Lake Lanier Fishing Report November 2017

Lanier: Level: 5.9 feet low. Temp: Upper 60s to low 70s. Clarity: The lake is in full turnover.

Spotted Bass: Guide Ryan Coleman reports, “The lake is in full turnover, and fishing has been affected by it. The surface water is cooling, which causes it to sink to the bottom, therefore pushing the warmer, less-dense, deep water to the surface. This will really create havoc with the oxygen levels in the water, which greatly affects the fish. We have this event every year in the fall, and it usually continues until the end of November or later on some places on the lake. Be patient. Fishing has been slowed a bit for the bigger fish, but there are some pockets of good fishing out there. We are catching some nice fish on topwater and swimbaits, but the overall best bite for me has been a bottom bite. A jig or worm worked slowly along the bottom in 20 to 30 feet of water has been the best bet for overall fishing numbers on Lanier the past two weeks. I have been working a 3/8-oz. green craw or a brown/purple jig, as well as a 6-inch hand-poured worm rigged on a drop shot. There are some fish schooling, which can be caught on topwater, Spybaits and flukes, but these are spotty patterns and will not work all over the lake. Just keep moving and keep looking. As this weather cools and the fronts start to appear, work spinnerbaits and jerkbaits on the windy points, and start looking for the very deep fish in the timber to appear. I have been catching a few out in the 50-foot stuff, but that bite will not get going until late in November. Good luck out there.”