Lake Lanier Fishing Report – February 2025

Lanier: Level: 1.5 feet below 1071. Temp: Low 40s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Jimbo Mathley, with Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service, reports, “The early prespawn on Lake Lanier can be a fantastic time to catch a huge spotted or largemouth bass. The fish have been lethargic due to the colder water, and biologically, they are triggered to begin feeding in preparation for the arduous spawning process that will soon follow. Typically, the female largemouth begin the process first. What triggers these fish to move into prespawn? Where will these big fish emerge? How do you catch them? These are all excellent questions that we will discuss in detail in this month’s report. The biggest factor in the bass beginning their trek shallower is the steady lengthening of daylight that we experience as the calendar progresses forward. The longer days are nature’s signal to the bass that it is time to start focusing on the reproduction cycle. This integral need will also trigger a feeding urge. Ideally, from a weather standpoint, look for a three- or four-day period of stable weather accompanied by a warming trend. The trend upward in temperature does not have to be huge, just a degree or two in surface temperature can make the difference and trigger the fish to move shallower. Once the warming trend begins, the fish will move shallower to feed in waves. Fish travel much like we do—on ‘highways.’ Fish highways include areas like the main river channel, creek channels and ditches/drains within or near those channels. The bait and fish move methodically along these paths and look for cover to which they can relate for food, protection and often in the case of the bass, ambush opportunity. Understand that fish are not going to randomly appear. They travel these highways and seek likely stopping points along the way. As we pursue the ditches and channels within the creek near areas that I have been catching fish, I look for likely stopping points; a secondary point with deep water nearby, for example. Other viable locations include: deep pockets with a small flat or ledge near the point of entry, small bays, or ‘guts’ that receive all-day sun and are located right next to the creek or river channel. Boat docks located over or near a channel bend or creek channel ditch in deeper water can be excellent choices, too, particularly if the area in which the dock is located receives all-day sun. Also, focus on pockets that are protected from a northern wind. The main body of water can also be an excellent location to target early prespawn bass. When fishing the main lake during the early prespawn period, I like to focus on points and humps that are near the main river channel and offer sharp contour breaks (drains) and therefore ease of access to feeding flats or ledges within these areas from deep water. Obviously, cover in these areas will provide an ambush spot for these prespawn monsters, so a well-placed brushpile can improve your results. Now that we have explored the timing and areas of pursuit of early prespawn bass, let’s examine some possible lure choices and techniques to catch these fish. In selecting and working a lure, remember that the water temperatures are still traditionally cold during the early prespawn period and therefore the fish’s metabolism is reduced. The fish will move slower, and so should your lure presentation. As far as lure colors, I tend to stick with natural colors in the spring as I do most of the year. Green, brown and white are generally found somewhere in the lures I am utilizing in the spring. If you are not getting bit, switch colors or lure type. One of my favorite early spring lures is a jerkbait. These lures mimic expiring baitfish and represent an easy meal for lethargic bass. I prefer a deeper-diving model, such as the Berkley Stunna, in early spring. Work these lures in the areas mentioned above with a very slow cadence. Offer small twitches or short pulls of the jerkbait followed by LONG pauses. Vary your cadence until you find the right combination; let the fish tell you the way they want it and stick with that retrieve. A Georgia Blade Shad Spin can be a very productive lure in the early prespawn period as well as throughout the spawn and into postspawn. Work the lure by slow-rolling the bait in the likely areas we have discussed. In most cases, maintaining contact with the bottom is important. I prefer a boot-tail trailer this time of year. It imparts more vibration in the lure and allows you to work the lure more slowly—a Lanier Baits Swimmer is good choice, and the baits are durable. A crankbait like the Rapala Shad Raps are great choices in the early spring. If the fish are not shallow on the flats and I am unable to get bites with the shallow-running models, I will switch to a medium-depth crankbait, such as one of the Berkley Flicker Shad medium divers. If this fails, I will probe the deeper depths on the ends of flats, points and humps with a deep runner, such as a Berkley Dredger or Berkley Money Badger. Work these baits slowly and attempt to deflect the bait off of cover or the bottom as much as possible. When all else fails and when the fish are bottom-locked, do not ignore the GA Blade Jig-Head/worm combo, as well as the Georgia Jig. Drag these baits in likely areas veryslowly, imparting periods of motionlessness on the bait. Often bites will occur this time of year when you are simply allowing the bait to remain still after a slow drag or slight hop. Early prespawn is a great time of year to fish. Often, this is the time when you are most likely to catch the bass of your lifetime. Get out there and fish. See you on the water!”

