Oostanaula River Record Striped Bass

Phillip Lanier, of Calhoun, broke the Oostanaula River striped bass record on April 3, 2016. Like many lake and river records that are set these days, Phillip weighed the fish alive on certified scales and released the fish.

Phillip returned to the Oostanaula River, and the 36-lb., 3-oz. fish swam away with no problem. The big lineside was caught on live bait.

The Oostanaula River forms near Calhoun where the Coosawattee and Conasauga rivers join. From there it flows 49 miles southwest before hitting the Etowah River at Rome to form the Coosa River. Fishing for white bass and striped bass on the lower Oostanaula is good in the early spring when the linesides move up from Lake Weiss for their annual spawning run. A few small striped bass are found in the river year-round, but the trophy striper fishing is generally limited to the spawning run in March and April .