July 11, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

Make the most of summer break and take the kids fishing before school starts back! Georgia’s 11 Public Fishing Areas are the perfect places to slow down, soak up the outdoors, and create special memories together. Whether you’re casting from a pier, the bank, or a boat, it’s a great way to connect as a family — and maybe even help a young angler catch their very first fish (GeorgiaWildlife.com/first-fish-certificate). PFAs offer clean restrooms, picnic shelters, and great fishing access, so all you have to do is bring your gear and your sense of adventure. Don’t forget your fishing license and plan your trip at GeorgiaWildlife.com/allpfas.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Bowen’s Mill Fish Hatchery Renovation: A much-needed renovation of the Bowens Mill Fish Hatchery is ongoing and should be completed in time to prepare for the 2026 spring fish production season. Find out more at GeorgiaWildlife.com/bowens-mill-fish-hatchery. 
• Hunting & Fishing Night + Braves Game! On Saturday, 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.
• Let’s Get a Bass Slam: The Georgia Bass Slam is more than a challenge—it’s a way to show off your skill, explore Georgia’s waters, and support black bass conservation. Visit BassSlam.com for more info!
• Catfish are biting all across Georgia! With simple gear and plenty of locations, it’s the perfect way for both new and experienced anglers to enjoy the outdoors and create lasting memories. Find information on fishing for catfish at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-catfish-georgia-0. 

This week, we have fishing reports from North, Central, Southeast, and Southwest. Stay safe and hydrated out there, good luck, and Go Fish Georgia!

(Fishing Report courtesy of John Lee Thomson, Fisheries Biologist and Region Supervisor, along with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division staff, with help from regional biologists and local experts) 

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA IS FULL, 80’S

Allatoona Bass (report courtesy of Matt Driver of Southern Fishing) — Bass fishing is much different these days. With the population explosion of blueback hearing fish are more mobile and roaming. They do pull out to deeper sanctuaries this time of year, and the brush pile bite has been getting better and better as the water temperatures rise. We still have a good top water bite during the morning hours. Walking style baits and weighted baits have continued to be good late into the morning. Fish are still chasing and schooling some on shallow points, but some of them we’re finding in the middle of the lake are over 100 feet of water. The main thing is not to stay anywhere too long that is not productive. These Allatoona bass are constantly on the move. Later in the day into the evening hours, the fish are concentrated around brush piles in 20 feet of water. Fish Head Spins, drop shots, jigs and crankbaits like the 5XD are the best baits for these fish around brush and deep boulders. And as always when all else fails bluff walls are holding fish. The jig and jig head finesse worm are hard to beat. For those who are up for catching whatever bites, the catfish are chasing bait, as well. We’ve caught several large channel catfish while out over bait trying to catch suspended spotted bass.

Crappie: (Report courtesy of Red Rooster Baits) — 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 crappie will be found on structure anywhere from 16′ to 22′ deep and they are typically suspended above the structure in 10′ – 16′. 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: (report courtesy of Red Rooster Baits) — 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 (report courtesy of Red Rooster Baits) — The Shellcracker bite has slowed down quite a bit as the water temps have risen. We are not finding as many as we did a few weeks back. Also, the catfish are real aggressive right now and are eating up our worms! The shellcracker are in 10′ – 12′ of water around points and rocky humps but so are the catfish so if you like shellcracker and catfish it is your lucky time of the year! The rig we use for shellcracker is a #2 hook on 4 – 6 lb. test fishing line and a #5 clam shell split shot pinched on the line about 12″ – 18″ above the hook. The bait of choice is either a red wiggler or nightcrawler…they will eat either one!

LAKE HARTWELL IS FULL, 80’s

Bass (report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant of Southern Fishing) — Bass fishing is fair. The Rapala #5 and #7 Shad Raps are catching spotted bass and a few largemouth in the smaller cuts and coves. Fish both the Balsa Wood and RS Models early in the morning and then again late in the day. The Rapala OG8 Shad color seems to be working the best with the clear green water. After the sun comes up Rattle Tubes around boat docks and Rattle Finesse worms rigged Texas style are working on a few bass as well. A lot of anglers are using their Carolina rigs in deep water during the late morning until afternoon on the drop offs and channel ledges. Submerged structure in 18 to 25 feet of water seems to be the key. Summer is the time for downsizing. This will include the lines, baits and the action of the rods. Fishing is tough, so be patient and take along plenty of fluids. Go early and hit the points and fish baits right up on the bank. No fish in 15 minutes, move.

