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Fishing Lake Lanier
Thirty-five miles
northeast of Atlanta, Georgia, lies beautiful Lake Lanier, a man-made lake
formed by the Buford Dam, which backs up the Chattahoochee River. Lake Lanier
extends up the Chattahoochee River near the Hall-Habersham County Line and up
the Chestatee River to the vicinity of Dahlonega. At normal level it covers
38,000 acres with 540 miles of shoreline. A relatively deep lake with an
average depth of nearly 60 feet, Lake Lanier has nearly 200 foot depths in the
dam area. Lake Lanier, however, is really a contradiction of a normal thought
process. The upper end of this lake would seem to be cooler because it is fed
directly by two mountain rivers. In reality, the deeper, clearer, and cooler
waters are on the south end of the lake. The lake north of Brown's Bridge is
really more like the Georgia lakes farther to the south. The upper end of Lanier
contains well-defined river channels and long, flat points that become muddy or
stained after any big rain. The lower end of the lake, however, is more like a
mountain lake. It is deep and clear with rocky points, underwater ridge tops,
and deep drop-offs near the old river channel.
Without the proper knowledge or the help of an expert fishing guide, Lake Lanier
can be one of the most difficult lakes to fish in all of the Southeast. The
upper end is much more shallow and can be greatly affected by any changes in the
weather or lake levels. Also, the lower lake water stratifies, both thermally
and chemically during the warmer months, which limits the range of certain fish.
Since Lake Lanier first became full in 1957, The Georgia Game and Fish
Commission has experimented with numerous stocking programs, including:
- Largemouth bass
- Bluegill
- Rainbow trout
- Brown trout
- Brook trout
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- Walleye
- Striped bass
- White bass
- Crappie
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Many other varieties of fish also live in the lake
naturally. These include spotted bass, largemouth bass, white bass, crappie,
several types of catfish, and many species of panfish, including red-breast
sunfish, red-ear sunfish, green sunfish, and warmouth. Longnose gar reach
close to four feet in length, and carp over 20 pounds have been landed at
Lanier. Thread-fin shad and spottail minnows are the basic food for most fish
in the lake, but larger gizzard shad, and blueback herring are also abundant.
Best opportunities for certain
species and methods on Lake Lanier:
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 Striped
Bass:
Topwater or Fly
Fishing - May thru June & November thru December
Largest Stripers are
usually caught in the upper Chattahoochee River during March & April.
(Bill with Phil Niekro . . .
Atlanta Braves can fish!) |
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 Spotted Bass:
Greatest numbers of Spotted Bass are
usually caught with flyrods and light spinning tackle, such as the
Swirleybird Spinner™, during April & May.
Best live bait fishing for Spotted
bass is June thru October.
(Two Beauties . . . Elaine Chesser & Mrs. Spotted Bass) |
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 Largemouth
Bass:
Best fishing for
trophy Largemouth bass is March & April and November & December.
Largemouth bass love
the Swirleybird Spinner™!
(In the Rain, All American Linebacker
Derrick Germaine, Tackled a
Largemouth) |
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White Bass:
Great numbers of White bass are
caught in the upper Chattahoochee River during March & April.
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Crappie:
Best Crappie fishing is February
thru April.
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Gar:
Best Gar fishing is May thru
September.
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Leaf Tours:
October &
November
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Home/Property Viewing:
Year-round
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Wildlife Tours:
Best Wildlife tours are March
thru December. Expect to see seasonal changes, numerous birds
(such as Eagles, Osprey, ducks and loons), and various wildlife (such
as deer, raccoons, black bear, groundhogs, beavers, and foxes).
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