Lanier Tailwater brown trout survey

[lampern]

Chattahoochee River Tailwater Sampling (This report courtesy of WRD Region Supervisor Anthony Rabern): Gainesville Fisheries staff conducted electrofishing surveys for trout on the Chattahoochee River below Lake Lanier (i.e., the Lanier Tailwater). The relative abundance of wild brown trout is slowly improving from historically low numbers documented in recent years. Lanier Tailwater is also known for producing trophy brown trout, including the 20 lb, 14 oz state record brown trout that was caught in 2014. While no state-record contenders were collected this week, some potential up-and-comers were noted.

 

[huntfish]

DNR stopped stocking browns in 2005. Here is the survey performed in 2012.

https://ucctu.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/EAS_Report_Final-Report.pdf

 

[lampern]

Which is why its concerning brown trout population is declining

 

[FloridaFF]

The igloo cooler makes an impact on any fishery if not managed.

 

[lampern]

The igloo cooler makes an impact on any fishery if not managed.

Yeah in addition to a lot of development and silt along the tailwater

Atlanta and its northern suburbs have been exploding in growth

Also the other day my sister saw 5 otters in the Hooch below Morgan Falls dam

 

[NCHillbilly]

Yeah in addition to a lot of development and silt along the tailwater

Atlanta and its northern suburbs have been exploding in growth

Also the other day my sister saw 5 otters in the Hooch below Morgan Falls dam

Otters work on fish for sure, especially the bigger ones.

 

[huntfish]

Which is why its concerning brown trout population is declining

Care to post the link to your statement? There isn't even a date reference.

 

[lampern]

Care to post the link to your statement? There isn't even a date reference.

It was in the November 3rd DNR fishing report they sent to me.

I guess because I have a fishing license.

Edit: Otters are native though. The trout are not.

 

[huntfish]

It was in the November 3rd DNR fishing report they sent to me.

I guess because I have a fishing license.

Edit: Otters are native though. The trout are not.

Thanks and yes I have license too. They just stocked DH section down that way on the Hooch so feeding has commenced.

 

[huntfish]

And BTW, targeting big brown season is about to commence on the hooch.

 

[lampern]

And BTW, targeting big brown season is about to commence on the hooch.

Does the dnr stock brown trout in the DH section or just rainbows?

 

[lampern]

I found a link to the fishing report:

Georgia Fishing Report: November 3, 2023

Interested in trout fishing? Now is a great time to plan a trip to North Georgia, and when you do, plan to test your skills at one of Georgia’s five Delayed Harvest trout streams. While trout fish…

georgiawildlife.blog

 

[GLS]

Construction along the Chattahoochee corridor impacted the water temps below Morgan Falls. The siltation caused the water above Morgan Falls to warm up due to the reservoir becoming shallower raising water temps, impacting the aquatic life downstream. In the 1070s, the late Don Pfitzer, a well-respected fisheries biologist for Tennessee DNR and ultimately a long career with the USF&WS as assistant regional director of the SE, noted the prolific caddis hatches at Cochran Shoals as being one of the best hatches in the SE. According to an online article, Don died with his boots on fishing the Jackson River at age 91 in 2015. The construction boom in the 1980s doomed the lower Chattahoochee. I was able to fish the Hooch before the decline and it was spectacular. Gil

 

[Michael F Sights]

Construction along the Chattahoochee corridor impacted the water temps below Morgan Falls. The siltation caused the water above Morgan Falls to warm up due to the reservoir becoming shallower raising water temps, impacting the aquatic life downstream. In the 1070s, the late Don Pfitzer, a well-respected fisheries biologist for Tennessee DNR and ultimately a long career with the USF&WS as assistant regional director of the SE, noted the prolific caddis hatches at Cochran Shoals as being one of the best hatches in the SE. According to an online article, Don died with his boots on fishing the Jackson River at age 91 in 2015. The construction boom in the 1980s doomed the lower Chattahoochee. I was able to fish the Hooch before the decline and it was spectacular. Gil

In the Mid-80's when Light Cahills would hatch & the fishing was incredible, fish for risers till dark. Used to see people just waiting till the hatch before they fished.

 

[GLS]

I've seen the Cahill spinner-fall at dark. Bouncing egg layers. Fish ignored conventional patterns. Ronnie Hall was next to me when I tied on a skater after the fish ignored the traditional Cahill. "That won't work" he said and then asked me for one when a 16" fish clobbered the skater. Gil

 

[splatek]

My personal educated guess for any decline would be development coupled with stocking larger piscivorous rainbow trout.

Talking strictly about the Buford dam TW. I don’t care for the dh section, which for ask accounts just feeds the native big fish.

I’ve seen several LM bass come outta the upper section as well. Either wash down from local creeks or bucket biologists. Bream: I’ve caught a limit before. They gotta be having a heyday on eggs.

My research project is still going but my guess would be that any decline is related to a too rapidly changing environment and inability to adapt. However, brownies are Hardy so who knows.

 

[lampern]

Yeah maybe stopping the stocking of rainbows would benefit the wild browns?

 

[huntfish]

Does the dnr stock brown trout in the DH section or just rainbows?

In the DH, it's a hodgepod of trout.

 

[huntfish]

Yeah maybe stopping the stocking of rainbows would benefit the wild browns?

It was more based on the fact that browns were naturally reproducing in the river. Also, the ectroshocking survey were almost 4:1 browns

 

[lampern]

It was more based on the fact that browns were naturally reproducing in the river. Also, the ectroshocking survey were almost 4:1 browns

Only so much food though.