Lake Lanier Fishing Report – October 2024

Lanier: Level: 3.5 feet below 1071 but falling as we enter October. Temp: Low 70s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Jimbo Mathley, with Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service, reports, “October on Lake Lanier means transition. Often you can find fish shallow and in the mid-depth ranges. As well, some fish start to move deep. The lake traditionally begins its turnover/stratification process this month, which provides an additional challenge. The traditional weather patterns we have been experiencing in 2024 should bring us some more predictable fall fishing this year on Lanier. The fall topwater bite has already begun at the time of writing this report and hopefully will continue through October. Let’s dig in and examine how to approach catching spotted bass in this highly transitional month coupled with changing water conditions. As the water temperature cools, the bait, and therefore many of the fish, begin to move shallower in search of the warmer water that remains. As always, staying up with the location of the bait is key to consistently catching fish. To complicate matters, the turnover provides an unstable environment for the bait and the fish. The stratified layers of the lake mix at different times in different places. During this time, focus your efforts on the areas of the lake that have not yet or already have turned over or stratified. Look for the clearer water, and avoid water that has a dark, cloudy or coffee look to it. Often, you can find fish shallower in the creeks during this period. However, some fish may also be deeper as they relate to the brush that had been holding fish through September. Some of the fish may go even deeper and begin relating to the timber edges in preparation for winter. Obviously, there are numerous factors to consider when searching for the catchable fish in October. Examine your options, understand the status of the lake and the effect of recent weather changes, stay flexible in your search, and stay on the move until you find a viable, repeatable pattern during your fishing day. Now let’s examine some potential lure choices. The topwater and swimbait bite in October can be outstanding. Large schools of fish can be found around humps and points near the creek or river channel, typically more near the mouths. Experiment with different baits and presentations to match the conditions. A Zara Spook, Chug Bug and Ima Skimmer, are some of my favorite topwater baits. On the swimbait side, make sure to try the Sweet Bait Co. swim-bait offerings, as well as the Lanier Baits Hard Swimmers. Both are awesome baits. A Georgia Jig is a great bait throughout the fall on Lake Lanier. Tip the jig with a twin-tail trailer, and fish the bait around rocky/clay points, on ledges and timber edges. Take your time and work it slowly. When you’re fishing shallow, a Georgia Blade jig head with a Lanier Baits Finesse Worm can be an awesome bait in October. Fish shallow around docks and secondary points with this bait for some hammers. The Senko is a great bait to fish shallow around docks as it can be skipped under and around objects with ease. Dead stick the bait and wait for the tick. In the area of crankbaits, tie on a Spro Little John DD and target shallower rock points toward the end of the month. A Spro RkCrawler can be a great choice, as well. This can be a particularly good approach at daylight in shallower water. A Georgia Blade spinnerbait can really get cracking for you in October once the water temperatures fall into the 60s. I like the double-white, willow-blade combination and the No. 9 skirt choice.  Check out Georgia Blade online or pick up some of their super creations at Hammond’s Fishing and other tackle stores around north Georgia. Another great tool for targeting suspending fish is a jerkbait. Choose a bait that suspends at the depth the fish are holding and experiment with your retrieve cadence until you find what the fish are looking for any given day. I really like the Berkley offerings in the jerkbait, particularly the Stunna. I still have a few dates available this October, but they are going fast.”

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Stripers: Capt. Clay Cunningham, of Catching Not Fishing Lake Lanier Fishing Guides, reports, “Fall is slowly making its way to the lake. The lake is also slowly dropping from the full pool we enjoyed all summer. Concerning live bait, herring will continue to be the primary bait in October. Rig the herring on a freeline, which is basically a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook, a section of 10-lb. Trilene Big Game 100% Fluorocarbon and a Spro 120-lb. Power Swivel. The quality swivel is important. Use this setup on a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II 15 Linecounter spooled with Trilene Big Game. Pull the freeline over shallow points and humps with the trolling motor and you will pick up a variety of stripers and spotted bass. October is also topwater month. Be prepared for the surface action with a wide selection of topwater baits. Spool up a Fenwick medium-action rod with 10-lb. Trilene Big Game and a Berkley Magic Swimmer as the lure. The Magic Swimmer has caught tons of stripers over the past couple  of decades. We are already seeing some action on it this fall. A school of about a hundred surfaced this morning in the rain as I write this post. The Magic Swimmer 125 is the most popular size on Lanier. Be prepared with several colors, like the chrome and white liner. Berkley is also working on some new colors due out soon. Other key topwater baits include the Berkley J-Walker 120, Berkley Surge Shad and the Berkley Drift Walker. Each one has a different action. The key bait can change daily based on conditions. Two of the key colors are black chrome and bone. Look for schooling fish and cast right in the middle of them. Some of these schools can be massive. This is usually the most exciting month of the year on Lanier. Do not miss it.”

Crappie: Capt. Josh Thornton reports, “The seasonal transition is in full swing. Water temperatures are dropping, the fish are moving up and are more active. You can find crappie suspended 5 to 10 feet deep over a 12- to 30-foot bottom. I always bring crappie minnows and set them in a rodholder over brush or structure while casting jigs with a slow retrieval. Try a black-and-chartreuse jig or a white-and-chartreuse hair jig. Both seem to be working well right now. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is an ACC Crappie Stix one-piece rod and reel with 4- to 6-lb. test K9 line, along with Garmin Livescope and Power-Pole. For more information and tips, please visit my websites www.crappieonlanier.com and www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org.”