Lake Oconee Fishing Report – April 2023

Oconee: Level: Full pool at 435. Temp: 65 degrees. Clarity: Clear at press day, but heavy stain is on the way.

Bass: Guide Norris Edge reports, “The bite was great, then went slow when we had those two or three days of freezing temps. It is starting to pick back up again, and you will find them on docks and seawalls as they come out of deeper water. Fish buzzbaits before the sun hits the water, then go to shaky-head plastics on a Carolina rig. Concentrate your efforts in the backs of pockets and coves, and as you get farther south, don’t be afraid to use swim baits and frogs.”

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Linesides: Capt. Doug Nelms with BigFishHeads Guide Service reports, “Historically, April is the month for big stripers and how big you want catch is totally up to you. If you want to have fun and catch a lot of fish, go by Sugar Creek Marina and get you about 3-dozen big bass minnows. Float them on a flat line, 100 to 150 feet behind your boat and just enjoy the bite. Of course there is a chance to catch a monster, but you will mostly be targeting ‘happy fish.’ Those 4- to 5-pounders can make for a great day of fishing. If you’re wanting a monster, plan on pulling a big gizzard shad on the south end of the lake, or way up in the Oconee River around Dyar’s Pasture. Remember if you do that, you are basically looking at one bite, but it will be a good one. I don’t get to go fishing with customers very often with big gizzards because it can be hero or zero. You want to pull them on flatlines with planer boards and concentrate your efforts for early morning or late in the evening when the big ones are more active. The fish have just started showing up at the dam, and by Spring Break week, you will see a lot of activity at the dam.”