Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – May 2022

Allatoona: Level: 0.6 feet below 840. Temp: 71 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing is great. The month of May is pretty exciting. When the bass spawn ends, the shad spawn begins. When the shad are spawning, they become easy targets. It starts a feeding frenzy for postspawn bass. May is the best month for topwater! Bass have moved to areas where they can recover from this spawn, rest and feed. Every year it’s like clockwork. May is time to think shad. The white bass and hybrid join in, as well. Shad spawn in hard surfaces like rock and even debris floating in the water. The best baits this month are shad-imitation baits like the fluke. Also try a jerkbait like Lucky Craft Pointer 78/100. Topwater is on fire for the first few hours of the day. Any walking bait will do, but I prefer a Zara Spook or a Pencil Popper. For popping baits, I like a Pop-R and the Rico. Once the sun gets up, bass can be targeted with jig-head worms, drop shots and finesse jigs. Watch your sonar for signs of bait and active fish. The best areas to catch fish right now are Cooper’s Branch, Illinois Creek and the mouth of Little River. The best shad-spawn times are on the full moon.”

Lake Allatoona Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports

Linesides: Robert Eidson, of First Bite Guide Service, reports, “The Allatoona bite is good! The spawn run is almost over. Most of the fish are back on the main lake and are starting to set up on a summer pattern. Big schools of hybrids can be found anywhere from the S-turns to as far south as Tanyard Creek. The downrod bite is the most productive bite going on at the lake right now. Fishing live shad at depths from 20 to 30 feet is producing for our boats from one end of the lake to the other. Our bait of choice has been big threadfins, with small gizzards running a close second. The big schools of hybrids can be found on your Humminbird on or around most points, humps and flats. Good electronics can be a big help during the summer months. Summer time is awesome for numbers on Lake Allatoona. Give us a call and let’s take the kids fishing.”