Lake Lanier Fishing Report June 2016

Lanier: Level: 1.5 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid to upper 70s. Clarity: Clear on the main lake and stained in the backs of the creeks.

Spotted Bass: Decent. Tournament angler Ryan Coleman reports, “The fish are about done spawning on the lower end and are on their way out. There are a lot of fish out on the brush, but they have been a little slow to bite. I have been seeing a lot of small stripers out on the brush, as well, so not every fish you mark out there is a spot. They will follow your bait just like a spot will and can fool you sometimes. I have had a decent topwater bite at times, but it has been very inconsistent at best. They will eat decent early and then seem to just shut down for hours before cranking back up again after lunch. This should get better once they recover from the spawn. Most spotted bass have big red sores right now like they have had in years past, and that, too, will pass in a few weeks. An Underspin rigged with a fluke has been decent for just fan casting all over the humps and points when it’s slow but it, too, has been hit or miss. My best bet for consistency has been drop-shotting a 6-inch SpotSticker hand-poured worm around brush in 25 feet of water or so. Just keep an eye out for them on your Lowrance while you are roaming the humps, and drop directly on top of them when they appear. Be patient, and they will eventually bite. As June approaches, they should get back on a good feed. Look for the topwater bite over the brushpiles to return, as will the swimbait and drop-shot bites.”

Stripers: Good. Big Fish On Guide Service reports, “The primary pattern continues to be the creek mouths and main-lake points. This pattern should hold for the entire month of June. The stripers are starting to move out into a little deeper water, still off the points, but we are catching more fish over a 30- to 50-foot bottom. A few fish are being caught with the Red Fin and Chug Bug, but that bite will not last much longer. Weighted freelines on planer boards and out the back of the boat is working, but the downrod bite will continue to get stronger as the water continues to warm. The bait of choice continues to be herring. A few fish are being caught with the umbrella rig, and the summertime umbrella rig bite should kick in any day. Set your umbrella rigs at 60 to 80 feet behind the boat, and troll over a 25- to 35-foot bottom. The south end of the lake outperformed the north end this week.”