August 15, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

Night fishing is a great option during the blazing hot Georgia summer. Just check out Gregg and his recent nighttime catch from a recent night fishing trip at Don Carter State Park.  This was his second time fishing at this location and with this success, it looks like he might be back for a 3^rd night soon!

Why night fishing? Gregg said that during the summer, it is a great time to night fish because of less boat traffic, cooler temperatures and the peaceful sounds of nature at night. We couldn’t agree more!

Originally taught to fish by his mom, Gregg has always loved heading out to the water and plans to keep on fishing no matter what age, if he is able. He says he enjoys fishing because it is fun and a calming way to spend the day or night. His favorite species to catch is catfish.

Some great night fishing opportunities can be found at Georgia Public Fishing Areas (10 of 11 PFAs offer 24-hour a day fishing) or at Georgia State Parks.

Note: Not all Georgia State Parks offer night fishing, so always a good idea to reach out to the Park office first to check!

NEWS TO KNOW:

• Ocmulgee PFA Temporary Closure: Improving facilities sometimes means a short-term temporary closure. Ocmulgee PFA is having some road repair and paving work done and will temporarily close Aug. 18-22. Find out more about this PFA at GeorgiaWildlife.com/ocmulgee-pfa.
• 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.
• 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

This week, we have fishing reports from North, Central, and Southeast Georgia; Southwest Georgia will be back next week. When the day winds down, the night bites begin- Let’s Go Fish Georgia!

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

RESERVOIR REPORT 

BARTLETT’S FERRY, LAKE HARDING

Georgia Power plans to conduct a reservoir drawdown to elevation 513 to provide for homeowner dock and shoreline structure maintenance activities. The typical operating range for Lake Harding is between elevations 518 feet and 521 feet. From start to finish, this drawdown will occur over a six-week period with approximately four weeks at the low drawdown elevation. Georgia Power will begin ramping down at a rate of no greater than a half foot per day below elevation 518 beginning on Monday, October 27, 2025, and will reach the drawdown elevation of 513 feet by Wednesday, November 5, 2025. Georgia Power will begin refilling on Saturday, December 6, 2025, and anticipates refill to occur over the next week, depending on releases from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ upstream West Point Lake.

LAKE ALLATOONA IS FULL, 80’S

Allatoona Bass (Report courtesy of tournament angler Matt Driver) – Bass fishing is good. Fishing in August is just an extension of July. Fish have moved out to summertime areas. We’re still seeing schooling activity, but we’ve also got fish as deep as 50 feet. August can be tough and many times it’s feast or famine. Lots of Allatoona bass have come from brush piles and structure like large boulders and underwater bluffs. Many times, we are locating fish on Side Imaging but it can be frustrating because the fish are still on ++the move around these areas. It’s not as simple as finding them and just sitting stationary. For the fish near the surface, we are using a 5 inch hard swimbait or a standard three joint hard bait. Lots of times we’re throwing it out and burning it back. Once those fish are not active, we’re going to a drop shot and jig head minnow even though the jig head minnow has not been as effective lately. Lots of times we will start off with a 6XD in a white-blue chartreuse pattern. We tend to catch one or two before the school slows down and then switch over to the drop shot with a Berkley Flat Worm. At night, the spinnerbait with Colorado blades tend to bring in bigger fish.

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 HARTWELL IS DOWN 2 FEET, 80’S 

Hartwell Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. A fair to good top water bite is still on but go early. The top water action will stop dead cold without any notice however and some are catching those surface fish on and off all day long. The surface temperature is very warm, but the water cools off quickly about two to three feet down. Try the Spy Baits and be sure 6-pound Sunline fluorocarbon clear line. Besides the top water baits use the Carolina rigs with a variety of plastics attached along with the jigs. Docks with submerged structures are still holding some good fish but most of these bigger bass are holding tight. Make good accurate casts in tight places to catch these fish. Steep rock ledges on the eastern banks are also holding good Bass until about 11:00 a.m. After that get out the Carolina rigs and use a long 5-foot leader, one ounce egg sinker and make long casts to the deeper main lake points and humps.

