Lake Oconee Lineside Fishing Report — April 12, 2024

Mark Smith has been putting folks on fish this week in the Richland Creek area but says white fish are also up the rivers right now.

Level: Full pool Temp.: 62-66 degrees. Clarity: Up the river is stained. Down the lake it’s clearing from Highway 44 and south.

Linesides: Guide Mark Smith with Reel Time Guide Services reports that the lineside dam run is not really happening this year. It’s actually gotten worse and worse over the last five years. Instead, look for linesides on the south end in Richland Creek between the Ritz-Carlton and Jumping Rock. Best baits have been threadfin shad and small gizzard shad fished on downlines and flatlines. The flatlines have produced the bigger fish during Mark’s guide trips over the last week. Just look for bait in this stretch, and the white fish will be there. The bite could be anywhere from 1 to 25 feet of water.

Fish are also up the river, according to Mark. Some of these fish will be all the way up to Barnett Shoals in Watkinsville, although you don’t need to go that far to hook-up. Look for the best concentrations of fish up the Oconee versus the Apalachee. You can put in at Dyar Pasture, but the Redlands ramp is where a lot guys put in and start fishing or either go up the river some. Rooster Tails and live bait are the two hottest baits up the river.

The threadfin shad spawn is going on now. If you just want to have fun and just cast, a white spinnerbait around rocks where shad are spawning at daylight is hard to beat.