Georgia Fishing Report: September 12, 2025

This September, anglers across Georgia have something special to look forward to. On Saturday, September 27, 2025, National Hunting and Fishing Day doubles as a Free Fishing Day-meaning residents can cast a line without needing a fishing or trout license. From the quiet ponds tucked in pine forests to the rushing streams of North Georgia and the vast public lakes that anchor our communities, all of Georgia's public waters are open for anyone to try their luck. Whether you're a seasoned bass chaser or just introducing your kids to their first bluegill, this day is a chance to enjoy Georgia's rich fishing heritage together.

NEWS TO KNOW:

• Agroforestry and Wildlife Field Day: Register for the 2025 Agroforestry and Wildlife Field Day on Sept. 18. This one-of-a-kind educational event, held every few years, provides landowners and land managers with an opportunity to learn from experts and observe real-world examples of effective land and wildlife management. It features federal and state government officials and representatives of private businesses. Visit caes.uga.edu/events/awfd/ to register online today!
• National Hunting and Fishing Day: Georgia is hosting not just one, but 11, special free events to celebrate the 2025 National Hunting and Fishing Day on Sept. 27, 2025. Events scheduled include family/kid fishing events and Outdoor Adventure Days which offer multiple activities like archery, fishing, shooting and more. Events are spread out across the whole state - meaning that one is probably near you! Visit com/get-involved/nhfday.

This week, we have fishing reports from North, Central, and Southeast Georgia. The Southwest report will be back next week. Free Fishing Day is almost here-grab your rod, make a splash, and Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

The Southwest Georgia report will be back next week with fresh fishing info. Until then, check out the Fishing Forecasts reports for major reservoirs and rivers to get great intel to make your day on the water successful! GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Josh Stafford, Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

Warmwater Fishing (Courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Co)- Spotted bass fishing has been on fire the past few weeks! Throwing topwater poppers for bass is one of the most exciting summer bites, second only to striper fishing. Watching a bass slowly rise out of structure to sip a bug is an incredible sight. With lower, clearer water conditions, it's a great time to put the streamer rod down and pick up a 5-7wt rod with a floating line. Bass are feeding on cicadas, hoppers, frogs, and other bugs dropping from trees. Boogle Bugs, Stealth Bombers, and Swim Frogs fished on a dead drift with the occasional pop are excellent choices. Striper fishing has remained strong as these fish hold in the rivers for cooler, oxygenated water. The run is winding down, so expect stripers to begin moving back toward the lakes soon.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA

Allatoona Bass (Report by Matt Driver, courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is good. Bass fishing on Lake Allatoona in early September is in that late summer transition, with fish scattered and moving between their deep summer haunts and the shallows they'll use more consistently as the water begins to cool. The top water bite is decent at first light. Spotted bass are schooling around main lake points and humps. Bass will push small threadfin shad to the surface. A walking bait or a small chrome Spook will draw strikes when anglers see activity. Once the sun gets up, a fluke or small swimbait worked just under the surface can extend the bite a little longer. During the day, drop shot rigs are still the most reliable way to put fish in the boat. Look for brush piles or timber in 18 to 25 feet of water off long points, especially those with quick access to deep water. A finesse worm in natural colors like green pumpkin or morning dawn is working well. Some anglers are also catching decent spots on shaky heads worked slowly around rocky banks. Later in the afternoon, bass will move shallow again to chase bait. Backs of pockets can produce with small crankbaits, spinnerbaits or a buzz bait right before dark. The night bite remains strong with a big black spinnerbait or jig fished around rocky banks and bridge pilings. The action is a little hit or miss right now, but September is always a transitional month on Allatoona. As anglers move deeper into the month and water temperatures drop look for the shallow bite to improve every week.

Allatoona Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including Allatoona, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

CARTERS LAKE

Bass (via Georgia Outdoors News) - Guide Robbie Linginfelter, with Carters Lake Guide Service, reports, "The cooling temps call for major bass moments. September has been a great month the past few years to find lots of fish and to catch some trophy spotted bass. This time of year is a good time to pick up those topwater baits and jerkbaits to catch them doing the fun stuff. As the bass transition into their fall patterns, make sure to look off the ends of those long points and staging areas in the mouths of creeks."

Striped Bass (via Georgia Outdoors News) - Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, "The striper bite has been really good overall. Fresh live baits are still your best option. The bigger the better typically. Fish are cruising the thermocline looking for bait balls. Get your baits to them on the lightest gear you feel comfortable with. We are fishing 12-lb. fluorocarbon and small, live-bait hooks anywhere from 35 to 65 feet early in the day and trolling bucktails and u-rigs in the afternoons back 160 feet. The main lake from the beach to the marina is holding plenty of fish right now, with hybrids mixed in near humps and structure."

