Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – January 2025

Allatoona: Level: 10.8 feet below 840. Temp: 50 degrees. Clarity: Slight stain.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing in January can be tough. If we have a return of cold weather in January, we could see the water temperature dropping into the low 40s, and we will see a shad kill. The bite will definitely be affected if that happens. A shad kill is not necessarily a bad thing. It just helps regulate the amount of baitfish that we have in the lake. The best bite for the month of January is definitely an open-water, forward facing sonar (FFS) bite using jig-head minnows and jerkbaits. This is the best way to locate large, free-roaming spotted bass this time of year. We are catching occasional largemouth doing this, as well. If you don’t fish FFS, there is a good jig bite on bluff walls for most of the day. You can mix it up with a drop shot, as well. We have caught a few using a jerkbait paralleling bluff walls, as well. To me, the month of January has to be one of the most difficult months on Lake Allatoona.  The month of December had some really nice weights in tournaments, and I believe we will continue to see this in the month of January. Right now it’s taking 15-plus pounds with the best five bass to win, but an 18-lb. bag is not out of the question.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson, of First Bite Guide Service, reports, “Good! The lake has finished its turn-over, and 99% of the fish are back on the main lake and are starting to eat. Small baits seem to be working best right now for numbers. Threadfins and shiners will get you bit, but if you’re wanting to target a monster, it’s hard to beat a big gizzard shad pulled behind a planer board at sunup. The northern end of the lake has been producing best. Watch for the birds.”

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Crappie: Robert DeHaas, of Red Rooster Custom Baits and an OG from “Team Geezer,” reports, “Even though there will be some cold days, January is the beginning of our big crappie season, so get out and cover as much water as possible for what could be some of the best days this side of spring fishing. December cold fronts and sudden temperature swings have affected the crappie as they are scattered and deep right now near the creek channels and close to food sources. The water temperature should be between 40 and 48 degrees by the end of January, which is just right for a day of trolling for big crappie. As you plan for your January fishing trips, make sure to study a Lake Allatoona map to locate flats in front of major creeks, as well as big, open-water areas in front of creeks or close to a river bend. Make sure to check these areas out first thing in the morning, and then as the day progresses, work your way into the creeks. Make sure to use a mixture of different-size jig heads to maximize catch rate. In January, they could be suspended anywhere from 5 to 20 feet, and by using different size jig heads, you should be able to hit several depth ranges. This is where the Red Rooster Long Line Trolling Guide should help you determine the right jig-head size. Be sure to download your copy from redroosterbaits.com. We also use an underspin jig head this time of year due to flash and vibration, especially if the water has some color to it. If we get any rain, the lake gets stained to muddy real quick. When the water is stained or muddy, use solid bright colors, like ‘lectric chicken, black/chartreuse, flow pink pepper, bubblegum, and make sure you have some jigs with orange in them, like cajun chicken, albright special, sasquatch and gold crush. These are superstars on Lake Allatoona in muddy water. When you find the fish and the depth, stay in them. They will start to feed at some point, and you may very well have a day to remember for both size and numbers. One thing to look for in January is if there is a warming trend where the temps rise for three to five days. We have seen the crappie start moving shallow into the backs of the creeks. If this happens, switch to a lighter jig head and adjust your trolling speed accordingly. As a general rule of thumb, January water temperatures are between 40-48 degrees and crappie go into deeper waters, suspended between 10 and 12 feet. Troll between 0.5 to 0.9 mph using a 1/16-oz. or 3/32-oz. jig head to stay in the 10- to 12-foot range, and you should find some slabs this time of year. Remember to be a conservationist and take only the crappie you need. We want to keep Lake Allatoona stocked for generations to come. At the beginning of a new year, we get the opportunity to reset, renew and start over. It’s one more year to share how the work of the cross gave me a new life and another year to be thankful for the many blessings that we have in this great country. May the Lord bless you, your family and friends this year. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.’”