Lake Oconee Fishing Report – November 2018

Oconee: Level: Full. Temp: Water temps were in the mid 70s before the rain and cold front that hit Oct. 26-27. Karl Pingry reports, “With seasonal outdoor temperatures finally arriving, the water temps will be falling throughout the month. On Oct. 28, the water temp in Apalachee was down to 62.5 at 4 p.m.” Clarity: Stained above and just below I-20. Exceptionally clear down the lake.

Bass: Tournament angler Karl Pingry reports, “A thank you to John Duvall and Zack Bennett for helping with this report. I have been on a different lake this month working with my North Oconee High School fishing team. Lake Oconee is fishing slow. In the last few weeks, there have been a few good days of fishing, but overall it has been hard to pattern the bass on a daily basis and find the bigger fish. Most of the bites are shallow, with many of them coming right on the bank. Buzzbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and plastics are the lures to have tied on. As the water cools, target rock and wood that have been in the sun for several hours.”

Crappie: Guide Jody Stephens reports, “November is going to be off the charts at Oconee! We’ve been slammed busy getting on some good fall crappie. Fish are feeding and are in and around timber and following the shad. Longline trolling and brushpile fishing is great.”

Linesides: Guide Jody Stephens reports, “Stripers and hybrids are active mid-lake on flatlines with bass shiners. As the water cools more, look for more of these silver bullets to show up. Find the bait and you’ll find the aggressive fish.”

Stripers: Guide Doug Nelms reports, “The cool nights have significantly dropped the water temps back into normal range, and the fish will be coming out of their summertime funk. I just spoke to the guys who manage the water oxygen levels, and I am happy to report that everything is back to normal. That means since we had no visible fish or bait kill, everything should get really good this month. The fish historically start showing up around the middle part of the lake all the way down to the dam. This is also the month that our gulls show up from the Atlantic, and they always do a great job in helping us find the fish. Look for schooling activity in the late afternoon, and have an arsenal of lures to throw: A-rigs, swimbaits, jigging spoons and Sassy Shads. Youjust never know what they will like the best. This month is the unofficial start of a brand-new season, and it should only get better each and every day.”