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Lake Lanier Info. Lake Lanier Travel and Tourism Guide LakeLanier.info is your complete guide to Lake Lanier in Georgia, USA, real estate and resorts, to fishing, boat and jet-ski rentals.

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Lake Sidney Lanier ramp calculator:  once on the spread sheet, at the word HERE blank that word out and then add the current lake level for that day. Today's elevation is 1061.83. Hit enter and the spread sheet will automatically calculate the end of the ramps for the entire lake

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Georgia Fishing Guides

Report Updated July 23, 2010

LAKE LANIER IS FULL, CLEAR AND 87 DEGREES.



Spotted bass are deep and tight on cover and points from 25 to 30 feet are the best locations. The FLW folks tested our lake for two weeks and found the deep spots and largemouth on brush piles on rocky points all the way out to 40 feet deep. The gravel points down lake have a few fish on them. There has not been a lot of top water action but keep a clear Zara Spook Jr ready and make dead on casts to the fish to get a bite. Fish are feeding very late at night into the twilight of mornings. After the sun is up, fishing is tough. Try the rock island in the back of Big Creek and work the entire island at least twice and stay off in deep water and make long casts. For the bigger fish work the deep man made and natural cover with small hair jigs and worms. Worms should be greens, Smoky Joe and sand on a Texas rig. Fishing has been barely fair for both sizes and numbers. Work the Fish Head Spin with a Zoom baby bass Fluke on 10 pound test Sufix Elite line. Use the Texas rigged worms in the lime aide colors and be sure to work the lure all the way back to the boat on points. Pick rocky points right at the mouths of the major creeks and work a 1/8 ounce Bitsey Bug with a twin tail trailer. Cast shallow after dark and put the baits right on the banks. The river fish are a little shallower. Use jigs, Texas rigged worms in greens and small Shad Raps in shad patterns. The Flash Trix shad imitations will also work on the drop shot rigs. Just find the brush piles with the Lowrance Structure Scan Down Scan technology and if there are fish there, you can see them clearly. No fish, no stay. Right off marker 33 on the Cheastee river bend, work a small crank bait like the white or root beer Bandit 200 crank bait. Use light 8 pound test and make sure to hit the bank on every cast. The bass will attack this lure and be sure to add some Mega Strike scent to these hard baits. The docks around Shady Grove Park on the up stream side of the park are the best docks. Also Shoal Creek marker #3 on the down stream side has some brush and some good spots.



This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service, 404 561 2564. www.bigfishonguide.com



Striper fishing is great. The surface water temperature is in the mid to high 80's. The fish are starting to move over open water off the river and creek channels. Look for the fish in 80 to 90 feet of water off the river and creek channels from Chestatee Bay to Big Creek. The fish are holding in 30 to 40 feet of water over trees. The fish can be caught with lead core line 7 to 8 colors back pulled at 3 to 3.5 mph. There are still plenty of fish off points and in pockets over a 40 to 60 feet bottom. Down rods and U rigs will work on these fish. Chestatee Bay, Flat Creek, Mud and the river channel are good places to start looking. I have had some reports of difficultly getting the fish to bite with down rods. The lake is very clear and you should be using 8 to 10 foot of high quality 12lb. test fluorocarbon leader with 15 to 20 pound main line. Power reeling with a Captain's Mack's 2 ounce super jig tipped with a herring will also work for stubborn fish. The umbrella bite continues to be strong. We are pulling a 4 arm loaded with 9 one ounce chipmunk jigs with white and chartreuse trailers 120 to 140 feet back. However we will probably move to lead core and downriggers which are a little easier to manage than Umbrella rigs at 140 feet. There are no reports of fish being caught 60 to 80 feet down but it won't long. Keep your Lowrance sensitive high and start looking for those deep water fish. This is a call for volunteers for this year's Buford Dam Kids Fishing Event. We are looking for anglers who will help kids rig, bait, and catch fish. Kids fishing events are always better when kids catch a fish or two. The event will be Saturday, September 25 from 0900 to 1300 at Buford Dam's Lower Pool Park. If you think you can help or know someone who might, please pass this around and let me know, so I'll know how many to expect. Call Bill Couch 404-402-0261 Or contact Bill at billcouch@bellsouth.net

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2007 Drought Ramp Construction Info..