LAKE LANIER IS FULL, 80’S 

Lanier Bass (This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson Pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770-366-8845)- Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is fair. The lake is currently one foot below full pool with the temperature coming down to seventy-eight degrees on Garmin and eighty degrees on Humminbird units. The cooler water has had some effect on the bass but the bigger fish still seem to be located in and around the deeper structure on humps, long points and ledges. For this week there have been three main baits we have been using, a three eights Spot Choker, a Fluke and a drop shot. The Fluke has picked up with the cooler water temperature on windy points and over the structure in twenty-five to forty foot of water. The retrieve for this bait has been three or four quick reels and a pause. Be prepared for a lot of short strikes. The drop shot with a Blue Lily, Morning Dawn or Sweet Rosy has produced fish in and close to the structure. It often takes time to get the fish to commit on this bait so be prepared to slow it down a little. The better fish have been coming on the Spot Choker around structure in the thirty-five to forty foot range of water. Work this bait with either a Fluke or a three-inch Keitech The key to this bait is locating the bass around the structure or above the tops of trees with anglers r FFS. Cast the bait past the fish and let it drop to the depth of the fish and slowly retrieve with some shaking of the rod. Speeding up the retrieve just as the bait gets to the bass will often trigger the bite. These have tended to be the larger bass. They are largely still in the summer pattern but with a little patient they can still be caught so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Stripers: (This Lake Lanier Striper report is by Buck Cannon. (404) 510-1778) — Striper fishing is good. Fish the mouths of major creeks like 6 and 4 miles. Lots of small schools are located in the river channel. Side imagining can help anglers locate the schools as anglers cross over the river and creeks. Mark the schools with a way points and locate fish. Live bait on down lines will do the job. If anglers troll umbrella rigs and lead core first locate a couple of fish and mark them with a way point and put anglers r spread out and go back over them. Water temperature has dropped from the rain we got and look for any top water bite it should happen anytime so be ready. The jigs and spoons will get anglers a bonus bite. Remember to wear your life jacket. Buck Tales 404-510-1778.

Lanier Crappie: (This Lake Lanier Crappie report is by Captain Josh Thornton (770) 530-6493) — Crappie fishing is good. We are finding crappie suspended 15 to 3 feet over a 30 to 40 bottom. The crappie are suspending for long periods of time and the bite is soft. Look for deep water brush or timber near a main channel up to 40 feet deep usually they will be suspended around 25 feet. Look for points near a main channel where the depth falls off quickly if there is any structure for the crappie to hold to anglers are likely to find them there. Crappie can still be found in shallow water if anglers can find an area with shade and the water temperature is lower. If anglers are using jigs, I would recommend translucent colors with sparkles. Right now it seems they just want a minnow I am setting minnows 15 to 20 feet deep most of the time over a 20 to 40 foot bottom. 95% of this week’s catch came on minnows. Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows or shaded areas of dock. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. I use ATX lure company’s jigs on a lip thrashin lure jig heads. I use 5-pound test high visibility yellow k9 braid for my line unless I am using a bobber then it’s the k9 6 pound high vis line k9fishing.com and a Acc crappie Stix. I use Garmin Live Scope and the Navionics Boating app. Find me on Facebook and like my pages #crappieonlanier & #fishingwitheverydayheroes to book call 770-530-6493. Additional information and helpful fishing tips can be found on our websites: http://www.crappieonlanier.com and http://www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org 

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 DOWN ABOUT 1 FOOT, 80’S 

West Point Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) — Bass fishing is fair. The bass are suspended in 17 to 20 feet of water and have finally moved into their summertime pattern. Fish with Carolina rigged worms in black grape and June bug and dark blue. Several good catches have been in the mouths of Wehadkee Creek, Veasey Creek and Stroud Creek right before dark. Switching to the Mini Max when targeting bass or when bass are more challenging to catch especially on high sunlight days and if there are any pressure changes. Old roadbeds are good summer locations. Cranking main lake and river points with a deep diving crank baits has been productive for early morning fishermen. Be patient and let the bait sink deep enough before starting to reel it in. The bass might be just a foot or two deeper with the warmer waters. Check out the Liberty Hill area upriver for some good crank bait fishing.

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.

Lake Level Info: West Point Lake Water Level Information can be found at westpointlake.info/level.

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

WEISS LAKE IS FULL, 80’S

Weiss Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Our bass have moved to a deeper, summer pattern, around docks and brush piles in deeper water near spawning areas are producing fish, point’s roadbeds and creek channels are also producing fish. With all the rain there are lots of fish in the grass.

Weiss Crappie: Crappie fishing is good. A lot of fish are starting to show up on deeper brush piles and creek channels ledges. Spider rigging with live minnows is the way to catch these post spawn fish. Shooting docks is producing fish.

TROUT REPORT 

Trout Info and Trout Stocking: To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

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

STATE PARK LAKES

Want to enjoy some summer fishing potentially close to home?  If so, Georgia State Parks has got you covered. Small lakes can offer great summer fishing opportunities close to home.

Here are a few north Georgia State Parks with small lakes you may consider fishing this weekend.

