North Georgia Fly Fishing Report

Hey everyone,

I'm dying to make a trip up to North GA to fly fish next week on my 2 days off. Can anyone offer up fishing conditions and/or a recent hatch report? Thanks!

Which area will you be in? Are you looking for high country small stream stuff or bigger streams that receive stocking?

Here's the latest report from Dredger at DNR:



It’s mid-May and, thanks to a nice spell of cool, wet weather, it’s “all still good” for north Georgia angling fans. For trouters, we have lots of fresh stockers hitting streams with good flow rates, small wild trout in headwater “blueline” creeks are still hungry, and the extra-special “Dark Thirty” action is closing out spring’s bug hatches on our larger trout waters like the upper Chattooga, Hooch, Toccoa, and some nearby North Carolina streams. River bass and stripers are around, have good appetites in the cool waters, and are vulnerable between the muddy stormflows.
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=02331600
https://georgiawildlife.wordpress.c...ochee-river-fishing-and-public-access-points/

We’ll just have to wait and see what tonight brings, in terms of rainfall totals, to plot tomorrow’s trips. Most small trout streams run off within 12-24 hours. Stocker streams actually seem to fish better at high flows, since those flows push fresh stockers into slow eddies, and some color in the water hides us better. Large river fishability will depend on total flow and turbidity, so check the spikes in those USFS gauge flows and call local tackle shops or fishing buddies, who can put eyes on those waters and tell you whether or not to burn some Saturday gas.

On the lakes, the warmer surface temperature has stripers and hybrids off the banks a bit, but the largemouths and spots still on them. This week’s best bassin’ bets will be the mountain lakes, where cool temperatures last week pushed them off the banks when our folks tried sampling them. After this week’s ending of several warm days, those fish should now come back up, shallow. And join the bream! It’s the full moon of May, and that means bedding bream. Got a kid, a snoopy pole, and a cage full of crickets? It’s a good time to be the hero.

Since it’s all still good, check the weather and stream flows, pack the kids in the car, and go soon. You’ll be glad you did. Here we go- - - right to the best bets for this week.
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/Hourly.aspx?location=USGA0267


· Stockers:

http://www.pautzke.com/fire-blog/

http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113324


WRD stocking list (remember to refresh the stocking pdf page after lunch each Friday): http://www.georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Trout


· Lanier Tailwater

http://www.georgia-outdoors.com/forum/showthread.php?t=113310



· Lanier’s Drought Continues

EPD water use restrictions: https://epd.georgia.gov/press-relea...tro-atlanta-water-conservation-combat-drought



· DH Streams

Reliable sources suggest that they’re slowing down with May’s longer days and warming water. Guru and a buddy fished Chattooga DH til 9PM on Wednesday (5/10) and only scrounged up a rainbow, a brown and a redeye. It’s now time for trouters to migrate upstream and locate more trout-friendly water temperatures, where catch rates will improve.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv?site_no=02330450




· Dark-30 Troutin’

It’s that time of the year when experienced hillbillies show up late at streamside parking lots, as hungry daytime trouters exit for supper and create some parking spaces. These locals carry at least two flashlights, go late, and stay even later, knowing the best bug action happens in that last hour of daylight and even the first 30-45 minutes of darkness. We call it “Dark-Thirty” and it can be great, as mayflies and caddisflies swarm at sunset and ring the late dinner bell for resident trout. For more Dark30 tips, check these out:

http://rabuntu.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Dark-Thirty-Fishing.pdf



http://rabuntu.org/site/wp-content/...-Dredger-Spring-Dries-Droppers-March-2016.pdf





· What is Bluelining?

http://www.thesuburbanangler.com/2015/05/bluelining-book-review.html

Where?

http://www.georgiawildlife.com/maps/hunting/region2

Dredger actually gave it a shot after work last night (5/11) “somewhere above Helen.” He was too hasty in his departure and a little rusty in his stalking technique, and it showed in his catch. He landed a handful of rainbows, but they were all small ones. The water was low and clear, the fish were spooky, and his patience was lacking in his stealth technique, given a two-hour window of remaining daylight. Downsizing the tippet and fly might have helped, too. It was still fun to wet wade in the mountains on a beautiful spring evening, and detour thru Cleveland DQ on the way home. Gotta luv May!



Note to self:

Dear Dummy,

Next time, grab the OTHER small reel with the OTHER orange line, the 3-weight. That fat five-weight line sure slapped pool surfaces and didn’t help your efforts at a sneak attack.





