The state of Georgia provides anglers some of the best, most diverse lake fisheries in the Southeast. Below I’ve highlighted what myself—and most discerning anglers—would consider the top fishing lakes in the state of Georgia.
Each fishery listed below—and marked on the above map—offers consistent year-round fishing opportunities for Georgia’s top game fishing species including Largemouth bass, white bass, spotted, stripers, catfish, crappie walleye, and bream.
For each lake, I’ve also identified the hotspots where you’re most likely to find the best action during a given time of the year. Make sure to check local fishing regulations before you hit the water.
- Lake Allatoona
- Andrews Lake
- Bartlett’s Ferry Lake
- Randy Poynter Reservoir
- Lake Blackshear
- Lake Blue Ridge
- Lake Burton
Lake Allatoona
Shallow coves and backwaters is where you’ll find most largemouth bass activity on Allatoona. Upper Etowah, Allatoona Creek and Little River tend to be top producers. The entire lake is a pretty productive bass fishery but some of the more productive fishing spots include Owl Creek, Stamp Creek and along the Upper and Lower Etowah Rivers.
If you want some real striper action hit the Etowah striper runs in late spring. Etowah flats near Little River is another hotspot for hybrid striped bass. For year-round striper action, from a mile above to a mile below Galt’s Ferry boat ramp is where you’ll want to wet your line.
For shore anglers, Cherokee Mills and Payne Day Use Area are you best bets for bass. If catfish is on the menu the rocky banks along the Etowah River arm of Allatoona produce consistent catches. The upper recesses of the Etowah River and Little River is where you’ll find the largest populations of blue catfish.
If you want to reel in some nice size panfish, early spring is when you want to hit Allatoona. Sweetwater, Sixes, Kellogg and Tanyard Creek, as well as the Etowah and Little River are where panfish action really gets hot.
My favorite spot for fishing winter crappie is Kellogg. When the weather cools off, Kellogg turns into one of the best panfish haunts on the lake.
Andrews Lake
Andrews Lake is a hotbed for black bass activity. The Columbia trailrace and Walter F. George dam tailrace during early spring is where the Hybrid action is at its best. You’ll also find stripers below Columbia and Walter F. George dams, but not in nearly the same numbers as Hybrid bass. If you’re going to fish the tailrace waters, I recommend bring your surf rod. You’ll want to achieve some long distance casts.
If catfish are on the menu, it doesn’t get any better than Andrews. There are some lunkers here, including a 40.7-lb flathead pulled from the lower Chattahoochee. The mouth of the Chattahoochee River just above the dam is a great little goldmine of activity where you can find some jumbo cats. For large blues and flatheads fish the waters below Walter F. George and Andrews dams.
For bream, crappie and white bass target the tailrace waters just below the dams, near laydowns, and around woody debris.
Bartlett’s Ferry Lake
Bass are the most abundant fish species at Barletts Ferry Lake, but crappie and catfish are also plentiful. The entire lake supports a thriving fishery but you’ll experience most fishing success around structure.
A favorite hot bed for bass is the creek running parallel to Barletts Ferry Rd just east of the dam. You’ll see a pocket just off the west end of the island to your right as you head up the creek toward the Blackwaters Condos. Work the pocket slowly with a jig.
For some pretty steady largemouth action, target just above Blanton Creek. You’ll find a few spotted bass here but mostly largemouths.
During early spring the waters below Riverwiew Dam (Crow Hop) are a hotbed of striper and hybrid bass activity. The rest of the year you’ll find bass throughout the deeper sections of the lake especially around the dam.
Randy Poynter Reservoir
Good lake for largemouths, hybrids, bream and crappie. Some decent catfish fishing as well. Lot’s of nice size bass, but not the best bass lake in Georgia in my opinion. Water tends to be overly clear.
The spot to hit is the flats directly across from the boat ramp at Black Shoals Park. Standing timber and any underwater structure is where you’ll find quite a few bass holding.
