Lake Hartwell Fishing

Located on Georgia’s northeastern border in the town of Hartwell, Lake Hartwell is a favorite bass fishing spot for many anglers, including professionals. With 962 miles of shoreline, 56,000 acres of water, and over 50 launch ramps for fishing craft, pontoon boats, and pleasure crafts, Lake Hartwell offers something for everyone. Small watercraft can be launched from almost anywhere around the shores. Bass, catfish, crappie, walleye, bluegill, sunfish, striped bass, and hybrid stripers inhabit its waters, where they find cover amongst the lake’s many backwaters, creek channels, islands, points, humps and bumps.

Anglers visiting Lake Hartwell usually go after its plentiful Largemouth Bass. Your high-catch target spots will be on the Georgia side of the lake at Lightwood Log Creek, Gum Log Creek, and Eastanollee Creek.

During winter months and early spring, largemouths are drawn to water breaks at rocks or bridge abutments. Recommended lures are shad-patterned crankbaits, curly tail grubs and spinner baits. During the largemouth spawning period, use shallow water baits around woody debris. In the summertime, anglers like to fish in the early mornings and late afternoons on the lower half of the lake in Hartwell’s deeper waters. Here, the bass hunt for shad and herring on the main lake’s humps and points. Topwater baits, like Sammy, Super Fluke, and Zara Spook, are recommended. The energetic bass often race to take topwater baits and explode dramatically to the surface.

Black Crappie gather in pre-spawn areas once the water starts to warm in late February and early March. These fish look for structures within the water itself. Drop some live minnows and small crappie jigs within and around these structures for some good catches. Crappie swim short distances away from their submerged cover by April. In the fall, try fishing around submerged timber.

Striped and Hybrid Bass both seek blueback herring and shad, so use live herring or herring imitations such as jigs and Super Flukes to take advantage of that. The same bait is effective year-round. During warm weather months, the stripers and hybrids congregate toward the dam, and your best odds for catching them there are by downlining herring at night. In the fall, topwater tactics work because the stripes and hybrids chase baitfish at the surface.

Public launch ramps can be found at state parks, marinas, and USACE parks. Some launch ramps may require a fee. Game fish may be caught with hook and line, pole, artificial pole, or rod and reel. Anglers cannot use more than four of these devices at the same time unless they are on a boat. You may use cast-nets for catching nongame bait fish while fishing for game fish. No game fish may be used as bait to catch fish recreationally except for bream (excluding redbreast). When using game fish as bait to catch fish recreationally, they must be included in the daily creel limit.

Lake Hartwell Fish:

Lake Hartwell boat ramps:

The following boat ramps provide access to Lake Hartwell.

Mary Ann Branch Boat Ramp
Hatton Ford Rd Hartwell, GA
Directions

Crawfords Ferry Boat Ramp
Crawfords Ferry Rd Hartwell, GA
Directions

Carters Ferry Boat Ramp
Wood Ln Hartwell, GA
Directions

Milltown Campground Boat Ramp
Reed Creek, GA
Directions

Gum Branch Boat Ramp
Hartwell, GA
Directions

Long Point Boat Ramp
Old 29 Hwy Hartwell, GA
Directions

Gordon’s Marine Lightwood Road Hartwell, Geo Boat Ramp
1057 Lightwood Rd Hartwell, GA 7063763355
Directions

Hart SP Boat Ramp
232 Hart State Park Rd Hartwell, GA
Directions

Bradberry Boat Ramp
1782-2114 Georgia 51 Hartwell, GA
Directions

Cleveland Boat Ramp
Reed Creek, GA
Directions

Duncan Branch Boat Ramp
1511 Lewis Dr Hartwell, GA
Directions

Elrod Ferry Boat Ramp
1148-1152 Elrod Ferry Rd Hartwell, GA
Directions

Powderbag Creek Boat Ramp
Powder Ramp Rd Hartwell, GA
Directions

Hartwell Marina Boat Ramp
149 Hartwell Marina Rd
Directions

Hartwell Marina & Boat Sales Boat Ramp
101-127 Hartwell Marina Dr Hartwell, GA 7063765441
Directions