Walleye (via Georgia Outdoors News) - Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, "August gave up some great fish. The average size is still 21 to 22 inches, which is great for summertime fishing. September is typically a transition month for us. Although it started early this year, September is when we switch from trolling for walleyes to vertical fishing for them. Spoons, jigs and blade baits will play a major role in our walleye game from now until Christmas. For spoons, I like a 4-inch chrome Nichols Flutter Spoon or a 3-inch Krocodile Spoon in herring. I like to fish them above the walleye and get them to come off the bottom after it. The Rapala Rippin' Blade has been collecting some walleyes, as well. This bait is great for fish you can mark on clean bottoms. Start right on them and take it away, then drop right back to them. There's some great colors available from Rapala in these baits. A jig-and-minnow setup works well, too. You can use any type of bait behind them, but small herring work great and are readily available. A Hydroglow light and a Humpback cast net with small mesh will collect all the jig bait you will need. This month look in the 50- to 70-foot range to start and hopefully by the end of the month, they'll be shallower."

LAKE HARTWELL

Hartwell Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing)- A few more bites. The cooler weather will soon be upon us and line sides will begin to feed a little shallower. In the meantime, the deeper (and cooler) waters of the major creeks and main channels will be the place to find them. If anglers would like to spend a fun day on the water, give me a call at 404 402 8329 or drop an email to [email protected] Tight Lines and Smooth Seas Capt. Cefus McRae

Hartwell Striped Bass (Courtesy of Buck Cannon (404-510-1778), via Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing)- Lake Lanier stripers are mostly scattered across the southern part of the lake. The temperature has fluctuated from high 70s - low 80s. The bait is everywhere but the fish are usually difficult to locate. Using the electronics to locate the fish put out a spread of down lines and flat lines using a variety of bait, blue backs, minnows and gizzard shad. Other methods include umbrella rigs, lead core rigs and down rigs. The best fishing is in the afternoon when they start releasing water at the dam. Trolling the river channel and the creek channels have produced some good fish. Now is a good time to check tackle, sharpening hooks and checking lines and gear for maximum preforming. Remember to wear your life jackets. BuckTales 404-510-1778.

Crappie- Crappie fishing is fair. They are on the creek and river channel ledges and deeper brush. They can be caught spider rigging with live minnow over deep brush. Shooting docks with jigs is also producing some fish. Look for the crappie to really start biting as the water cools down.

LAKE LANIER

Lanier Bass (Report courtesy of Phil Johnson through Ken Sturdivant via https://www.southernfishing.com, [email protected] 770 366 8845) - Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is currently about two feet below full pool and the water temperature is running in the upper seventies. Overall the lake is clear. The cooling water temperature has brought the top water bite back to life and that was the main game this week. The Skimmer, Rizer and Chug bug were the main baits for the action. The bass are located on humps, ledges and off the end of long points. The two keys for the week were structure in the twenty five to forty foot range and wind. If the wind wasn't blowing the bite really slowed down so make the wind your friend and stay out in it. Another key is to not take these baits away from the bass. I always tell people to cast out of one side of the boat and look out of the other side so they don't set the hook as soon as they see the strike. Right now it is common for the bass to miss the bait on the strike so just keep working it at the same pace and often they will come back to get it. It will be important to cover a lot of places as the bass are just showing up in areas and PP may only catch one or two in a spot. If fishing a worm is your choice look for the docks at the mouths of the pockets and work them with any of the green pumpkin color combinations. It's beginning to get fun out there so Go Catch 'Em!

Striped Bass (report courtesy of Buck Cannon (404-510-1778), via Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Lake Lanier stripers are mostly scattered across the southern part of the lake. The temperature has fluctuated from high 70s - low 80s. The bait is everywhere but the fish are usually difficult to locate. Using the electronics to locate the fish put out a spread of down lines and flat lines using a variety of bait, blue backs, minnows and gizzard shad. Other methods include umbrella rigs, lead core rigs and down rigs. The best fishing is in the afternoon when they start releasing water at the dam. Trolling the river channel and the creek channels have produced some good fish. Now is a good time to check tackle, sharpening hooks and checking lines and gear for maximum preforming. Remember to wear your life jackets. BuckTales 404-510-1778.