Lake Blackshear
Your best bets at Blackshear include largemouth bass, hybrid striped bass, white bass, crappie and catfish.
Largemouths are plentiful and found throughout the lake. Anglers report some of the best largemouth fishing outside of the main body of water at the north end around Spring Creek, Limestone Creek and Gum Creek. Head to the lower reservoir and fish Collins Branch and the Swift Creek Channel for more good bass action.
The area between Cedar Creek and Collins branch is a hotbed of hybrid bass activity especially around the underwater island.
You’ll find white bass intermixed with the largemouths and hybrids but anglers report most success in Boy Scout Slough, Gum Greek, Swift Creek and the tailrace waters.
Channel cats and flatheads are found throughout Lake Blackshear, but tend to hold near shallow flats near the creeks and rivers that feed into the reservoir.
The mouth of Collins Branch, Gum Creek, Spring Creek, Boy Scout Slough and Cedar Creek are all hotspots for targeting black and white crappie.
Lake Blue Ridge
Great largemouth bass fishery! Some of the best action—for both largemouths and white bass—is found in the upper Toccoa arm of the lake. Target structure around fallen trees and stumps at the mouth of inlets and coves.
Once the most popular bass species in Blue Ridge, smallmouth bass now make up less than 1% of the fish population. For the best chance of hooking a smallmouth, target the rocky points along the Toccoa arm of the lake during spring spawn.
Now the dominant bass species Alabama bass are found throughout the lake along the deeper main lake points. During spring target deeper rocky points. During the summer focus on sloping banks with downed shoreline trees and structure.
The deep holes, ledges and crevice found along the banks of Blue Ridge are a favorite hiding place for the lake’s abundant populations of channel and flathead catfish. Couple hotspots for targeting catfish are found along the rocky banks adjacent to Blue Ridge Dam and at the Toccoa River arm of the lake.
The deep ledges throughout the Toccoa arm of the lake during the early spring bring walleye in by the droves. By summer, walleye will migrate back to the depths of the main lake.
Rainbow trout are now stocked throughout Lake Blue Ridge. Target areas around the Blue Ridge Dam Recreation Area, Morganton Point, Lakewood Launching, and Lake Blue Ridge Marina. Between late spring and fall, target the stretch running up from the dam about 1.5 miles.
Lake Burton
For largemouth bass we recommend focusing on the coves in the lower end of the lake including Perrin, Murray and Cherokee Coves.
For the best spotted bass action, fish right up along the face of the dam during cooler weather. This is where you’re find schools of shad and trophy spots. During the late fall through early winter Moccasin, Timpson, and Dicks Creed Coves are great spots to target spotted bass.
Lake Burton is a superb brown trout fishery and some of the trout pulled from these waters can tip the scale at 12 lbs. During winter, most browns are found along the dam with a few holding around Jones Bridge. Come spring your best bet at hooking a trout is in the backwater of coves such as Moccasin Cove and Murrays Cove.
During spawn anglers stand a pretty good chance of landing a trophy brown near the mouth of Timpson and Dicks Creeks as they make their may into the streams to spawn.
Final Thoughts
The reality is you’re going to find good fishing in almost all of Georgia’s lake fisheries. The key to improving your catch rate—and hookin that trophy lunker—is making sure you’re targeting the right spot, at the right time, with the right presentation.
Most of Georgia’s bass and bream species are going to hunker down around fish attractors, cover and underwater structure near channels and drop-offs. Hit these areas during the mornings or evenings when fish are active and you’re going greatly increase your chance of success.
As far as baits go, there’s a never ending list of possibilities. But if you want to target as many fish species as possible, with as few types of baits as possible, I’d recommend a few soft-plastic worms, crankbaits, jigs, cut bait (liver or worms) and of course you can’t beat live baitfish such as shad, minnow or herring.
If bream is on the menu, take a bag full of crickets along with you as well.
