year!

Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant) — Bass fishing is good. Shallow fish are after almost anything they can eat. Baits like the Big Bite Jerk Minnow and the Trick Stick in pearl white are a fun and productive way to seek out wolf packing spots. Fish these baits on a 3/0 or 4/0 Gamakatsu Skip Gap hook and 12-pound Sunline Sniper fluorocarbon. Watch for schooling fish. There has been a mix of spots, largemouth and hybrids. Top water is getting started and will only get better toward the end of the month. Cast a Whopper Plopper and use both the large one and the small one. Spro Dawg or a Zara Spook past the school and retrieve it back at a rapid pace. Make sure the bait disappears and feel tension before setting the hook. Big spots are also being caught on shaky head finesse worms on pea gravel banks that are protected from the wind. The jig head is a great tool to coax a hungry bass.

WEST POINT LAKE

West Point Lake (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant) — Bass fishing is good. Bass are moving up shallow. Use the Zoom Super Flukes, trick worms and Senko’s and this can be an all-day tactic. Throw these baits into the tops of grass and twitch them just enough to keep from hanging up. Most of the bites have been coming within a few feet of the bank. Be sure to pick apart any wood in the water. Duckett Lures has the 110B Super Sound waking top water bait with super side to side action. Want metal balls, it’s got them. In 4 colors and ¾ ounce it has all the action top water baits need. Up lake good places to fish are Jackson Creek, Ski jump cove and don’t forget Half Moon Creek. Down lake the pattern is very similar to up lake but with the water being clearer throw a Pop R in bone color. Down lake go to Maple Creek, Bird Creek and the No Name in the pockets. Keep a Rat L Trap tied on for those fish chasing bait.

LAKE WEISS

Lake Weiss (Report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant at Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant) — Bass fishing is good. The fish are shallow and hungry. Target ditch lines and old creek channels and secondary points in the spawning bays, fish the 2 to 4 feet range using a Rat L Trap in chrome and blue, a flat sided crank bait like a Flat A or a B Flat in solid white or white with a chartreuse belly. If the fish are not active enough for those lures use a 1/2 ounce Oldham Spinner bait in white and chartreuse with double willow blades, slow roll it near the bottom, or try a slow lift and fall technique, or try pitching a 3/8 ounce black and blue Stanley jig with a Gene Larew salt craw trailer in June bug color, try shallow rip rap and any visible cover in the backs of spawning bays. Duckett Lures has the 110B Super Sound waking top water bait with super side to side action. Want metal balls, it’s got them. In 4 colors and ¾ ounce it has all the action top water baits need.

LAKE HARTWELL

Lake Hartwell (Report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant at Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant) — Bass fishing is fair. Do not overlook the points all over the lake and go super shallow. The OG8 in white and green back has been working well and get tis bait on any sunny rock point. Start looking in the coves and cuts for pre spawn bass soon. The Carolina rig is producing good bass along with the cranks and jerk baits. In the off-colored water use the Rapala hot mustard DT6 and the Silver X Rap. Try the new Scatter Rap jerk bait in shad also. Points with rock and wood are holding bass that are roaming the shallows. Throwing the Skitter Walk early will show help find these bass that are up shallow. Follow this up with some sort of a #5 Shad Rap. On lay downs work the jigs, smaller ones are better in and around the entire tree. Boat docks and the Texas Rigged Zoom green pumpkin u tail worms and Stanley dark jigs are working.

LAKE LANIER

Bass (Courtesy of Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com, 770 366 8845, via Ken Sturdivant at Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is currently slightly over full, and the water temperature is running in the mid to upper seventies. Overall, the main lake is clear with some stain in the backs of the creeks and up the river. A variety of baits are producing fish right now from the forty-foot range to the two-foot range. The bass are in different stages of preparing for the spawn so be prepared to check different depths. The standard shakey head with a green pumpkin green Trixster worm or a watermelon red Zoom trick worm will draw plenty of bites. The most consistent areas for the worm have been docks in twenty-five feet of water or less and on secondary points. The jerkbait bite has picked up on the sunny rocky banks, around docks and banks leading into bedding areas. A mini A Rig worked down the sides of the docks is also producing. Up the rivers a spinnerbait is catching bass on banks that are close to the bedding areas particularly if the water in the area is stained. All the bass are not shallow yet and a three eights Spot Choker with a two eight Keitech will catch bass in the thirty-to-forty-foot range in the pockets and ditches. Be sure to work this bait slowly then let it drop. Bounce it slightly and then resume your retrieve. This has produced some hammer strikes. As you can see fishing is across the board right now so if one thing isn’t working try another technique. As the water warms over the next week look for the shallow bite to just get stronger and predictable. Be sure to join us at the March Madness Expo at Gold Dust Park in Villa Rica this Friday 2-6, Saturday 9-6 and Sunday 9-3. There will be over seventy vendors there with a lot of great specials. Come on by and let’s talk fishin!