The United States Corp of Engineers has been working with the private sector to work on ramps around Lake Lanier. Many ramps out of the water now are being repaired by the Corp. As the water rises this spring, many ramps will reopen a lot sooner as a result of the work the Corp has done.

ATTENTION: The Corp has also established an “Adopt a Ramp” partnership. Within this partnership, many anglers and local businesses have created accounts to accept contributions for this partnership. Anyone can contribute to any ramp project they wish through this program.

Also, there is a “Coffer Dam” project in the works. This is a system that will allow a ramp to be extended that is marginal or even closed. By placing a “dam” around an existing ramp, drawing all the water out and then laying a new base, a new concrete ramp can be extended and then reopened. Only a few ramps have been approved for this particular project due to the slope of the water and the existence of an acceptable and workable foundation at the end of the ramp.

Michael B. Lapina is the Chief Park Ranger that initiated this set of programs. His efforts are to get many ramps repaired and even get one or two ramps re opened as the lake continues to fall. Predictions are that the lake will be 24 feet low by mid January 2008.

This is the current state of the projects.

Michael sent out an e mail this week and said ”concrete was poured at East Bank Ramp by the Corps yesterday. More concrete will be poured Thursday and this supply was paid for by a group of 10 partners who were rallied by Captain Quin. Thanks to Quin and the others for coming through with the supplies to make this possible. Captain Quin has an Adopt A Ramp account for contributions. He also has a signed partnership agreement with the Corps to supply concrete for other ramps as funds become available.”

According to the Crop, should the lake rise soon and we can get 3 feet of water over the new extensions at the East Bank Ramps, the ramps will re opened. Four ramps open anywhere, is a great thing!

Candy Hammond is still diligently working with Forsyth County and with Joey Nichols, who owns Viking Concrete, to use the coffer dam to extend Charleston Park Ramp. This project is on track but they still need some funds to complete this project. The coffer dam will cost around $25,000. Contact Candy if you would like to help!

Tom Mann Jr. and Ryan Coleman have coordinated with the Corps and will be supplying the concrete to extend the ramp at Van Pugh North. Darrell Stone of the US Army Corp of Engineers thinks weather permitting, this ramp may be poured by the 2nd week in January. These anglers will have a Partnership Agreement for this project soon.

Kerry Hicks is forming a partnership with Hall County and they plan to extend the Clarks Bridge Ramp. The idea is to reuse an existing metal extension by placing it into the water after the concrete has been poured to the water level. Contact Kerry if you need more information or want to help with this project .

From Michael B. Lapina: “This is the brief summary. Much more is going on behind the scenes to make this work. Thanks so much to those who are working so diligently to make this effort to come together. Planning, getting contributions, supplies and negotiating the best deal is hard and underappreciated work. I am glad to be working with all of you! Have a Merry Christmas” Michael

If you are interested in assisting with these projects, please contact:
Capt. Quinn, 770 503 5955
Candi Hammond, 770 888 6898
Michael Lapina, 770 945 9531
Ryan Coleman, 770 356 4136

For more information, please contact Michael B. Lapina Chief Park Ranger
US Army Corps of Engineers
Lake Sidney Lanier
P.O. Box 567
Buford, Georgia
770-945-9531

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PRIME SPOTTED BASS TIME IS NOW

By Bill Vanderford

Many anglers look at our current conditions and cringe! High blue skies, bright sunlight, and almost 80 degree days are not considered “text book” times to catch more than 40 bass per day on Lake Lanier. Add to that the fact that most spotted bass seem to be scattered along “nothing-looking” red clay banks in less than 15 feet of water and are attacking a very small lure as though it had magical qualities. All of these conditions go against the standard thinking of most bass fishermen, but that’s exactly what is happening. The best part, however, is that these feisty bass will continue being aggressive in the same general areas until the morning surface temperature exceeds 80 degrees. A little more understanding of this prolific bass can help all anglers be more productive.

The spotted bass was first accurately identified in Kentucky in 1927, and for many years, it was believed to be the only state they inhabited. Because of that mistake, they were called Kentucky spotted bass. Since they have been found in certain areas from coast to coast, however, the Kentucky has been dropped and they are referred to simply as spotted bass.

