Lake Lanier Fishing Report – April 2025

Lanier: Level: 0.4 feet above 1071. Temp: Low to upper 50s. Clarity: The corps has been doing very little to drop the lake, which has kept the northern reaches of the lake very muddy as there is very little flow. Most creeks go from a moderate to light stain as you move to the back. The main lake is mostly clear below the Highway 53 bridges, and the rivers are muddy.  

Bass: Guide Jimbo Mathley, with Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service, reports, “Fishing during the spawn can provide some interesting opportunities and many different choices. Bass focused on the spawn are often quite finicky and tough to catch at times. Bed fishing is very popular this time of year, especially for tournament anglers, and certainly can provide some outstanding catches. In most instances, I prefer to leave the fish to their reproductive cycle, and often shy away from bed fishing. In this report, I will focus on tips and techniques to catch fish during this often-challenging period but offer an alternative to the bed fishing option. This year we are slightly behind historical averages in terms of water temperature. The water level has been near or above full pool most of the spring. Depending on weather trends for the remainder of March, the spawn should be in full swing by early to mid-April. Most of the largemouth in the lake will go on the bed at water temperatures of 56 to 60 degrees. The spotted bass tend to spawn a bit later when the water temperatures reach 62 degrees or above. Typically, the fish spawn in waves, rather than all at once. After the first wave of fish complete their spawning routine, there will be fish in all stages of the spawn for the next 30 to 45 days, depending on the weather conditions and water temperatures. Further, it is important to understand that many fish that spawn in waves do so during a favorable moon phase, given the noted water temperature requirements are met. The full and new moon phases often prompt fish to move into their bedding routine. Make sure to cross reference the moon calendar with water data to understand when fish will likely begin their spawning rituals. The largemouth in Lake Lanier tend to spawn shallower than do the spotted bass. The largemouth can be found bedding in creek pockets, often in the backs of these pockets, in a protected area. They will position themselves next to a piece of cover, such as a blowdown tree or stump for security and are often in 3 feet of water or less. The spotted bass can frequently be found in similar areas and often prefer a hard bottom-type area, such as a pebble rock/clay flat or a sandy pocket. Also, the spots will not necessarily be at the back of a pocket or creek arm but may be found in any location with the correct bottom composition throughout the creek. And again, the spots will typically spawn deeper than the largemouth and can generally be found in 6 to 12 feet of water and deeper. Unlike the largemouth, there are a contingency of the spotted bass that will spawn on the main lake. These fish can be found on or around humps, points, islands and sandy saddles between islands on the main lake. These females are often some of the biggest fish in the lake. So, if you are looking for a trophy spot in the springtime, your efforts may be better spent on the main lake as opposed to the creeks. The creeks, however, will offer greater numbers of fish and more action than will the main lake in most cases. Spots and largemouth both will stage around and under docks near likely spawning areas. Check those areas thoroughly. Now that we have explored the location that fish can be found during the spawn, I want to share some of the techniques and lures that can be used to catch these fish. Rather than focusing on specific bed fishing techniques, which are multi-faceted and often different with each pair of targeted fish on any given day, I am going to share some proven tactics that can be used to catch fish just before they actually lock down on the beds. A jig head/worm combo and jig are proven fish catchers year-round, and the spawn is no different. These are great baits to skip and pitch around docks for those staging fish we discussed earlier in this report. Use a 3/16-oz. Georgia Blade Jig Head and tip it with a Berkley Hit Worm or Flat Worm. If the fish are ultra-finicky, don’t forget the Carolina rig to present your soft plastics. This presentation method is often ideal for finicky spawning bass. Drag or drift this rig slowly over secondary points or the ends of spawning flats for some potentially awesome results. Also, when fishing a Georgia Blade Jig Head and worm combo, consider using a lighter jig head. I often choose a 1/8-oz. head or lighter to target these spawning fish. I will often tip this with a 4-inch worm as opposed to a traditional offering of 6 inches or more. A weightless Jerk Shad from Lanier Baits is a fun and productive bait to fish this time of year. Target the shallows, cover and docks with this rig. Twitch the bait and then allow it to sink slowly. This presentation will draw strikes from actively feeding and spawning fish, as well, and you get to see the strikes. A Georgia Blade Shad Spin is also a good bet this time of year. I like to downsize to a 1/4-oz. model with a small trailer and work the back third of creeks with this bait during the prespawn and just before the fish go on beds. It offers versatility in presentation and depth, a great combo. A traditional Georgia Blade spinnerbait can be a good choice, as well. Swimbaits offer great versatility, as they can, based on the model, be fished at any depth you wish. This is a great bait with which to catch a monster bass just before they spawn. Often, the females will be out just off of the spawning area in slightly deeper water, but they are not far from the beds. Throwing a big, 6- or 8-inch swimbait and slow-rolling in these areas just off of spawning flats or around secondary points and docks can entice bites from very big fish. I recommend the Sweet Herring Swimbait for this tactic. Keep in mind this approach will not garner you many bites on any given day. But the fish you do catch will likely be monsters. Also, a Lanier Baits Swimmer on a jig head fished around rocky and clay points, as well as in pockets, can be a great option for both numbers and big fish. While the spawn can be a challenging time of year to catch fish, focus on the immediate prespawn period with the tips and baits noted above for some outstanding results. See you on the water.”