Striped Bass2 (report courtesy of The Striper Experience, Lake Lanier Striper Fishing Guide): Lake level is 1068.97 (2.03 down) with water temps around 80-82 degrees and clear water conditions. The rain and cooler temps in the middle of August have kept the lake level up and cooled water temps into the 70s. We crept back up as of the end of August to the mid 80's, but are now cooling back down to the 80-82 degree mark. Extended forecasts show some cooler nights, so we very well might creep back down and start a really early turnover which will be interesting to say the least. If we see some normal September weather then striper fishing will be very good trolling with lead core or Cannon down riggers, as it has been thru August. Lead core is a braided line that has a lead strip running the entirety of the line making the line heavy so that you can get a jig or spoon down to the depths that the stripers will be at. This can also be done with Cannon downriggers. The 8-10 pound ball will get that lure down to a targeted depth even easier and with much less line out. Lure choices will be the Striper Tackle Super Spin Shad in 2oz white/ white or chartreuse/ chartreuse glitter or Capt Mack's 1.5 or 2 oz Chipmunk Bucktail in white/silver, white/chartreuse, or chartreuse/blue with 4 inch shad bodies or 6 inch u-tail trailers in white, chartreuse, or pink. The Capt Mack's Mini Mack with blades will also be a great lure to fish as a trolled lure in September. Try adding some weight to the Mini Mack by switching out the ¼ oz jig heads with Striper Tackle Ultra Pro Swim Bait heads in ¾ oz to get that Mini down farther without having to let out an additional 2-3 colors of lead core. All three of these baits should be pulled behind the boat at 2.5-3 mph and 7-9 colors back depending on the depth that you are marking fish on your Humminbird APEX or 50-75 feet behind the Canon downrigger ball. Each color will drop your jig approximately 3-4 feet of depth when pulling on lead core and that 50-75 feet behind the down rigger ball will give you 3-5 feet of additional depth below the downrigger ball. The stripers will be scattered over the trees and in the middle of creek channels like Big, Six Mile, Two Mile, Young Deer, Bald Ridge, and Shoal in 60-130 feet of water from the mouth of the creek to half way back in the creek. They will also be on the river channel in 100-150 feet later in the day. The bait bite will still be good and the only changes from Aug will be to concentrate in 90-140' of water and to increase leader length to 9-11 feet of 10# fluorocarbon leader. The herring are not living well on the hook below 35 feet so take lots of bait if you are going to only rely on bait to catch fish. If we see some early cool down then the top water bite very well could get going early. Take a look back at our October GON fishing report posts the last few years to get an early jump on the upcoming bite.

Lanier Crappie (report courtesy of Josh Thornton (770-530-6493), Crappie on Lanier) - Lake Lanier crappie fishing is good the water temperature is 84 The fish are active early in the morning before sunrise Standing timber in 30-40 foot of water has been producing but not in big numbers get a few and move to the next spot. The deep fish are biting better than the shallow fish on docks Crappie have been at depths of 20 to 35 feet above a 25-to-40-foot bottom. The jig color combo that worked the best for me this week was black with a green paddle tail 1.5-inch jig. For your best fishing experience consider using the following equipment: a one-piece ACC Crappie Stix rod and reel paired with 4- or 6-pound test K9 line with a Atx lure company jig. Further optimizing your efforts, a Garmin LiveScope, protected by a sonar shield cover, and a Power Pole are highly recommended. To schedule your guided Lake Lanier crappie fishing trip, please contact Captain Josh Thornton at 770-530-6493.

Lake Lanier Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including Lanier, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

WEST POINT LAKE

West Point Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant https://www.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is good. Some largemouth are being caught on deeper brush piles, ledges and roadbeds as the water continues to warm. Try big deep diving Bomber citrus shad colored crankbaits or Texas rigged Zoom U tail worms. The best fishing is around brush piles in these areas. Water generation always improves this bite. Downsize baits in these same areas to improve chances for spotted bass. With the unusually high water from this summer s rains, some fish choose to remain shallow. Top water baits such as a Pop R, Zara Spook and Whopper Plopper can still be effective for shallow fish, especially around grass and weed beds. Try targeting areas north of the 219 bridge in the Chattahoochee. Also have a jig handy to pitch into wood cover in these same areas. The Carolina rigged Zoom lizard, worm or a mini Lizard can all work around sloping gravel banks and shoal markers. Also try a small Texas rigged worm or a pig n jig around blowdown trees. Try fishing around the bridges and bridge pilings with small crankbaits and shaky head rigs, especially during periods of water generation.

West Point Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including West Point, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

WEISS LAKE

Lake Weiss Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant https://www.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is good. Some have started moving shallow in the bays on secondary points. Creek and river channel ledges are still producing using Carolina rigs and crankbaits.

Crappie (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Crappie fishing is fair. They are on the creek and river channel ledges and deeper brush. They can be caught spider rigging with live minnows over deep brush. Shooting docks with jigs is also producing some fish. Look for the crappie to really start biting as the water cools down.