The coloration of the spotted bass is similar to that of the largemouth bass, but contains a little more brown. The section between the dark upper back and the lateral spotted line appears to have diamond-shaped markings, and the lower side of most spotted bass has several lateral lines that appear gold in color, while the largemouth is usually white. Additionally, with the mouth closed, a spotted bass's lower jaw only comes even with its eye, while the largemouth's extends all the way behind the eye,. The spotted bass's tongue contains a small patch of teeth that looks like a black spot in the middle of the tongue, while the largemouth bass has a slick tongue.

Spotted bass were not stocked in Lanier, but lived in the original river systems that feed the lake. They are a much hardier and faster spreading fish than the largemouth bass, and are more active than any of the black bass. In fact, here at Lanier, nearly eighty to ninety percent of the black bass catch is spotted bass.

Despite heavy fishing pressure and boat traffic, spotted bass grow quickly and in great numbers in Lake Lanier, which allows it to keep its title of the best spotted bass lake in the United States. Even when big weather changes such as major fronts occur, the spotted bass continue feeding, especially during spring and early summer.

The spawning ritual of the spotted bass is very similar to that of the largemouth. They tend, however, to do it later and at greater depths. In fact, spots prefer 5 to 20 feet, but can often be seen spawning with the largemouth bass in the 2 to 5 feet of water. Also, spotted bass usually seek out clay banks rather than the sand chosen by largemouth.

The most fun way to catch spotted bass during April and May is by casting 1/8th ounce Swirleybirds from the shoreline or from a boat near shallow stumps, rocks, and other debris along red clay banks. These practically invisible structures can be seen by using polarized sunglasses and looking for darker shadows. After one is spotted, throw the Swirleybird several feet past the target and swim it slowly near the object. If a male spotted bass is nearby, he'll nail it!

From now until all of the spawning activity is over can be the most productive time of year for spotted bass at Lake Lanier. A bad day for me and my clients during this period is less than 40 bass each day. All that is needed is a little knowledge of the lake, and a few Swirleybirds. These lures are deadly both during the spawn and in the tougher post-spawn period. Anyone who can cast will become an expert with this lure immediately. Since the tiny blade turns from the time it hits the water until it reaches the rod tip at the end of the retrieve, the action is extremely tantalizing to spotted bass and many other fish. These lures can often be as effective from the shoreline as they are from a boat. From the bank, look for deeper rock or rip rap formations, blown down trees, docks, or over brushy areas in many of the Corps of Engineers parks.

Fly fishing enthusiasts may also capitalize on this prime time of year for spotted bass by using the new, much smaller, flyrod-sized Swirleybird. Regardless of how one goes about it, by thinking small and slow and making plenty of casts, a day of fishing on Lake Lanier right now is guaranteed to leave every angler with wonderful memories!

Bill Vanderford has won numerous awards for his writing and photography, and has been inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Guide. He can be reached at 770-289-1543, at JFish51@aol.com, or at his web site: www.fishinglanier.com  

LAKE LANIER AND CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER FISHING REPORT
by Bill Vanderford

4/1/08

Surface temperatures at Lake Lanier are creeping above 60 degrees, and the lake level is about 15 feet below normal pool and rising. Spring has finally arrived and Lake Lanier's fish are feeding heavily, especially bass, stripers, and crappies. 

Stripers are being caught in 5  to 20 feet of water on live herring and 1/4 ounce Swirleybird spinners near the backs of major creek channels. Crappies have moved into brush all over the lake, and are beginning to spawn. The big spotted bass are going nuts chasing 3/16th and 1/8th ounce Swirleybirds in less than 10 feet of water, and "Swirleybird Season" has begun and will get better as the water warms! 

We're actively booking jet boat trips for walleyes, stripers, and shoal bass on the upper Chattahoochee River. We're also beginning to book father/son or mother/daughter trips to see the wildlife and seasonal changes with the jet boat.

Trout fishing in the Chattahoochee River below the dam for both rainbow and browns has been fantastic! Most trout are being caught during lower water levels on Swirleybird spinners, small spoons, and smaller crankbaits. Jet boat trips are great for this type of fishing, just call 770-289-1543.