Striper and Hybrids: (report courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist, Kyle Rempe) — “We headed out to collect water quality profiles off of Lake Hartwell earlier this week and were treated with some mid-day topwater action while tied off at our data station buoy. Some linesides managed to chase a pack of shad right up to our boat, where they promptly made a U-turn and began jumping out of the water to escape capture as the hunt continued away from us upstream. Hopefully some of those energetic Hybrid Striped Bass and Striped Bass will wind up on the end of a lucky angler’s line, whether that be via topwater baits or some down deep trolling.

Water quality values sampled on the lake (around Providence Church Road) showed that despite the heat there is still currently plenty of good Striped Bass habitat available. This thermal habitat “bubble” will begin to shrink as summer progresses and higher water temperatures / lower dissolved oxygen values put the squeeze on things.”

LAKE LANIER IS 1.1  FOOT OVER FULL, 80’S

Lanier Bass fishing (report courtesy of Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is currently one foot over full pool and the water temperature is running from the mid to upper eighties Overall, the lake is clear. The bass have made their transition to their summer homes and are hanging on the ends of long points, humps and ledges that have structure on them in twenty five to thirty five feet of water. The top water action has picked up over the last week with several baits drawing strikes. The Slick Stick, Skimmer iPop and Gunfish have all been catching fish. One key is to not get too quick on setting the hook as it is sometimes taking the bass several tries to eat the bait. Work these baits over the structure then get directly over the structure with a drop shot using a Blue Lily Morning Dawn or Sweet Rosy color worm. Use the FFS to scan the humps and points to see the depth of the bass as the Spot Choker has been a good bait for fish close to the bottom as well as the schooling fish. If a shakey head is the choice, look for the docks in at least twenty feet of water and throw any of the green pumpkin combinations and concentrate on getting the bait up under the docks. The summer patterns are setting up and there are some good bass being caught. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Fourth. Go Catch ‘Em!

Crappie (report courtesy Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) — Crappie fishing is good. The best bite is at 20 to 25 feet deep in open water deep brush also in large groups under docks in the shade. Crappie have been at depths of 15 to 30 feet above a 25 to 40 foot bottom. The jig color combo that worked the best for me this week was the green and chartreuse single tail 1.5 inch jig. Minnows have been working well over deep brush. For your best fishing experience consider using the following equipment: a one piece ACC Crappie Stix rod and reel paired with 4 or 6 pound test K9 line with 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.

Striper (report courtesy Buck Cannon. 404 510 1778) — Lake Lanier stripers are trending towards trolling and it makes sense for this time of year. Umbrella rigs trolling at 2.5 3.5 mph at 130 to 150 feet behind the boat will catch stripers, bass and even a confused catfish. Lead core is another option at the same speed as the umbrella rigs but much further behind the boat. Out 8 colors will get the bait appropriately 28 to 30 foot depths. Using a 2 ounce buck tail. The big spoons can also be used and the mini Mac so watch the depths. Trolling over humps and points are the best starting areas. Remember to wear the life jackets. BuckTales 404 510 1778

WEISS LAKE IS FULL, 80’S

Bass (report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant of Southern Fishing)— Bass fishing is good. The best bite is early and late. Try top water lures early and late on deeper banks and deep seawalls, as the sun comes up move out to the old river channel ledges, crank baits, spinner baits and Carolina rigged plastics are always good deep water lures. Use a 3/8 ounce jig in a brown crawfish pattern that has also proved a good lure on these deep water ledges. Anytime they are pulling water look for the bass to pull up on the points in the lower lake around Bay Springs and in the Power House Lake.

