Lake Jackson covers 4,700 acres with 135 miles of shoreline, and is a popular fishing spot in upper-central Georgia outside the town of Jackson. While the land that surrounds the lake is mostly private, there are many public access points where anglers can launch a small craft such as a kayak or canoe, or fish from the bank. There are many docks, marinas, and boat launches to pick from around the shoreline as well. Lake Jackson is home to healthy populations of crappie, sunfish, and bass—which like to find cover near the docks and shores—as well as catfish, striped bass, and hybrid stripers.

driving directions

In addition to catfish, crappie, and striped bass, Lake Jackson is also prime spot for fishing bream. Bream like live bait (redworms, mealworms, crickets) fished off the bottom. Target weedlines and blowdowns. The Ocmulgee River, below Jackson dam, is a good place to fish for redbreast sunfish.

Numerous species of catfish, larger on average than most other Georgia reservoirs, can be fished off the bottom with cut shad and liver.

Crappie are abundantly present on Jackson, and their average size is increasing. Some are over 10 inches long. Try trolling small jigs around drop-offs, creek channels and points, using live minnows, small crankbaits and pitching jigs. Visit the bridge crossing at Highway 212 in early spring for a crappie hot spot!

Largemouth bass make up almost 60 percent of Lake Jackson’s fish. Use crankbaits and jigs fished in deep water, to catch bigger fish. Plastics fished on a Carolina rig are also productive. To find largemouth, look for rock points, docks, or timber that are near dropoffs to deeper water. In the fall, look for flooded timber on the Tussahaw Creek. The Yellow River arm is dense with habitats for large bass. During the summertime, take advantage of early mornings and nights for your best luck.

Spotted bass have the advantage here of being hearty and plump, plus there is no size restriction on catches and anglers are encouraged to harvest them. Find them in deep, clear waters. Cast small crankbaits and spinners into deep water to attract them, then top-water lures fished fast will trigger bites from these aggressive fish (try spooks, buzzbaits and propeller lures). Night fishing along the docks and humps is another chance for a good catch.

The strong striped bass here offer anglers the chance to catch a 10-20 pound hybrid. Target schools of shad and stripers (commonly in early morning, or at dusk). Troll with crankbaits or large swim-baits through suspended schools of shad. Stripers chase hard to the surface, where topwater lures can start up some real excitement. Two recommended spots are the power lines north of where the Alcovy meets the South and Yellow Rivers (early mornings here produce surface-feeding stripers), and the colder waters near the dam, which are excellent for trolling.

Lake Jackson boat ramps:

The following boat ramps provide access to Lake Jackson.