Lake Oconee Fishing Reports – April 2021

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: Low to mid 60s. Clarity: The lake is mud red above I-20 and headed down the lake. Sugar Creek is stained but will start to clear sooner than upriver. Richland Creek is also stained below Armor Bridge. The main lake is stained down past 44 bridge.

Bass: Tournament angler Karl Pingry reports, “The bass wanted to go on the bed Sunday, March 28 with the full moon, but the thunderstorm took care of that, and I honestly am not sure what the cold fronts coming in this week will do except make it hard to find the bass. The last cold front a week ago took the water temps from 70 down to 59, and the only good bite I could find was on a Carolina-rigged 5-inch lizard in 3 to 6 feet of water near the backs of the short pockets. As the water has slowly warmed, there are a lot of males up shallow. One day the best bite is on the docks with a spinnerbait and a jig, and the next day they will want a wacky-rigged Senko along the banks, blowdowns and on some docks. There is a buzzbait bite that finds some better fish but not a lot of them. Seawalls with rock and sand bottoms seem to be the places to throw the buzzbait. There is one more big storm and cold front forecast just as this edition was printed. I expect the bite to be really tough going into Easter weekend, but warming temps and a stronger level of sunshine will help the water temps start to climb. Start with a crankbait, spinnerbait and ChatterBait to get those migrating bass to strike as the water starts to warm. At some point, a lot of bass are going to bed and be hard to see with the naked eye due to the stained water conditions. You’ll have to rely on Carolina-rigged plastics, Senkos and Trick Worms to get those bass to react. Usually a smaller plastic on the C-rig works best since a lot of those bedding bass are simply moving the bait off the bed and not necessarily striking it to feed. By the middle to end of the month—and just like last year—the shad spawn will start with a lot of bass still bedding or going on the bed. A double willowleaf spinnerbait at first light or a Spro Little John crankbait (0-3 feet) will be the best baits at first light along rip-rap and seawalls. Make sure you are casting on the bank. A buzzbait, fluke or Trick Worm are also good baits to have on the deck. Once the shad spawn is over, continue to focus on the same areas, but fish out in the 1- to 4-foot range. The same baits already mentioned will work, and if the bite really slows down, try a lightly weighted Trick Worm or Senko. By the end of the month, the shad spawn will still continue in the early mornings, and the bass will be in all three stages of the spawn.”

Linesides: Capt. Doug Nelms reports, “This is big striper month on Lake Oconee when the fish go to spawn all over the lake. I have a theory about the spawn, and like I said, it’s just a theory, but I believe all the stripers that are north of the Hwy 44 bridge go up the rivers to spawn and those south of the 44 bridge go to the dam. I have always thought it was a little weird for those fish to go south, but they are down there right at this moment. Do they go there because of the pump back at Wallace dam? Are they confused? I’ll tell you one group that isn’t confused, and that’s the fisherman. They know exactly where to be—at the dam,  en masse. If you are wondering how to find the fish this month, just look for the flotilla. At the moment I am making this report, the 5 1/2-pound-class fish are at the dam. That may sound a little weird, but what I have found out is over the next few weeks the sizes of the fish will get bigger for a period, and then they will get smaller, and then bigger again. If you hear about a monster being caught, get down there because I believe the big ones are traveling in groups. The two biggest stripers that I have seen caught this year happened within three days of each other, then poof! If it’s danger and action you’re looking for, try putting in at Dyers Pasture, or even better Highway 15, and fish the deep holes you find on the river. Better have some stout tackle and be prepared to deal with the guys white bass fishing. If the white bass are running, the parking lot will be full on the weekends. My gear for the dam is really simple. I use 10-lb. fluorocarbon leaders about 6 feet long, No. 2 Gamakatsu circle hooks and big bass minnows, or even medium will put a lot of fish in the boat for you. Keep a sharp eye out because the shad spawn will start this month, and historically the stripers will develop a taste for them and will turn their noses up at the bass minnows. Please note it is illegal to fish with blueback herring in Lake Oconee! I have heard of two boats bringing them into Oconee this year. Please don’t mess up our wonderful ecosystem on our lovely lake. There are so many other lakes you can use them on but not in our beloved Oconee. The Oconee Derby ends on April 18, and we will have a good idea at how the striper population is doing on Oconee by the weigh-ins that occur over the eight-week period. So far it looks like this will be a great month.  Hope to see you on the water.”

Crappie: Guide Al Bassett reports, “Currently the crappie fishing is good. There is still a good number of fish in shallow water spawning. There are several ways that will catch you a few fish. One way is by casting a minnow under a cork with the bait being 1 to 1 1/2 feet below the cork. Work the banks in the backs of the creeks and coves around the lake. You can push or pull jigs in the backs of the creeks. Use 1/16-oz. jig heads with Jiffy Jig Super Grubs. The best color has been green/yellow/chartreuse glitter (JJSG10). You may want to tip some of the jigs with a minnow and see what they want that day. By the end of the month the fish will start their move to deeper water. Look for them on brushpiles and sharp drop-offs. During this time make sure to use your Lowrance depthfinder to locate the fish before you start fishing.”