Lake Allatoona Fishing Report – September 2022

Allatoona: Level: 1.9 feet below 840. Temp: 86 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Now that school is back in and deer season is about to begin, Lake Allatoona will be slightly less crowded. Historically, September has been a pretty tough month on Allatoona, but right now fishing still remains good to very good. The first part of the month is very similar to the month of August. Not much changes, but as the cooler mornings begin toward the middle of the month, we will see a change. One of the reasons that the month of September is so tough is that water temperatures reach perfect temp for algae blooms. As the water drops into the high 70s, we will see fishing get a little tough until the water drops into the low 70s. When fishing gets tough, I move shallow on Lake Allatoona. September and October are my favorite months for shallow buzzbaits around cover. Rocky bluffs and river banks produce the best. I mix it up with a buzzbait, squarebill crankbait and a fluke-style bait. In the month of September, we will start to see a shad migration later in the month into the first part of October. We will see shad move more into the creeks. During this time, I like to target floating boat docks and blowdown trees as well as shallow brush. I fish a jig and a larger swimbait. The fall is a great time to fish a bigger bait. We are still seeing schooling activity this time of year. Having a jerkbait and a spy bait handy for schooling fish is must. The Etowah River is by far the best and most productive this time of year. Areas like Sweetwater Creek and the area around Knox Bridge will produce some good largemouth. Remember to be careful as the water levels have begun to drop. They will continue to drop until we reach winter pool.”

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Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson, of First Bite Guide Service, reports, “Fishing is decent. We are still catching decent numbers, but we are having to run and gun. The fish are on the move and aren’t staying in one location for more than five minutes. Downlining shad is still working, but shad are dying very quickly on a hook. Be sure to take plenty of bait with you. Downlines fished 14 to 21 feet deep are working best right now. The dissolved oxygen level is so low below 21 feet that bait is dying in less than five minutes on a hook. This is a tough time of year for us live-bait guys, so I am spending less time live-bait fishing and more time trolling right now. Trolling is good. The trolling bite has been my better bite the last few weeks, and this will probably hold true into the middle of September. I am pulling nothing but umbrella rigs right now. Color doesn’t seem to matter. It is more of a reaction bite right now. I have been having my best luck 145 feet behind the boat at speeds of 2.4-3.1 mph. The topwater bite has finally started. Cloudy days are the best, and it’s hard to beat a Rooster Tail right now. Look for these fish from mid-lake to the dam.”