WEST POINT LAKE IS FULL, 80’S

West Point Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. The largemouth are starting to settle down in their summertime pattern. Some are still suspended in 17 to 20 feet of water and are moving and chasing shad. Old road beds such as the one at McGee Access are great locations to fish with Carolina rigged worms in any color. Cranking main lake and river points with a deep diving crank baits is still productive for early morning fishermen. Check out the mouth of Whitewater Creek and fish deep for those bass that have gone to the bottom for the summer. Up in New River go past the bridge and use Riversides lures dark jigs and a Hales Craw worm craw worms on the heavy bank cover can get a strike. Stay close to the river current on points. Buzz baits can be good all day in the pockets right off the river. Go past the 219 bridge and hit every pocket no matter how small. Cast right on the edges of the pockets points and work the baits with a stop and go retrieve.

TROUT REPORT 

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

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

How is The Stocking Going? (report courtesy of John Lee Thomson, Region 2 FM Supervisor) — Traditionally, trout stocking slows way down after July 4^th, well that is not the case this year. The Wildlife Resource Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still have over 100,000 trout that need to be stocked. These fish were held in our hatcheries a little longer than normal to reach the 10 inch target size for stocking. They are now ready and will be stocked over the next few weeks. It will be important to target waterbodies that are still cool enough to accept trout stockings. I recommend fishing in the morning when trout are eager to take baits and before streams heat up. Simple inline spinners can be effective or half a nightcrawler on a #12 hook. Good luck and go take advantage of these late stockers.

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

Trout and More (report courtesy of Dredger of Unicoi Outfitters) — Check out the Angler Management Blog report from the famous Dredger of Unicoi Outfitters. He lays out the intel on the hot spots and tips to land more trout. If riverine bass are your thing, he can help there too. Scroll down to his “sidearm hook set” tutorial to save more your flies.

(Fishing report courtesy of Hunter Roop, Fisheries Biologist and Region Supervisor, along wtih Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report, and contributions from Region 3 WRD Fisheries staff, local guides, and anglers.) 

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of  Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is slow but good fish can still be caught with a little patience. Use a Storm Rattle Tube on a 7 or 8 foot heavy action graphite rod and use 10 or 12 pound test Rapala Tough line. Use the tube Texas style so the bullet weight can move up and down the line freely. The heavier the cover AAA can find the better. Way up in the Savannah River and in Beaverdam Creek are favorites. Flip or pitch the Rattle tube into the cover and watch the line as it falls. The lighter the weight AAA can use, the better the results will be. Bass are holding tight to cover during the day. Down below the 72 Bridge use a #5 Rapala Shad Rap and Rapala DT6 to crank the waters just off the rocky points. Bass are using these areas to stage and keep in cooler water. Try using long casts and slow retrieves. This is all it will take to trigger a strike. Early in the mornings and then again from around 7:00 p.m. until dark are the best times for using those crank baits. Carolina and Texas rigs that are fished very slowly along the bottom are the best choice during the mid-day periods.

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

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of  Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Spend the day on deep structure, deeper docks, and blow downs. Early morning fishing is good throwing a buzz baits or torpedo style prop baits. Deep running cranks baits and Carolina rigged plastics should be used during the day. Before the sun gets up stick to power fishing with Whopper Ploppers and buzz baits. Covering water can be the key to success. Sammie’s or Prop baits fish a little slower but try these baits in prime areas. Near wood or rock structure for instance. Fish should strike on or after a pause. Some mornings the fish prefer the slower plausible baits. Focus on main lake rock, riprap, and sea wall features. Fish main lake areas with some depth at or near the banks. When the sun gets up bass can be taken deeper on rocky points, blow downs, boulders and humps. Mid-day bass will be holding from 12 to 25 feet deep depending on the conditions, location, and species. Finding a crank bait bite can be fairly easy out on the deep structure like points and humps. The Rapala OG8 in a natural color is a good choice.