· Lanier Crappie

Lake Lanier Crappie Fishing Report May 10, 2017



This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. See our club’s website, www.laniercrappieanglers.net





Water temperature is currently about 72 degrees. As expected, May fishing remains good to excellent. With the full moon tonight, we expect the bite this week to be at its best. All reports are supporting that thought. With the below average cool temperatures we’ve had the last few days, the water temp dropped into the mid-sixties, but has crept back up. The biggest challenge we encountered over the last few days was the high wind that made fishing tough for a while. For now, we recommend that you concentrate on deeper submerged brush piles, using your downscan to locate your brush. Throw your marker down and give the fish a few minutes to regroup from your arrival. Fish the brush pile from a distance that you can cast past the brush pile to the other side of it, and retrieve it slowly toward the boat. If you’re interested in catching fish in larger numbers, zero in on submerged brush piles in 20-25 foot depths. However, docks with brush piles are also producing bigger fish, but not in the larger numbers. Both hair jigs and soft body jigs are working well. The lake traffic is definitely increasing, so be mindful that other fishermen may also be fishing the same spots. If you don’t get bites immediately, move on. Chances are very good that you will find alternate brush piles that will put fish in the boat. If you see a fisherman fishing one of your favorite docks, my advice is to skip it, and go to a different spot. Once you get the fish to bite, the entire school will shallow up as they chase the bait. The night bite remains fair at best, as night temperatures remain cooler. As the evenings warm up, so will the night bite. As always, our recommended line of 4 lb. test, high visibility line; not because the fish like it, but because it is easier for you to see the line movement and set the hook. 1/24 oz. jig heads is recommended, or 1/16 oz, if you feel like the fish are deeper in the water column, or if the wind is working against you. If you like a challenge, use a double jigged rig. Keep them about 16-18 inches apart. In my opinion, hair jigs work best in that application. Stay safe on the water and wear your life jacket; it can save your life!



· Lanier Bass

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=897506

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=897590



· Carter’s Whopper with a Story



Angler catches striped bass tagged over 8 years ago.



Angler Troy Kerr of Lafayette, GA caught and released this solid 30-pound striper at Carters Lake on 5/8/2017 while fishing with Carters Lake Guide Service. Once boated, the anglers noticed the fish carried a tag which they reported to WRD Fisheries Biologist Jim Hakala. Based on the unique tag number assigned to that fish, it was determined it had been tagged by WRD personnel on 3/17/2009. The fish was only 18-inches long and weighed 2.5 lbs. when tagged. It was estimated to be 2-years of age when tagged in 2009 - making it 10-years of age when caught. While the tagging study is long over, we appreciate receiving such information and the data it provides fisheries managers.



- WRD senior fisheries biologist Jim Hakala

706-295-6102



· Ken’s Reservoir Reports

http://www.southernfishing.com/current-fishing-report.html



· Coosa Stripers

Striped bass spawning may be just about over in the rivers of North Georgia, but these fish will continue to hang around in certain areas for a few more weeks while water temperatures remain cool enough. We caught and released this 24-pounder on the Oostanaula River near Armuchee last week, along with many other fish in the 8- to 15-pound range. Good numbers of stripers can still be found anywhere from above Highway 140 downstream to the confluence with the Etowah River in Rome. Live or cut shad are probably your best bests for success, but shad-imitating artificial lures like redfins or zara spooks can also do well.





- John Damer

Fisheries Biologist, Wildlife Resources Division, Armuchee
(706) 295-6102



· Bream on Beds



o My Dad always said that the full moon in May is the time to find bream on the bed. He was right as usual. We went out on Lanier with my new pontoon for a little evening cruise and I happened to have a few nightcrawlers with me. Found a bed of redears and caught some really good'uns! Kept a few to filet for dinner tomorrow night.

-Cheesegrits (WRD-RETIRED!)


o Check out the colors on this male Bluegill we found at Blue Ridge Lake this spring (zoom in for a better view, if needed). Blue Ridge is known for producing big bluegills like this, and the most successful anglers target them around the first full moon in May when spawning activity is in full swing. So, right now is the time to throw crickets, worms, or small jigs at those big bream. Even if you aren't fishing Blue Ridge Lake, now should be prime-time for bream fishing statewide!

- John Damer

Fisheries Biologist, Wildlife Resources Division, Armuchee

(706) 295-6102




Enjoy the abundant hours of daylight, cool evening air, refreshing wet-wades, and the blooming mountain laurel along the banks of your favorite trout waters or mountain bass lakes. Don’t forget a tube of crickets and a kid if you’re heading to that bream pond. Good luck this week!
And if you’re stuck at home, join us vicariously, here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiAJlqPMaME


Jeff Durniak
North Georgia Region Fisheries Supervisor

Wildlife Resources Division
(770) 535-5498

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More Stocking Info

Here's a link to the most recent stocking schedule:

http://www.georgiawildlife.com/site...fishing/pdfs/trout/Weekly_Stocking_Report.pdf