Lake Burton Fishing Report February 2016

Burton: Level: 1 foot below full pool. The water level fluctuations have finally subsided, and fishing is getting back to normal. With excessive amounts of rainfall over the last few weeks, the fish had almost gone into a holding pattern. Temp: 45 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “Most of the big bass have gone deep. We have been catching spots over a 30- to 50-foot bottom. These fish are slow to bite, so take your time working an area if you know the fish are there. Try using a Hopkins spoon, silver or gold, with a slow, rocking, jigging action. Locating fish with the electronics is the key to catching these big fish this time of year. This bite should continue for the next few weeks. ”

Brown Trout: “The brown trout are still shallow and feeding on all the fresh forage that has been washed into the lake lately,” guide Wes Carlton said. “They are still chasing the schools of bluebacks up and down the main lake channel. Look for these surfacing fish or the bait schools to pop up, and try casting flies or small jerkbaits into them. This is a very effective technique for this time of year. Trout are very fast swimmers, so sight fishing for these can be tough if you’re not willing to go after them with the big boat motor. Sometimes the trolling motor is not fast enough. The brown trout will start to hold on a little deeper bottom over the next few weeks. The trolling bite will pick up as we head toward February and the water temps drop into the low 40s.”

Walleye: “The walleye bite has been a little tough with all the rain,” said Wes Carlton. “There have been some fish caught but not very many. The bite should pick up any day now as the north Georgia lakes calm down a little with the strong water flows. Try trolling crankbaits in a firetiger pattern over a 30-foot bottom close to brush or rocky bottoms. This pattern should stay the same for the next few weeks as we head toward February.”