Crappie: July crappie fishing on Clarks Hill means targeting deeper water as black crappie move off the banks and suspend over brush, timber, and channel drops. Focus on creek arms like Fishing Creek, Lloyd Creek, and Soap Creek, where submerged cover in 15–25 feet of water holds good numbers of fish. Early morning and late evening are best, but anglers using electronics to locate schools can find success throughout the day. Try vertical jigging with small jigs or minnows tight to structure, or slow-troll over brush with spider rigs. With stable summer patterns and clear water, July is a dependable month for putting slabs in the boat on Clarks Hill.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of  Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. The fishing has slow a little but get on the water early. Fishing the rip rap at the bridges fishing thing should bring a few bites. Fish long points where that has deep water nearby. Fishing a Carolina rigged worm in the watermelon seed or watermelon candy colors with a 24 inch leader will be a good bait to use when the water is moving. A big crank bait fished on these points will also bring a few bites. Another good area to fish are the underwater islands where the top part of the island is in 10 to 12 foot of water cast the bait to the top part of the island and work the bait to deeper water. Flip baits under dock there are some fish be caught by working dock near deep water. The main key is when Georgia Power is moving water. Spend a little time looking at the point and underwater island with the depth finder to find baitfish in these area before fishing. Find bait and bass will be close by.

Catfish: July is a great month for catfishing on Lake Oconee, with both channel and blue catfish feeding aggressively in the warm water. Focus on the main river channels, deep flats, and the mouths of creeks like Sugar Creek, Lick Creek, and the Apalachee River arm. Anchor or drift baited rigs in 10–25 feet of water using cut shad, bream, or chicken liver. Night fishing is especially productive this time of year when catfish move up to shallower flats to feed. For numbers, target channel cats near riprap banks and bridge pilings, while bigger blues tend to hang near ledges and submerged timber. Action is steady, and Oconee offers great opportunity for filling the cooler.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.1 FEET, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report):  Bass fishing is fair. Bass will still continue to roam the banks in shallow water all day both up and down lake. The fish are very scattered and the early bite has been barely fair. The water is hot and the fish are chasing small bait fish up into the shallows early. Get to the lake as early as possible and cast to the shallows with Zoom trick worms and small shad and blue back top water lures. The top water action in limited and will die by 9 am. Fish the north end of the lake but there are only a few small bass in any mood to bite plus they are all small. Cedar Creek may be better since this is up lake. Fish in the creeks and a little deeper and use a Bill Norman Middle N’s in the perch pattern. All the fish are skinny. The only fishing that can last into the day is in the currents way up both rivers. Up the river right at the river bends in the creek mouths like Boy Scout Island. The bass relate to the shallow pockets right next to the river. The fish are not in the current but close to it.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 2.8 FEET, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is barely fair during the day and a little better after dark. The Carolina rig and main lake ledges are best. A Zoom pumpkin lizard is the best bait lake wide with a June bug lizard a close second. The fish have moved out to the river channel ledges or to deep docks. Almost all the fish are taking plastics but try a gold buzz bait any time AAA come up on a dock. Jigs are also fair on the docks in all brown but use smaller baits seem to work best on the spots. Plastic or pork trailer will work and match the trailers to the bait. Soft plastics in the green pumpkin in a finesse worm and a Zoom Bush Hog will get strikes. Add some Lunker Sauce to the baits for extra strikes as anglers are concentrating most of their efforts up the Alcovy and Yellow Rivers for the kicker bass. Spinnerbaits along with buzz baits seem to be the baits most of them are throwing. Work the small flats and especially the sandy points in the bends up Yellow River. The black 6 inch worm on a Texas Rig is working as well especially when the water turns that pretty red clay color. Look for isolated stumps and single lay downs for best results. Anglers worked the dam and fished that first good cove right around the corner from the marina with white spinnerbaits. The bass are scattered from one end of the lake to the other and reports are coming in on everything from cranks to top water baits to plastics when asked how they caught the fish. Take this time to explore new areas and try a variety of baits.

New Blue Lake Record: Anglers on Lake Jackson have a new benchmark to chase: a 71-lb., 9.6-oz. blue catfish caught on June 28, 2025, has officially shattered the lake’s previous record by over 25 pounds. The new record was landed at night on a productive flat by angler Walter Dorough of Hillsboro. With catfish activity heating up and the Middle Georgia Catfish Anglers tournament set for July 26, now is a great time to explore Lake Jackson’s deep flats and channel edges. Big blues are clearly in the mix!

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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

Water temperatures are in the high 70’s to low 80’s and continue to rise in the month of July.  Some anglers struggle to find success during summer’s peak, but fear not, as we have some timely intel below that can help increase your chances of success.