Striped Bass (Courtesy of Buck Cannon, via Ken Sturdivant at Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant) — Lake Lanier stripers haven’t been on a diet lately. Even the spots are healthy and preparing to span. Water temperature is 58 degrees middle lake, and the fish are schooling and eating near the river channel. The mouth of most coves is a good starting point. Watch for bird movement and locate the bait and the fish will be in the area. Planer boards, flat lines and down lines are working. Shiners, blue backs and gizzards have been used. Seems they have gravitated towards the shiners. We are #4 octopus circle hook with some lines weighted. Remember to wear your life jacket.

Crappie (Courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton, via Ken Sturdivant at Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant) — Lake Lanier crappie fishing is good the water temperature is in the mid-50s the fish are shallow on the banks large fish are in small groups roaming in open water try casting a 1/24 jig and letting it fall right in front of them try not to go below the target fish. Large groups can be found under docks Crappie have been at depths of 5 to 10 feet above a 20-to-40-foot bottom try using crappie minnows. 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 a Atx lure company jig. Further optimizing your efforts, a Garmin LiveScope, protected by a sonar shield cover, and a Power Pole are highly recommended. To schedule your guided Lake Lanier crappie fishing trip, please contact Captain Josh Thornton at 770-530-6493. Additional information and helpful fishing tips can be found on our websites: http://www.crappieonlanier.com and http://www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org

Buck Shoals WMA (Report courtesy of, WRD Region 2 Fish Biologist Kyle Rempe) — The fisheries techniques class from North Georgia Technical College sampled the Kids Fishing Event (KFE) pond at Buck Shoals WMA alongside GADNR staff as part of a collaborative boat electrofishing workshop this week. Students were able to demonstrate their netting skills by scooping up a variety of fish species including Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Redear Sunfish, and Warmouth. Afterwards, length and weight data from each individual was recorded in order to aid with future fisheries management efforts for the pond. Multiple 3 – 4 lb bass were collected during the surveys alongside some very respectable sunfish, so hopefully those fish will show back up for a few lucky anglers that sign up for the Buck Shoals WMA KFEs taking place starting in May. Be sure to check out the GADNR events calendar for any and all future outdoor activities happening near you at GADNR Events Calendar | Go Outdoors Georgia!

RIVER REPORT

Trout Stockings Have Begun (Report courtesy of John Lee Thomson, WRD Region 2 Fisheries Supervisor) — The weekly trout stockings in north Georgia have begun. Nearly 50,000 trout were stocked this week into 80 different waterbodies across 22 counties. These fresh stockers can be caught on a variety of baits including inline spinners, dough baits, salmon eggs, and even whole kernel corn. Trout will be stacked up at the stocking locations for a short period of time but will then disperse up and downstream. Sign up to receive our weekly trout stocking reports at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/trout. Remember to renew your fishing and trout license before heading out to fill your stringer. Good luck and Go Trout Fish Georgia!

Toccoa Tailwater (Courtesy of the Perfect Fly Store, Fly Fishing Report On The Toccoa River Tailwater In Georgia – The Perfect Fly Store) –

Recommended flies:

• Midges: Cream and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
• Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
• Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
• Blue-winged Olives: size 18, nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners
• Little Brown stoneflies, size 12, nymphs and adults
• Little Black Caddis, size 18, pupa and adults|

Chattahoochee Tailwater (courtesy of The Perfect Fly Store, Fly Fishing Report On The Chatahoochee River Tailwater Georgia – The Perfect Fly Store) —

Recommended flies:

• Midges: Cream and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
• Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
• Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
• Blue-winged Olives: size 16, nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners
• Cinnamon Caddis, size 16, pupa and adults

Upper Chattahoochee (Courtesy of The Perfect Fly Store, Fly Fishing Report On The Upper Chattahoochee River In Georgia – The Perfect Fly Store) –

Recommended trout flies:

• Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
• Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
• Midges: Cream and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom.  https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
• Blue-winged Olives: size 16, nymphs, emergers, duns, spinners
• Little Brown stoneflies, size 12, nymphs and adults
• Little Black Caddis, size 18, pupa and adults|
• Quill Gordons, size 12/14, nymphs, emerging duns, duns and spinners
• Blue Quills, size 18, nymphs, emergers, duns and spinners

Stripers and White Bass on the Move (Courtesy of Josh Stafford, WRD Region 2 Fish Biologist) —  Striped bass and white bass are starting to move up the Chattahoochee and are holding in deep, outside bends of the river.

Related