(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 FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Rapala DT10 crank baits, Zoom Super Flukes and lipless crank baits are catching fish at the seven-to-twelve-foot range. There is a fair bite until 8:00 a.m., but fish early for this to happen. The rip rap at the Highway 72 Bridge and the railroad tracks are still producing a fish or two while slowly bouncing a crank bait off the rocks in five feet or deeper water. After the bait hits the rock pause it briefly then proceed with a slow retrieve. The surface temperature is very warm, but the water cools off quickly about two to three feet down. Try the Spy Baits and be sure to use 6 pound Sunline fluorocarbon clear line. Besides the top water baits use the Carolina rigs with a variety of plastics attached along with the jigs. Jigs and Weedless Wonder lead heads and a Zoom finesse worm on the submerged brush piles and timber near deep water is also working. Downsizing and a slow to very slow presentation is a must during these hot months. Watch the line while fishing bottom structure. Any movement should be followed quickly by a hook set. The inability to feel a strike is common this time of the year.

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 FOOT, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. First thing in the morning hit the rip rap bank. Use are spinnerbaits, buzz baits, Whopper Ploppers, Chug bugs and square billed crankbaits. Fish the lay downs with top water, spinnerbaits, crank baits and trick worms. Try the deeper docks as they can hold the bigger bass. Long points and roadbeds with Carolina rigs are also a good choice. Mid-day, go to the Zoom Super Flukes on the rip rap and seawalls. The do the same thing on the docks. The best docks will be near the main lake points and on first and secondary points. Carolina rigs and crankbaits on main lake points will also work on the summer pattern. Early and late the bass ease up to the shadows to look for bream and crawfish. Use the baits with the colors of these bass favorite meals. Use the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and scan the points and pockets for the old stump rows. The bass will be dots close this the cover. Isolated structure like stumps and rocks are excellent places.

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.

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.

Catfish 2 (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Anglers of all ages have reported catching catfish across Clarks Hill this summer. Channels have been providing steady action on a wide variety of cut, live, and stink baits. Pick your ole’ reliable, tried-and-true favorite bait, and you should be rewarded in no time! For flatheads, brothers Paxon & Connor Smith show off a nice pair weighing 40 and 26 pounds they caught together on a recent morning. Hudson Dow was all smiles while showing off a recent catch of his own – proving that the fish don’t quit biting in the rain!

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Buzz Baits fished along sea walls and around docks will produce good size fish the first hr. of daylight and the last hr. of daylight. Keep a trick worm tied on and if the fish misses the buzz bait pitch the trick worm in the same spot and hang on. After the sun gets up switch to docks in deeper water. Texas-rigged worms fish under the docks will produce. A Z Man Chatterbaits has the Mini Max. Since Bass eat a lot of small forage this bait will account for some good bites. Try this bait when fishing around small baitfish like shad and bluegills. The humps on the lower end of the lake have also been producing when Georgia Power is pulling water. Keep a Zoom pearl Super Fluke rigged all day and use it on every stop.

Catfish (courtesy of WRD Fishing blog contributor Blake Ogden): Blake and Brant took the kids jugging on Oconee recently and caught a good mess of blue catfish jugging a spread of

Catawba worms, cut bait, and live minnows. Blake said the Catawba worms generally outperformed all other menu options. The catfish bite will remain steady lakewide during the month of August and pick up considerably at night. The bite will also pick up considerably during pumpback periods. Driving across I-20 this week revealed that Oconee is heavy stained due to recent rains, but that won’t stop catfish from remaining active as they rely heavily on scent cues to hone in on prey. Given the poor visibility on Oconee across the lake right now, catfish will be a best bet this weekend.

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 FULL, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report):   Bass fishing is fair. There is a decent lipless crank bait bite going down on the main lake. Use the Spro Aruku Shad 75 in old glory color on 20-pound Sunline fluorocarbon. The best places to fish the bait are on grass points on the main lake. This is where Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology will make it easy to spot the fish on the humps and points. A Z Man Chatterbaits has the Mini Max. Since Bass eat a lot of small forage this bait will account for some good bites. Try this bait when fishing around small baitfish like shad and bluegills. This time of year the stick with a steady retrieve with the bait. Try the Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbait in these same areas or a soft plastic jerk bait. A good spinnerbait to use is a 1/2-ounce Strike zone Lure Company Edge buster spinnerbait in chartreuse and white. The best soft plastic jerk bait to use is a Zoom pearl Super fluke on Sufix braid. Use a 4/0 Mustad offset work hook. Cast a Pop R early and late on the main lake points with the most rocks around.

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. It put a smile on my face, and I’m sure it will yours, too. Check out the action at Big Blue Cat on a Rooster Tale!

