Lake Oconee Fishing Report July 2019

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: 83-85 degrees. Clarity: The lake is stained up the Oconee and Apalachee rivers. The water is slightly stained in Richland Creek above the Armor Bridge boat ramp, but the clarity is still good.

Bass: Tournament angler Karl Pingry reports, “According to Zack Bennett,  the mornings are good with buzzbaits and Pop-R type baits with a feather on the back hook. Make sure you keep your bait right on the bank or up against the seawalls. The fish are exceptionally shallow. As the sun gets up, stay focused on the shaded areas for the better fish. Once the shade disappears or the topwater bite ends, you have two options according to Zack: flip the docks or fish brushpiles and laydowns. After 11 a.m., Zack and I agree that you can catch a lot of small fish, but catching a keeper is easier said than done. Good luck, and be safe with all the boaters.”

Linesides: Guide Doug Nelms reports, “July is a really busy time on Lake Oconee with fisherman, water skiers and wake boarders. All of the traffic definitely affects the fishing. On our striper trips, we are out really early or late in the afternoon, and the bite is totally dependent on water movement, period. The pump back in the morning and the generation in the afternoon make for some really awesome fishing. We are using artificial lures, swimbaits and live shad, depending on the time of day. It is not unusual to get on these big fish and boat 20 to 30 per trip. It is certainly a big numbers, fast-action bite. Focus your efforts on areas where the contour of the lake drops off. Those areas usually create lots of current, and the baitfish will congregate heavily on it, which brings the bullets in.”