TROUT REPORT

Small Mountain Streams Report (Courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Co)- Cooler nights, mild days, and afternoon showers have kept North Georgia small streams in great shape. Flows are good, and water temps remain favorable for summer trout fishing. A single dry fly is often best. Yellow patterns like Stimulators or Yellow PMX are top picks, along with small creek staples such as the Tan Elk Hair Caddis or Purple Haze. Droppers are optional-use a single dry in riffles and pockets, but for deeper pools, nymphs like Pheasant Tails, Hare's Ears, or Frenchies are highly effective. Don't overlook sinking an ant pattern behind your dry fly, which can be deadly in summer conditions. Higher elevation streams with cooler water are holding more active fish throughout the day, offering some of the best trout fishing during the hottest months.

Hot Flies for North Georgia Trout & Bass

• Yeti Hopper
• AJ's Beetle
• Hi-Vis Beetle Galloup's Ant Acid
• Yellow Stimulator
• Yellow PMX
• Purple Haze
• Tan Elk Hair Caddis
• Jigged Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail
• Frenchie
• Two-Tone Hunchback
• Crystal Hunchback
• Pat's Rubber Legs
• Boogle Bugs
• Paul Terry Poppers
• Stealth Bombers
• Nancy P's
• Craw Changers

Mixed Bag Report (courtesy of Jeff Durniak, Angler Management, report via Unicoi Outfitters)- Headwaters will remain really low, really clear, and surprising cool for this time of the year, thanks to this string of cooler nights. To see how hot they're getting, I checked several yesterday at 6PM. Upper Smith was 66, Spoilcane was 67, the river on the lower end of the WMA was 68 (with leftover stockers finning in the pool), and a high trib was 66. Trout will eat well at those water temperatures IF you don't spook them. Creep up to those drought refuges (pools and logjams) and toss your favorite fluffy dry in there. Be ready for a real fast strike! Tan caddis, para-Adams, and plenty of High N Dry desiccant are highly recommended for blueline trout stalkers.

Stockers- The GAWRD trout stocking season is pretty much over, except for a few stray fall stockings. That means you're fishing for Labor Day leftovers. Fish fast and cover a longer stretch of stream to locate those holiday survivors. Try swimming a real small olive or black bugger thru the pockets as you wade downstream and cover some distance. For trout fishing information, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

Private Waters- Our private trout waters are still shut down for summer. We need to see daily highs only reaching the mid-60's before they'll reopen. Feel free to call our shop ASAP to reserve those prime fall and winter weekend dates after October 15, when we reopen those cooled-off streams for business.

Private Waters- They're still a really good bet! UO buddy and Tailwater guide Ryan: "This past weekend I fished the Chattahoochee tailwater 2 days consecutively at different locations. I landed 30+ fish via tight line nymphing, using 5x & 6.5x tippet with natural-colored nymphs (hares ear and pheasant tail variants) . A bit of flash in the flies seems to attract fish now that the water is stained by fall lake stratification. My friend hooked and landed his first double - 2 fish in one cast- which was awesome to be a part of!"

Chattahoochee Tailwater

Toccoa Tailwater (Courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Co) -

The Toccoa Tailwater is currently around 65°F below the dam. With turnover approaching in September, expect temps to rise soon, but for now the river is fishing well. Fishing terrestrials along the banks is a great way to target brown trout this time of year. Yeti Hoppers, Foam PMX, and AJ's Beetle are top producers. Adding a short dropper like a Jigged Pheasant Tail or PMD Crust Nymph can increase success, especially in shallow water. Use 4-5x tippet for hoppers and 5-6x for droppers. Streamer fishing during high water has been hit or miss. Generation schedules often blow the river out, so the back end of the release when water begins clearing is most productive. Late afternoon generations tend to fish better than at midday ones.

Trout Fishing Opportunities for Those With Disabilities: Check out these sites that are open to the public and offer specific amenities for anglers with disabilities. Find the list at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

Parting Trout Note: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia? Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. See more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenseplates. Aside from being a great looking tag, each purchase or renewal of a Trout Unlimited license plate directly supports Georgia's trout conservation and management programs. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Hunter Roop, Region Supervisor and Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