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Bass are on docks and blowdowns. Start with the Pop R and a small all white Rooster Tail. Soft plastics and jigs will work if they will not come up on top. Before the sun gets up, stick to power fishing with buzz baits, small cranks and spinnerbaits. Focus on main lake rock, riprap, and sea wall features. Fish areas with some depth at or near the banks. Throw white skirts, nickel blades, and natural or white cranks. In clear water with small shad, a compact spinnerbait will fish best. Take the time to trim and thin the skirt to achieve a shorter and slimmer profile. Bandits, Shad Raps #5 & #7, or Fat Free Shads are good crank baits. Soft plastic crawfish imitations are working. Berkley has the PowerBait Gilly and use it on a drop shot rig and sue dark colors next to docks or shallow cover for a fast strike. Cover water quickly and slow down once the bait schools show up as they and the bass will be feeding in an area. Later in the morning the shallow bite may extend based on the moon phases.

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 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

Bass (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Tim Rountree weighed in this impressive 9.3-pound Savannah River largemouth on his way to securing the win in a recent tournament. While Clarks Hill gets more attention for its bass fishing action, local anglers shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to fish the Savannah River in Augusta, as long as the flows are safe for launching (which they are not, currently). Check the flow before you go, HERE.  The Savannah offers unique opportunity to catch a variety of Georgia’s black bass species including largemouth, Bartram’s, and even the occasional (non-native) smallmouth bass.

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 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. Night fishing is a great option on Jones for catfish anglers during August!

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.

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.

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.

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

The dog-days are fully entrenched, and water temps many places are hovering around 90 degrees on sunny afternoons. Slow down, fish early – or even at night – and generally fish deeper for success. Saltwater, ponds, and the Okefenokee Swamp have produced some good bites this week.

River gages on August 14th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 10.4 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 10.7 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 9.3 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla – 10.5 feet and steady
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 11.4 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 5.1 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 3.2 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 5.2 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is August 16th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Blake Yarbrough fished with me on the east side on Saturday, and we caught and released 64 fish of 4 different species (bowfin, gar, chain pickerel, warmouth). The big fish were biting that day, as Blake’s biggest 5 bowfin weighed right at 27 pounds. His biggest was a 6-lb., 14-oz. pig. Casting Dura-Spins produced most of the bigger bowfin, but we caught probably half of the total by trolling. He had a 21-inch pickerel. The best colors were fire tiger-chartreuse blade and lemon-lime, but we caught a few on white-white blade late in the trip. Curtis Hazel fished the east side on Sunday by himself and caught 11 bowfin – all on the same fire tiger-chartreuse blade Dura-Spin. On Wednesday Pat Seagraves came down and fished with me on the east side. The water had risen 3 inches in 4 days, but the fish still bit. They started slowly but started chewing when the sun started baking us. We caught and released 41 fish total (40 bowfin and a chain pickerel). The pickerel ate a popsicle Warmouth Whacker Jig, but everything else hit a Dura-Spin. Trolling was the ticket to covering water – the fish were more spread out than they have been recently. Crawfish-brass blade and black/chartreuse-chartreuse blade were the best colors, but we caught a couple on jackfish and fire tiger-chartreuse blade, as well. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 121.22 feet.

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

Michael Carter caught an 8-lb., 2-oz. bass on Sunday at the area.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville)

Ken Burke fished the area this week for 4 1/2 hours and caught and released 2 bass that weighed a total of 7 pounds. The biggest was 4 1/4 pounds. He caught one on a crankbait and one on a shaky-head worm. Note: The area will be closed August 18-22 for repaving.

LOCAL PONDS

Thomas and Huck fished a Waycross area pond, and Thomas caught his personal best bass – just over 9 pounds. It ate a fluke rigged on a Capt. Bert’s Worm Hook. He released it after getting a great photo. Way to go, Thomas! Jimmy Zinker got on a few nice bass Wednesday night in a Worth County pond. He fooled a 6-lb., 5-oz. bass and a couple smaller ones with a Jitterbug. He also tricked a 4-pounder into eating a black Trophy Bass Buzzbait (the Squeaker version). On Thursday he landed a 5-lb., 4-oz. bass on a Jitterbug and missed a big one on a black Squeaker Trophy Bass Buzzbait. He is excited that the bigger fish have started biting better lately.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) has been chasing tarpon this week with artificials and put a couple in the air each day. A Brunswick angler fished the inshore waters this week with topwaters and hard jerkbaits and had about 15 keeper trout.  John Ross went flounder gigging with his family and gigged his first flounder. They got 2 flatties that night. 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).

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