Lake Lanier Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports

Stripers: Capt. Ron Mullins reports, “These temps in the mid 40s hopefully will stick around for a  few weeks and are a welcome sight as we should have a bait die-off that the lake needs in my meager opinion. Lanier has a tremendous amount of bait and it is great for the stripers and every other game fish on the lake, but it keeps the fish from moving around very much and makes it more difficult on fishing. It’s tough getting a striper to want to eat a herring in the midst of thousands of other ones. The old mantra of find the bait and you will find the fish just isn’t true on Lanier because there will be tons of bait just around the next corner. The main lake is clear and gets a slight stain as you get to the backs of the creeks. The winter schools of stripers are getting larger and larger as the water cools into the mid 40s and the bait gets pushed father into the backs of the creeks. The creeks on the north end of the lake, like Ada, Gainesville and Little River, have more fish than the southern creeks, like Bald Ridge, Six Mile, Shoal and Big, but don’t count those southern creeks out because there is nowhere near the amount of pressure on them. First thing in the morning, look for huge schools of bait in 60 to 90 feet of water half way to a quarter of the way back in the creek channel. Most of this bait will be within 15 to 20 feet of the bottom, and you will see fish on your Humminbird SOLIX either mixed in with the fish or even slightly higher. Start your day off pulling a mix of herring, trout and shad on flatlines and Captain Mack’s Perfect Planer Boards with a 1/4- to 1/2-oz. StriperTackle.com swivel weight about 4 feet in front of the bait over these scattered fish at 0.8-1 mph. Pull these baits 25 to 75 feet back, depending on the depth of water you are fishing. Also keep a Captain Mack’s Mini Mack out the back of the boat, or behind a board, about 25 to 35 feet down in your spread. This speed seems to be the best to get those blades spinning and putting off a great shimmer and vibration. StriperTackle.com also has 1/4- to 1/2-oz. Pro Ultra spin heads that will add some more flash and weight to your Mini Mack to keep them down easier at those speeds. The trusty white is a staple, but the blue with a chartreuse 3-inch shad body is awesome in places there is a bit more stain to the water. Once you start seeing the fish group up, go ahead and pull the boards in and put out your downlines with the same baits. Most of the suspended fish will be slower. As the sun comes up, take your bait up in the water column, but there will be fish below that will eat that trout when you get him down within the last 10 feet of water you are in. StriperTackle.com jigging spoons will be another artificial to use in February when you get around big groups of fish. Fish these spoons vertically around stripers and spots that are close to the bottom. Drop and lift these 5/8- to 1-oz. white/silver or chrome spoons in a sweeping motion up and then let them flutter back down to the bottom. Lots of times the fish will eat it on the fall, so pay lots of attention to any change in the look and feel of your line. If you are not a fan of the cold, try getting out in the afternoons and look for the fish to be shallower as the bait moves toward the backs of the creeks and up onto rocky points as the water warms slightly. We will spend some afternoons in February pulling big baits (10- to 15-inch shad) on Perfect Planer Boards up on the bank in 5 to 10 feet of water looking for just one big fish. You will not catch a lot of fish, but you have a shot at a big one this month. In this day and age of ‘influencers’ in our lives, know that Christ is the greatest influencer ever. Currently he has 2.38 BILLION followers. As Christians, we need to be influencers for other people in our lives and show them our servant hearts. Go read Matt 20:25-28 and see that leadership is not about what we can get, but what we can give. Just a week after saying he ‘did not come to be served, but to serve,’ he washes the feet of his disciples to show his servant heart. Make your life not about you but about others, just as the greatest influencer in history ever shows us.” Capt. Clay Cunningham, of Catching Not Fishing Lake Lanier Fishing Guides, reports, “It’s been a cold, ugly January here on Lake Lanier. The water temperature has dropped into the low 40s and the lake is predominantly very clear. The stripers have been deep with the deep bait all winter and will continue to do so until the weather finally makes a turn toward spring. We need some sun to warm the water for the bait to make a shift shallow. Most of the bait has been 60 to 80 feet deep. Live bait has continued to be the best pattern over the deep bait. As the bait continues to condense in the creeks, this pattern will not change much, except that they will progressively move shallower as spring gets closer and closer. Trout and herring have been working equally well. Be prepared with as many rods as possible. Keep as many Shakespeare Striper Rods rigged as possible with Penn Fathom Linecounter reels spooled with 15-lb. Trilene Big Game. Rig several of these striper rods with downlines. The downline is more or less a Carolina rig for live bait. Tie on a 2-oz. Captain Mack’s Swivel Sinker, a 4-foot leader of Trilene 100% 12-lb. Fluorocarbon and a Gamakatsu size 1/0 Octopus hook for the trout and a size 1 Gamakatsu octopus hook for the herring. These hooks are tiny but incredibly strong. Great electronics, like the Humminbird SOLIX, will greatly increase your success, as well. You should be able to see your bait almost hit the fish on the head with the electronics. Also the Down Imaging of the SOLIX allows you to see into the bait with more detail. Many times you will see fish with Down Imaging that is hard to see with old-school 2D.  If you want to use artificials, a Berkley Fusion 1/4- or 1/8-oz. will come into play in February. In clear water, go with the white bucktail and the chartreuse in stained water. The stained water will be best as it will warm faster. Rig up a Penn Battle 3000 with 10-lb. Trilene Big Game on a 7-foot medium Penn rod and you are ready for battle. If you prefer a baitcaster, match up an Abu Garcia Revo with an Abu Garcia Veritas 7-foot medium casting rod. Do not use heavier than 10-lb. line. Heavier line will decrease your casting distance. This pattern will be best once the bait moves to the backs of the creeks. Just slowly work the backs of the creeks with the bucktail. Also of note, February can be the big fish month of the year as the females begin to feel the urge of the spring spawn. We have already been seeing some big fish in January. The metabolism of the big females will increase, and they will be looking for a meal. Be sure to check all your lines for minor frays and knots in the line.  Some big fish may show up this February if the weather falls into place. Be prepared and don’t say the big one got away.” 

Crappie:  Capt. Josh Thornton reports, “Recent snow and cold fronts have moved the fish into large groups under docks. Crappie have been at depths of 10 to 25 feet above a 20- to 40-foot bottom. Crappie minnows have been 90 percent or more of the bite this week. For your best fishing experience, consider using the following equipment: a one-piece ACC Crappie Stix rod and reel paired with 4- or 6-lb. test K9 line. Further optimizing your efforts, a Garmin LiveScope, protected by a sonar shield cover, and a Power Pole are highly recommended.”