White Perch

[scaledown72]

I'd appreciate any info regarding white perch fishing in Lake Hartwell or elsewhere in North Georgia.
These are not to be confused with yellow perch, although any advice on either kind of perch is of interest to me. I understand that white perch are locally abundant in the Savannah River reservoirs. That takes in a lot of water so I'd like to narrow it down to the best areas/access points/depths/structure types for success at this time of year. Thanks.

 

[Thunder Head]

They are in lake Hartwell. A few times we have gotten on big schools in winter time. Mostly near the backs of creeks. I have never been able to catch them on a regular basis in the Tugalo arm.
I don't think there are tons of them in the lake. I interested to see what others say.

 

[Beagler]

There not as plentiful in the savannah as they are in the Carolina lakes, I know guys on lake Wylie that load the coolers up. I’ve caught them mainly crappie fishing at then the. Like only 2 or 3 a night. If I was fishing Hartwell I’d try up around the state park, i thing about half way back in gum log creek at night with live minnows. I fish mainly Russell, a fellow I know targets white perch in the winter when it’s teeth chattering cold, then he gets into schools of them. I’ve been wanting to try in winter but when it’s teeth chattering cold I’m at home by the fire. I think he said he follows the birds on Russell I imagine Hartwell would be the same.

 

[Fullnet2]

Are they good to eat. Don't think I've ever seen one and I fish a lot

 

[lampern]

Very invasive and good to eat.

 

[Beagler]

Yes they are very good to eat. They won’t get into any other georgia lake unless someone puts them there.

 

[lampern]

High likely hood of that happening.

Happened already over the Carolinas and Virginia.

 

[Big7]

Very invasive and good to eat.

Yes, they are. AND yes, they are.

 

[Big7]

Yes they are very good to eat. They won’t get into any other georgia lake unless someone puts them there.

PLEASE DON'T. THEY WILL KILL A LAKE REAL QUICK

 

[Josh B]

We caught them for bait at Santee. I didn’t know they got big enough to eat.

 

[across the river]

I'd appreciate any info regarding white perch fishing in Lake Hartwell or elsewhere in North Georgia.
These are not to be confused with yellow perch, although any advice on either kind of perch is of interest to me. I understand that white perch are locally abundant in the Savannah River reservoirs. That takes in a lot of water so I'd like to narrow it down to the best areas/access points/depths/structure types for success at this time of year. Thanks.

In full disclosure I'm not a "perch" fisherman, but I have caught a good many. In my experience they are typically open water fish and very baitfish oriented verses say a brush pile or some other structure. You can catch some back up in a creek in early spring, but typically they will be more toward cooler water. Not real structure oriented like a crappie or spotted bass, but look similar on the graph. This time of year I would focus more on main lake areas. They will typically be baitfish oriented, and will often be near a school of shad. They will readily eat worms or minnows, and you can set up a rod with two hooks and fish both to figure out if they prefer one over the other. I have also caught them on jigs, and they will hammer a gulp minnow. This time of year I would probably focus more toward the main lake and look for them in channels, on humps, etc.... Start at 20 feet maybe and go from there. They won't be in 5 foot of water and wouldn't think they would be more than 30 foot until it got really cold. They will school up and often hold near the bottom. As others have said, if you really want to get on them, go in the cold of winter, when they school up in massive schools in deep water.

 

[scaledown72]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I am going to focus on the upper end of Lake Hartwell, hopefully to benefit from the cooler water flowing in and to minimize driving time. I talked to someone at the SC DNR who said that ought to be a good area, although certain access points are subject to vandalism.. Does anyone fish around Stephens County park who can recommend a launching ramp close to deep water ?

 

[lampern]

Keep everyone you catch. There are no limits on em

 

[sasmojoe]

I have quite a few on clarks hill using small Hopkins spoon, also flatheads tend to hang around them.

 

[Studawg170]

I have quite a few on clarks hill using small Hopkins spoon, also flatheads tend to hang around them.

We used to catch them on Clarks Hill trolling for crappie

 

[across the river]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I am going to focus on the upper end of Lake Hartwell, hopefully to benefit from the cooler water flowing in and to minimize driving time. I talked to someone at the SC DNR who said that ought to be a good area, although certain access points are subject to vandalism.. Does anyone fish around Stephens County park who can recommend a launching ramp close to deep water ?

Did you catch any?

 

[the Lackster]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I am going to focus on the upper end of Lake Hartwell, hopefully to benefit from the cooler water flowing in and to minimize driving time. I talked to someone at the SC DNR who said that ought to be a good area, although certain access points are subject to vandalism.. Does anyone fish around Stephens County park who can recommend a launching ramp close to deep water ?

I live on Hartwell and they are here but nowhere near the numbers that are on Clark's hill.

 

[scaledown72]

I'm not going to do a trip over there until I get more information. I talked to a ga biologist and have been reading up on the oxygen/thermocline situation on Lake Hartwell. It appears that power generation pulls the oxygenated water towards the dam. So will there still be oxygen and catchable fish in the upper 2/3 of the lake ?
The stripers/hybrids/white perch school up together and have higher oxygen requirements than other fish. Has anyone been fishing Hartwell lately ?

 

[the Lackster]

I'm not going to do a trip over there until I get more information. I talked to a ga biologist and have been reading up on the oxygen/thermocline situation on Lake Hartwell. It appears that power generation pulls the oxygenated water towards the dam. So will there still be oxygen and catchable fish in the upper 2/3 of the lake ?
The stripers/hybrids/white perch school up together and have higher oxygen requirements than other fish. Has anyone been fishing Hartwell lately ?

No more than 7 days a week, but I haven't been fooling with linesides much lately. Bass have been everywhere in shallow water up my way.

 

[scaledown72]

SO what way is That ? (LOL)