Catfish have been dominating many area reports, but with the cooler weather settling in and lack of rain, bass fishing and lineside fishing activity is also picking up. Crappie will begin moving shallower soon as well. If you've got the itch to get out and enjoy this preview of fall, there's no better way to do it than to go fishing somewhere in Central Georgia! Not sure where to go? The report below will help for major reservoir interests, and one of our three public fishing areas (PFAs) that span the region. But, you can also check out our interactive map of public fishing locations to learn new, local access points to rivers and smaller waterbodies throughout the region. Okay, let's jump into this week's Central Georgia fishing report, brought to you as always by Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report, and contributions from Region 3 WRD Fisheries staff, local guides, and anglers.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 80'S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. Spotted bass are making up more than 90 percent of catches now. It's hard to catch a largemouth. There are some good numbers every day. Anglers are use electronics and then get over them and fish a drop shot. Try a Bass Pro Enticer pro jig in the brush in 20 to 25 feet of water for a bigger bite. They all be right on edge of the main channel. Now the fish are suspend in timber and slide horizontally up to the brush to feed. Try a crankbait like a bigger Rapala DT10 shad pattern for a bigger bite. If the water gets up after a good rain try fishing shallow back in the new stained water with a buzz bait. Anglers are catching a lot of the fish on drop shot Zoom finesse green pumpkin and watermelon worms.

Bass 2 (courtesy ofSC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that at the end of August bass were feeding pretty well, but in September he expects very good action around points and brush piles. Drop shots and shaky heads should both work. Also look out for schooling activity across the lake and always have a topwater lure tied on.

Striped Bass (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that fish have been have caught on both ends of the lake this summer, but particularly the lower end. However, with even a little cooling in September he expects more fish to move to mid-lake flats where they can be caught on down-lined herring.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that in the first part of September the crappie are likely to continue to hold around deeper brush and timber, where they have been biting fairly consistently this summer. With dropping temperatures things should only improve and they should soon move onto shallower brush where they can be caught on jigs and minnows.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that fish should move shallower this month where they can be caught on cut herring in less than 15 feet of water. At the end of August, they were still catching catfish in very deep water.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 80'S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Early use a Whopper Plopper in black as well as an all black buzz bait. A Texas rigged Zoom U tale worm fished in brush piles or on long rock points will work but fish slowly. Work the baits slowly and be a line watcher. Carolina rigged worm fishing the deeper end of long points or under water islands will also work for a few bites. Using a dipping dye like JJ Magic will help. Use 12 pound test as the main line with an 18 to 24 inch leader line of 10 pound test on the Carolina rig. Working the bait from all sides of the points will find the fish are holding tight on the bottom. A drop shot rig is also catching a few fish in brush. Make sure when and feel the brush slow down and let the bait stay in the strike zone as long as possible.

Bass 2 (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that in September buzzbaits should be really good against the banks, and anglers should also be on the lookout for schooling activity over deeper water and keep a topwater lure close. Deeper fish should also be caught on drop shots around humps and bridges.

Tournament Update (courtesy of ABA News): Josh Hart and Arnold Hall came out on top at the American Bass Anglers Team Series Division 8 event held out of the Dorn Fishing Facility this past Sunday. The tournament drew a strong field of anglers from across the region, all competing for cash prizes along with valuable divisional and national points. Hart and Hall brought 12.28 pounds to the scales, sealing the victory and collecting the first-place prize. Finishing close behind, Todd Pearson and Johnny Hancox weighed in 11.13 pounds for second place. The Big Bass of the tournament belonged to John and Connor Durham, who boated a 4.65-pound largemouth.

Striped Bass & Hybrids (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that at the end of August the better fish were suspended in deep water, but in September they should progressively migrate out of the deeper channels. Bait will eventually move shallower into the top 10-15 feet of the water column, leading to more surface activity, and fish should also be related to the sides of humps in 25-35 feet of water.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service reports that at the beginning of September fish are generally still holding around deeper brush, but if the weather cools they should move shallower into the 12-15 foot range. At the end of August the bite could be finicky and anglers basically had to fish the upper end of the lake, but with cooling that could also change.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that in September fish will be scattered everywhere. Some will be in the backs of creeks in shallow water feeding on threadfin and gizzard shad, while some fish will be staging out on main lake humps and points in deeper water feeding on blueback herring. This is the beginning of the prime time to catch big blue catfish on Lake Thurmond.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80'S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The bait and fish are spread out all over the lake at many different depths. There are fish shallow around shallow cover and on rocky points, mid depth around brush and deep around and over the timber. In the morning use the Spro Rock Crawler crank bait over shallower rocky points and humps on the main lake, sometimes with brush and sometimes not. This bite is better when the wind is up in the mornings. There are still some bites to be had on top water, particularly in the afternoons when the sun is up but do not count on this bite to produce as it has in previous weeks. A Weedless Wonder screw lock shaky head and worms of various colors and sizes have worked well for bites in the brush. Anglers have also been fishing the Wackem Sissies in Cotton Candy on a drop shot rigaround the brush. The deeper fish are suspending over and around the timber and can be caught but they are a grind to find and to fish. Try a fish head spin or drop shot in the deeper tree tops. The C-Map mapping can be used to highlight depth ranges anglers might otherwise miss.