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Stripers: Capt. Ron Mullins, with The Striper Experience, reports, “The spring striper bite is really getting fired up, and Captain Mack’s Perfect Planer boards and flatlines will be the technique that will catch the most fish in April. Herring, of any size, and small to medium shad will be your best bait choices this month to catch numbers of fish. Make sure you match your hook size to your bait size. Use a herring on a No. 2 or No. 1 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle, a small shad on a No. 1 or 1/0 and a medium gizzard on a 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook. Using a smaller hook will keep your herring and small shad lively longer since they won’t have to lug around a big chunk of steel, and it allows them to swim more freely. Place your bait 25 to 50 feet out, clip on your Perfect Planer Board and run the first (outside) set 60 feet from the boat. Repeat with the second (inside) set of planer boards the same 25 to 50 feet back and then 30 feet away from the boat. Flatlines are next to be put out straight behind the boat anywhere from 50 to 100 feet back. Adjust the lengths and even add a No. 3 split-shot to figure out where the fish want to eat as the day progresses. There will be a lot of fish up both river arms once the muddy water settles out. They should stay up there through April. Northern creeks like Lathem, Yellow, Wahoo, Ada, Gainesville and Little River will all be good places to look.  At the first of the month, there will still be fish roaming over deep water in the middle of most creeks, but as the water temp warms into the mid 60s, the fish will move to the 15- to 30-foot points and humps throughout the lake. This will be the start of our topwater artificial bite and time to tie on a Zara Spook, Chug Bug, Gunfish  or a white, 1/4-oz. StriperTackle.com Pro Ultra Swing swimbait head and a clear silver glow 3.5-inch Keitech Swing Impact body. The Pro Ultra Swing has an articulated hook and will add even more action to any swimbait body. As you ease around these areas with your live bait spread out the back of the boat, you can make long casts from the front of the boat to these areas and pick up a few extra fish. April is an awesome month on Lanier for everything from little fish to some absolute giants. As we go through our lives and come to this greatest of seasons, Easter, and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, remember that there is only one true Gospel, and that it is rooted in freedom. That Gospel plan is plain and simple: faith in Jesus plus nothing equals complete freedom. We don’t engage in spiritual practices to earn a relationship with God. We engage in those practices because we received a relationship with Him by grace and can now grow in that relationship through them. You cannot just be good or follow any laws to get to Heaven. You must believe that Christ came to Earth, died for your sins and came back to life as your Savior. Thank you Lord for Easter, Amen.  Get out there and catch ’em up.” Capt. Clay Cunningham, of Catching Not Fishing Lake Lanier Fishing Guides, reports, “April is a big month on Lanier for striped bass. The stripers will move up both rivers, spawn and work their way back down to the main lake. Since the stripers will be on the move, they will need to eat. The key pattern has been to fish open water with freelines and boards, but as April arrives, look for the stripers to move to the banks. Be sure to use your electronics to spot the fish in these areas. On the Humminbird Side Imaging, you can see the fish on each side of the boat. Concerning gear, the best setup is a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II Linecounter. Spool the Penn Fathom II  Linecounter with 15-lb. Trilene Big Game line. On the end of the line, you will need a fluorocarbon leader. Tie on a Spro Power Swivel and a 5-foot section of 15-lb. Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon and a Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hook. The 15-lb. leader has been important as we are seeing bigger fish than the last couple years. Pick up a set of Water Bug Planer Boards and some live herring and you are good to go for the day. You will want to pull your baits across the points all up and down the lake. If you prefer to use artificials, be sure to pick up some Berkley Jerk Shads in white. You will want to throw this on a Penn Battle IV 3000 spooled with 15-lb. Berkley Forward Braid with a 10-lb. fluorocarbon leader on a Fenwick 7-foot medium spinning rod. Pick up a selection of other topwater wake baits, like the Berkley Surge Shad, and walking baits, like the Berkley Cane Walker, and you are good to go. One day the Surge Shad will be best and another day the Cane Walker will be best. Mostly, you will be casting to the points. April is a great month for casting here on Lanier. Time to be on the water.”