Bass: Anglers are still having success with topwater lures; one angler reported catching a three-pounder with a frog, but with rising temperatures they may have better luck with lures that go deeper into the water.  Try fishing areas with structure, but be prepared to move to deeper areas on the lakes.  Anglers will have better luck hitting these spots with lures mimicking bait fish, or plastic worms and creature baits may produce at these lower depths.

Striped and Hybrid Bass:  Anglers should use chicken livers in areas with lots of bird activity for the best chance of success producing success.  Many of the hybrids and striped bass are in the deeper portions of Clubhouse and Bridge Lakes.

Channel Catfish:  Catfish on the PFA are still being caught, though less frequently.  Anglers using chicken livers or worms on the bottoms of the lakes seem to be producing the most catches.

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

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

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

Bass:  According to the most recent reports, Black top water buzzbaits and Yum Dinger green pumpkin chartreuse rubber worms are producing catches. Using green and yellow baits during the green algae bloom will help catch a Largemouths eye.

Bream:  Red Wigglers continue to produce bream. Submerged treetops are sure to be holding bream.

Crappie: Use live minnows and jigs while targeting deeper, cooler water early in the morning.

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” – 40”
• Surface temperature: mid-to-upper 80s
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: During the early morning, the water will be at its coolest.  Most bass are being caught on plastic worms, and lizards adjacent to creek channels and deeper structure.  If you are a bank angler, try locations that are not fished as heavily.  For example, the North side of Bennett has a nice access trail.

Crappie: Deeper water suspended over brush with jigs or minnows is your best bet for crappie.  If you don’t have a boat, try fishing deeper water near the dam.

Bream: Bluegill are spawning every full moon throughout the summer.  Crickets and wax worms are great baits.  Right off the bottom or on the bottom near bedding sites is your best bet.  Look for beds in 2 – 4’ of water.

Hybrid Bass:  Bennett Lake hosts a nice hybrid population.  These fish can be seen feeding on shad early morning and late afternoon.   A lure that you can cast a decent distance and mimics a shad is a good bet.

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

The summer patterns are here, and that includes slowing down, fishing deeper, or changing species that prefer hot weather. Daily rains have kept most systems up, but most are fishable. Ponds are a good bet with the evening showers because you can quickly get to cover.

River gages on July 10^th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 6.5 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 3.6 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 8.4 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla – 10.3 feet and rising
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 8.5 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 3.4 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 3.6 feet and rising
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 5.4 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is July 17th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

SATILLA RIVER

Hunter Dean and Wiley Golden fished the lower river and did well for panfish and a few bass. They fished through an area with worms under a float and didn’t do anything. When they worked through the same area with worms on the bottom they started picking up fish. They ended up catching 40 fish (redbreasts, bluegill, and a couple bass up to 2 1/2 pounds) that way.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Larry and Vickie Carter fished the west side over the holiday weekend. On Friday they caught 12 bowfin and 2 warmouth on fire tiger and lemon-lime Dura-Spins. Cathy and Tim came down and fished with me for a few hours Monday evening and all day Tuesday. They fooled 11 fish total on Monday evening after some torrential downpours delayed our departure. Four were fliers that ate pink Okefenokee Swamp Sallies under a float. Two bowfin and a pickerel ate lemon-lime Dura-Spins trolled in Billy’s Lake. The rest ate a prototype bladed fly (jackfish color) fished on 8-weight fly rods. Cathy caught 4 new species, including a yellow bullhead on a fly! They even had a bowfin double on fly tackle. On Tuesday they caught and released a total of 34 fish. Their first 17 fish were on the bladed fly, and Tim had the biggest bowfin on the trip with the fire tiger version first-thing. That one was 6-lb., 14-oz. Most of the fly fish ate the jackfish color, and they caught both pickerel and bowfin on the fly. The last 2 hours of their trip they cast lemon-lime and fire tiger-chartreuse blade Dura-Spins and caught 17 fish (both bowfin and pickerel). Most of the pickerel were big fish, and 5 of them were over 20 inches. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 120.58 feet. The water level on the west side was 4.36 feet on Tuesday.

