FreeFishFishing in Georgia: lake depth maps and where to start
Big reservoirs, mountain trout streams and coastal rivers. How to use Georgia lake depth maps, notable waters, and where to find the official rules.
Georgia's freshwater fishing centers on large reservoirs, many built on major rivers, plus trout streams in the north Georgia mountains and slow, blackwater rivers in the south. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has published depth maps for the lakes in its Public Fishing Areas (PFAs), small, well-managed lakes spread across the state, and FreeFish shows them on the map. For big reservoirs without a published survey, FreeFish shows a clearly labeled depth estimate instead.
What you can fish for
Largemouth bass and spotted bass are the most popular targets. Many reservoirs also have striped bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie, white bass and catfish. North Georgia streams hold rainbow, brown and brook trout, and southern rivers are known for redbreast sunfish, bluegill and largemouth bass.
Waters to know
- Lake Lanier: a large reservoir northeast of Atlanta known for spotted bass and striped bass.
- Lake Seminole: in southwest Georgia, a shallow, weedy reservoir known for largemouth bass.
- Clarks Hill Lake (J. Strom Thurmond): on the South Carolina border, with striped and hybrid bass, crappie and bass.
- West Point Lake: on the Alabama border, with largemouth, spotted bass and hybrids.
Using Georgia depth maps
Georgia reservoirs were built by flooding river valleys, so depth maps show old river and creek channels, steep banks, points and humps. In summer, many bass and stripers move deep along channel edges and around brush piles; in spring, bass move into creek arms to spawn. Clear, deep lakes like Lanier often have fish suspended deep in summer, and the thermocline helps you figure out the right depth.
Reservoir levels can change with drought and dam operations, which changes shorelines and access.
Through the seasons
Spring brings bass and crappie into shallow water to spawn, often as early as February or March in the south. Summer is best early in the morning and at night, when stripers and bass may feed near the surface; during the day, many fish move deep along channels. Fall brings schooling bass and stripers chasing shad. Winter fishing slows but can be good on mild days, and mountain trout streams fish well much of the year.
Before you go
Georgia regulations include statewide limits plus special rules for trout waters and some reservoirs. Check the official regulations from the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, linked below. Many Georgia reservoirs are shared with neighboring states, which have reciprocal license agreements on some waters; check the details before fishing border lakes.
Official rules
Seasons, limits and license requirements change. The official source is the state agency: Georgia fishing regulations and licenses.