Linesides (courtesy of Doug Nelms with Big Fish Heads Guide Service): Doug reports, "September is a great time for fishing on Oconee. The surface temperatures have already fall to 80 degrees as of last week, and with the cool nights will be steadily in the upper 70s if this cool trend continues to persist. It started off in the nineties on August 1st, so this cooler weather really helps reinvigorate the bite for stripers and hybrids, and we are seeing some great topwater action in the early mornings in response. Popping corks, Skitter Pops, or just about any topwater bait will do great this time of year."

Catfish: Last Friday, Oconee angler Rodney Beasley called the Walton Hatchery needing to certify a big blue catfish. His big cat tipped the scales at just a little over 50 lbs-well shy of Oconee's current lake record (70 lbs., 2 oz.), but far exceeding the bar to earn him a 2025 angler award! We completed the paperwork right there onsite, and Rodney headed home to begin the gratifying work of filling his freezer. There are plenty of big blue cats roaming the waters of Lake Oconee, and many will easily exceed the 20-lb benchmark to earn Oconee anglers a WRD Angler Award certificate, hat, and t-shirt! So, come see us at the Social Circle office the next time you hook into a big Oconee blue, like Rodney did!

Catfish GON-tel: Squealer and his son hit Oconee for one last "meat run" before transitioning their focus to "fur and feathers." By the looks of it, they were very successful in their cooler-filling plot! Read more about the "last casts" for this father-son duo at forum.gon.com/threads/one-more-meat-run-with-my-son%E2%80%A6.1074835/.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS FULL, 80'S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. In the morning fish seawalls and rip rap with top waters, crankbaits or spinnerbaits right on the bank. As the sun comes up stay in the shade and stay tight to the walls and rip rap. Fish the baits out to 2 to 4 feet deep to make sure the fish have not moved out a little. Other options is trying the grass with a top water frog or swim jig early. Try the frog or toad style lures worked first on cloudy days. Ol' Monster worms and Trick worms in the holes and edges. After the sun is high fish the docks with a jig, Ol Monster worm or a 6 inch worm. Keep all three on the deck until the fish give up their preferences. Carolina rigging main like points will catch a few fish as well. Take the time to look with the electronics first to mark the fish and the depth they are holding. Use green pumpkin or watermelon candy Trick Worms in the clear water. Many like June bug red and black Trick Worms in the stained water.

Catfish: The Ol' Captain continues to enjoy the fruits of his floats, though this time he ventured a little further out than his usual local excursions, he still found success using cut bream near Little River and the 441 bridge.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 2.4 FEET, 80'S

Catfish GON-tel: GON's Cuda67bnl had the proof to show for a successful recent outing on Jackson in pursuit of catfish - which they found in great numbers and a mixture of flatheads and blues, mostly. By the looks of it, live cut bait on a spread of heavy action rods brought fish after fish and plenty to fill a cooler, or two.

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. The early morning and late evening bites are the best bet. Early morning running and gunning the favorite top water baits is best to catching quality fish during the day. Don't spend too much time on one spot unless the fish have given a reason to spend a few more minutes there. Even after the sun is up run the shade with top water. Frogs, buzz baits and Whopper Plopper are just a few top water baits that are producing fish. Once the sun is high and bright follow the fish as they make their way to deeper water on long points or flats close to deeper water or to the humps. Brush piles in the 12 to 20 foot range will hold small schools of bass. Electronics are a must this time of year. In the evenings look for the bass to be in the same areas as the mornings and maybe just not as shallow as they were.

LAKE JULIETTE

Linesides (courtesy of Jeff Mooney with All Seasons Guide Service): Jeff reports that water temperatures are still a bit high, now hovering around 83 F, which is marginal for cool water species like striped and hybrid striped bass. This can make the bite tougher as the fish are very mobile this time of year and feeding activity can be difficult to pattern, but early mornings and late evenings are still primetime fishing windows. Live bait including shad and blueback herring fished at the appropriate depth is the ticket, though pulling umbrella jigs or jigging a bucktail directly over schooling linesides can also be effective if needed. The best fish to start off the month of September has been this respectable 8-lb striped bass caught on live bait.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Fisheries Technician Nick Brewer) -

• McDuffie PFA Information
• Water Level: Water levels are fluctuating with rainfall, currently water levels are below full pool on PFA lakes.
• Water Clarity: 24-48 inches
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

With temperatures beginning to drop, fishing activity on the PFA is starting to pick up once again and anglers are reporting more successful trips in our ponds! On Saturday September 27, 2025, McDuffie Public Fishing Area is hosting our Outdoor Adventure Day, with children under 16 able to fish our KFE ponds, youth archery and other activities planned, it should be a great day for kids!

