Lake Oconee Fishing Report – October 2024

Oconee: Level: 0.8 feet below 435. Temp: 81 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Nick Knapp, with Elite Guide Service, reports, “Look for the fish to move to secondary points to the backs of pockets chasing bait. I like topwater this time of year on the secondary points inside pockets. A good spot to check this time of year is the cove just inside of Lick Creek. If you find the bait, the fish will be close. Squarebill crankbaits in natural-shad colors work best. Look for the fish in 4 to 6 feet of water. For topwater, I like a Lucky Craft Pointer in shad colors. Crank structure, as well.”

Crappie & Stripers: Capt. Doug Nelms, with BigFishHeads Guide Service, reports, “The month of October is always the month where it just about happens, meaning that we always get excited about the fishing coming out of the summertime slump. The good news is the crappie fishing has been awesome, and it appears that it will stay that way at least through October. The stripers, on the other hand, have been non existent. The great news for stripers is in November the fish will return again. The crappie are on the brushpiles really great this month, and if you can find a tree or brushpile with fish on them, you can spend most of the morning pulling them off. We are dropping minnows into the branches with 12-lb. braided line and 6-lb. fluorocarbon. There have been a few trips where we have caught our limit and only fished a couple of trees. It seems like the Richland Creek side of the lake is producing much bigger fish than the Oconee side, but it could be that Richland Creek doesn’t get the pressure that the Oconee side of the lake gets. On most of the Richland timber, you will find giant schools of crappie on top. If you’re having trouble finding stripers, just be patient. They are on the way.”

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