Lake Lanier Fishing Report June 2015

Lanier: Level: 0.4 feet below full pool. Temp: 78-81 degrees. Clarity: The north end is lightly stained from War Hill Park north and from Laurel Park north. The south end is very clear.

Bass: Very Good. Guide and tournament pro Ryan Coleman reports, “We still have a little pollen falling on the water but thankfully, that is about over. Water temps are in the upper 70s and the spotted bass are full of rage. We have had a great early May and look for it to continue through the rest of the summer. We are catching bass both up shallow and out deep. The shallow bite should slow down over the next few weeks, but the offshore deep bite is finally getting going. For the shallow fish, it is simple. Rig a Zoom Swamp Crawler on a 3/16-oz. SpotSticker Screwball shaky head, and go to work. This combo is killing the big fish up shallow right now. I am using all the green-pumpkin colors and a few watermelons, but for the most part, if it’s green, it’s good. Work this rig around the shallow rock on the main lake—reef poles, shallow points and rock piles. It has been excellent for the big females. For the offshore bite, use topwater, underspins, swimbaits and drop-shot rigs. We have been having some great days on topwater with a Vixen and Chug Bug. On the calmer days, work an albino or Arkansas shiner Spotsticker 7/16-oz. underspin with a Zoom Super Fluke Jr or a Reaction Innovations Small Skinny Dipper over the brush and humps. If that fails, pitch your drop-shot rig up on the humps near the brush and that should do it. This is pretty much a solid lineup for the next five months on Lake Lanier. As for the swimbait, there is only one. A 5-inch Bull Herring worked quickly across the humps and structure will bring up those big fish. This bait has a great swimming action and a very dull look, which is extremely natural looking. It is pretty much the only mechanical swimbait that I use on Lake Lanier.”

Stripers: Big Fish On Lake Lanier Guide Service reports, “The fishing is great. The lake is healthy, the fish are biting, and we are looking forward to a very good June. This is a transition month for striped bass fishing with a lot going on in terms of striper movements and the techniques used to catch these nomadic fish.” For a full feature on June striper fishing, see the article on page 48 of this month’s issue.