Bass: Anglers on the PFA are reporting successful bass fishing using artificial baits in a Carolina rig or a Wacky rig. Target areas with structure and be patient! Other good options are crankbaits and swim baits in deeper water.

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Dropping temperatures should make hybrid and striped bass more active! Anglers should use chicken livers in deeper water if they are targeting stripers. Areas with lots of bird activity can indicate good areas to target.

Channel Catfish: Many anglers are catching catfish consistently, and this trend will continue in the month of September. Use chicken livers and fish off the bottom for the best chance of success. Other good options are live nightcrawlers and stink baits, also fished off the bottom.

Bream: Bream on the PFA are being frequently caught with worms and crickets. Anglers report the most success when fishing near structure in all of our lakes.

Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Area Manager Amory Cook) -

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water Level: 55" below full pool
• Water Temperature: Mid 80s
• Water Clarity: 19″ and green
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Anglers are reporting that using Powerbait Swim Shad are producing the most catches but other lures like Booyah Boss Pop hard topwater lures are landing fish as well.

Bream: Red Wigglers continue to produce Bream.

Crappie: Cooler weather promises extended catch times for Crappie. Use live minnows and jigs.

Catfish: Catfish are being caught on chicken livers and nightcrawlers. Recently two 7+ pounders have been caught with hopes of becoming the PFA record; however, the minimum requirement to qualify is 12lbs or 32in long. You must have the catch weighed on a certified scale and properly documented. Should you land a catfish that you believe to be at least 12 pounds (about 30 inches long), please notify DNR staff.

MARBEN PFA FISHING REPORT -

• Marben Public Fishing Area
• Water level: All ponds are full or nearly full.
• Pond Closures: Margery, Hillside, and Clubhouse ponds remain closed while under renovation.
• Water clarity: 20" - 48"
• Surface temperature: High 70s-lows 80s
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Surface temps steadily decreasing with cooler evenings, so bass are inching closer to shallower water during low light hours and pushing deeper mid-day. At Lake Bennett and Fox Lake, target points and submerged timber with soft plastics like Texas-rigged worms or creature baits worked slowly along bottom. Dropping spoons off points and coves holding schooling threadfin can also work well. Early mornings, topwaters like buzzbaits and frogs can draw explosive strikes along weed edges. Fishing the outfall at Bennett can be productive as the slightly cooler, flowing water can draw fish to that area this time of year. Lower Raleigh can produce good numbers of smaller bass for anglers seeking high catch rates. Spinnerbaits and shallow crankbaits fished along the dam and grassy shorelines is effective in this mostly shallow impoundment productive. At Shepherd, fish the shaded shorelines on the east or west banks along fallen timber with jigs or shaky heads; bass here often suspend mid-depth right off the end of these structures.

Crappie: Warming water has pushed crappie off the banks, but they're still active around structure. On Lake Bennett, focus on deeper brush piles and channel edges in 8-12 feet. Small jigs tipped with minnows under slip floats work best. On lakes Fox and Dairy, fish schooling crappie suspended in deeper water or over submerged timber with a 1/16 oz curly-tail jig in white or chartreuse. The best bite comes during early mornings and late evenings when the crappie move shallower to feed.

Bream: Bream fishing is steady in September with fish holding shallow near cover. On Fox, target bream beds along sandy coves with crickets or red wigglers under a float. At Crossroads or Stump, there are good numbers of harvestable bluegill near grass edges and in the pockets/coves. Small beetle spins and worms under floats are reliable. Redear sunfish can be caught near bottom in 4-6 feet of water using worms on tight lines.

Channel Catfish: There is consistently good catfish fishing across most lakes at Marben PFA. Lake Bennett & Fox can be productive for larger cats. Fish chicken liver, stink bait, or cut bait on bottom near deeper water. Greenhouse, Upper Raleigh, Shepherd, and Teal are great family options with plenty of stocked catfish, just be sure to bring the kids when fishing Teal as it is a kids-only fishing pond. Use nightcrawlers, cut hot dogs, or stink baits fished on the bottom. Evening and overnight fishing produces best results as water temps remain high during the day.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Capt. Bert Deener, Retired Georgia WRD Fisheries Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

The bite is picking up and rivers are dropping into the good range at different rates. Most stretches are fishable. Not many folks reported going considering the good conditions this week.