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

Ken Burke bass fished the area on Tuesday for 3 1/2 hours and caught a 1-pounder and had 2 other bites. He caught the bass on a squarebill crankbait. The water temperature was 92 degrees at noon.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville)

Ken Burke bass fished the lake for about 3 hours and had 3 bites on a shaky head worm. He landed one of them (a 2.85-pounder). The water temperature was 92 degrees at 10am.

LOCAL PONDS

Joshua Barber fished a pond on Wednesday and caught 9 bass and 3 bluegills and on Thursday a half-dozen bass. Plastics and rooster tails fooled them. Van Palmer fished a pond on Saturday and caught a nice bass on a crawfish Dura-Spin.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Jamie Hodge fished with a friend in the Brunswick area and had a great day catching trout, reds, and flounder. They also caught a 12-pound tripletail during the trip. Both live shrimp and artificials fooled their fish. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had some great trips with families this week. On Monday and Tuesday, Michael, Charlie, and Allen had a mixed bag of flounder, black drum, trout, and sheepshead. Both days were over 30 fish (lots of short trout, but they weeded out a dozen keepers each day). They caught most of their fish on live shrimp under Harper Super Striker Floats, but the boys, Charlie and Allen, caught flounder and trout on Fourseven plastics, as well. 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).

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

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

The lake’s water is still muddy after rain north of Blackshear occurred last week. Water temperatures in the lake are reading over 90F in mid-afternoon. So, while Crappie and Largemouth Bass are still biting the high-water temperatures are likely pushing them to cooler water, so you might try a little deeper or in channels to score a bite. There are some reports of Mayfly hatches around the lake so for those interested in getting some mayfly lures stop by Flint River Outdoors to try while they are around.

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

According to Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com, Bass fishing is fair. The grass bite has been slower due to fluctuating water levels forcing fish out of the shallows. Shallow grass early, along with shallow river ledges during the day, will help put a nice bag of fish together. Rapala OG8 in bright colors have been fair. Some top water action has been good early but it’s about as reliable as the ledge bite. The crank bait bite has been on and off with the weather and lake levels. Working Texas rigs in shallow cover ranging from 5 to 10 feet has been fair; be sure to dead stick the worm in the cover for a minute, or so, or they won’t touch it.

LAKE SEMINOLE

Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com reports that Bass fishing is fair. There are very few fish in the shallows. With the surface temperatures high, the fish are on ledges. When there is current, the bite can be good both for numbers and quality and the crank bait is tough to beat. When the current is present, you’ll find several different schools roaming in an afternoon. It is not uncommon to catch five fish. The best fishing times are from about 5:00 pm until dark when the current is rolling. When there is no current fishing can be tough. Use the Carolina rig and Texas rig on river ledges in about 12 to 25 feet of water. Green pumpkin and watermelon seed plastics are tough to beat. Remember if the ledge has standing timber work the timber thoroughly as the fish will suspend in the trees. If you hit shallow grass early, in areas with deep water access, this can produce quality fish as well.

FLINT AND CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVERS

Summer is in full swing and it is hot! It’s a great time to try your luck with catfish that hang out in deeper cooler water. Fishing below the tailraces of a dam when power is being generated can be a good option or in the deep outer cut bank of a river bend. These deeper waters tend to hold that trophy sized fish you have been looking for!

The best bait is something nice and smelly. Anglers like hot dog, chicken livers, and chicken breast soaked in strawberry Jell-O.

SILVER LAKE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

Silver Lake: The crappie bite is strong in 6–8 feet of water with submerged vegetation out of the South ramp, especially on live minnows under a cork during early and late hours. Largemouth activity has slowed due to lower lake levels, but fish are still holding around deeper structure, shaded cover, and shallow submerged vegetation.

Best bets right now are topwater and jerkbaits in the evening and switching to jigs or Texas-rigged worms during the heat of the day when fish move deeper. Bream continue to bite off the fishing pier, with worms or crickets under a cork producing reliably. The underwater green lights are back on, making the pier a productive night fishing spot as well.

House Pond: Large bluegills are bedding near the gravel patch on the far side of the pond, and are also holding tight to the feeder. Try worms suspended 6–7 feet under a cork, especially in the morning or late afternoon.

Panic Pond: Temporarily closed until further notice. Please check with PFA staff for updates on reopening.

Related