River gages on September 11th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 7.7 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 3.0 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 6.6 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 6.8 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 7.5 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 6.4 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 3.4 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 5.6 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is September 14th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

Miles Zachary fished the river on Saturday. It was still high, but he got a half-dozen bass to inhale his 1/4-oz. BDD buzzbait rigged with a plastic paddle-tail.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Josh and Ellie came down from the Athens area and fished with me on Saturday morning on the east side. We only fished a short time, but they caught 10 fish total by casting and trolling Dura-Spins. The biggest they landed was a 4-pounder, but Josh had a double-digit fish on for a half-minute before it pulled off last thing during the trip. The best color spinners were fire tiger-chartreuse blade, lemon-lime, and crawfish-brass blade. Curtis Hazel and a friend fished the east side on Sunday and caught 20 bowfin by trolling Dura-Spins down the canal. Fire-tiger was their best color, but they caught a fish on other colors also. Bill Stewart fished with me Wednesday morning, and we had a total of 19 fish. Bill had 2 giant fliers on bruised banana gold Perch Hounder Spinnerbaits (the larger version of the Satilla Spin). I wish I had the smaller version with me - we would have probably caught quite a few panfish. I caught a big bluegill on a prototype inline spinner. About a half-dozen of the fish were pickerel to 18 inches (the biggest ate the small prototype spinner) and the rest were bowfin. Bill had the biggest bowfin (a 4-pounder) on the Perch Hounder. I had a pickerel and 8 bowfin up to 3 pounds on a fly rod and bladed fly. The best color fly was whitetreuse (a combination of white and chartreuse with a silver blade). The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 121.06 feet.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin)

• Hugh Gillis PFA Information
• Hugh Gillis PFA Fishing Guide

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

• Dodge County PFA Information
• Dodge County Fishing Guide

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville)

• Ocmulgee PFA Info
• Ocmulgee PFA Fishing Guide

Ken Burke fished the area Thursday morning for about 4 hours and had 4 bites and landed 3 bass. They weighed 4, 3.75, and 1.5 pounds. The one that got away boatside is the one he was after, though! It was a 6-lb. class bass. All of the fish ate crankbaits in 6 to 16 feet of water. He released everything. Remember, the area is catch-and-release only for bass.

LOCAL PONDS

George caught a 7-lb. bass from a Brunswick area pond this week. He followed it up a few minutes later with a 5-pounder, as well. He fooled them with a Whopper Plopper topwater. Chad Lee caught 16 bass from Alma-area ponds this week, but he took damage for doing so. Some yellow jackets jumped on him and stung him 8 times on Wednesday. All of his bass ate spinnerbaits, and each weighed between 2 and 4 pounds. Jimmy Zinker has had trouble getting the fish to eat his usual buzzbaits and Jitterbugs this week, but they have been willing to suck down a Zara Spook. He caught several nice fish on the walking bait. He caught 5 bass up to 4 pounds Thursday morning walking the topwater. He also fooled 2 bass in the 4-pound range with a hard glide bait.

SATILLA RIVER

With the water up (but not too high), the bass fishing has been effective. Seth Carter has had fun this week with crankbaits and wakebaits. He went a couple times and Thursday evening caught a nice bass on the Throwback WakeWalker LT. The river should be down enough soon to chase panfish effectively.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

The winds have been the story again this week. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) fished Saturday and had a few keeper trout and shorts. Capt. Duane Harris fished with his daughter and cousin Tom, and their first fish was a 31-inch redfish that Tom fought. They had a half-dozen ladyfish and a couple of young-of-the-year redfish along with the giant bull red. Live shrimp were their bait of choice. Capt. Chris Ruff (rccaga.com) conducted his first in a series of "Fishers of Men" guide trips. They had a blast and caught lots of redfish

and jack crevalle on live shrimp under popping corks. Don Harrison fished with his friends Lee and Ed in the Crooked River area on Thursday in the strong winds. They had trolling motor trouble at first but got that worked out and were able to fish. They caught 6 trout (2 keepers) and a big gafftop sailcat on electric chicken Sea Shads under an Equalizer Float. Look for the bull redfish bite to pick up on the bars and in the sounds over the next month, and it will typically last into November. After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the Waycross Fisheries Office at 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Division collects most inshore saltwater species so that they can determine age and growth for each species. All the supplies and information cards are in the freezer. Filet your fish then drop off the carcasses in the freezer. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is open Friday through Tuesday each week (closed Wednesday and Thursday). They have plenty of lively shrimp and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. For the latest information and their hours, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Blog Contributor Capt. Bert Deener guides fishing trips in southeast Georgia and makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert's Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call or text him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him ([email protected]).