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Altamaha River
The mighty Altamaha River is one of the most impressive waterways in the southern United States. It flows generally eastward for 137 miles toward the Atlantic Ocean from its origin at the confluence of the Oconee River and Ocmulgee River. It meets the ocean near Brunswick. No dams are directly on the Altamaha, though some are on the Oconee and the Ocmulgee. Including its tributaries, the Altamaha River's drainage basin is about 14,000 square miles in size, qualifying it among the larger river basins of the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Altamaha River Resources
Altamaha River Articles
The state-record for flathead catfish has been broken. On Thursday, June 22 Carl Sawyer of Screven pulled a monster catfish out of the Altamaha that weighed 83 pounds — smashing the previous record of 67-lbs., 8-ozs. Carl and fishing buddy Ben Poppell of Jesup were camping on a sandbar and catfishing. Thursday evening they were…
This is not supposed to be happening. There is a steady wind blowing 15 to 20 miles per hour out of the northeast; the temperature at 8:30 a.m. is in the very low 60s, clouds low, dark and threatening; the Altamaha River reading at Jesup is a little over two feet lower than what we…
Two summers ago, Johnny Gordon of Ludowici and his partner, Tommy Bacon, made local papers and the pages of GON with a photo of a 70-lb. flathead catfish that they caught in the Altamaha River near Jesup on a limb line and a live bream. At the time it was one of the heaviest flatheads…
There were some great reports this week, but now the off and on rains have set in for several days. The different sections of rivers will rise and fall differently…
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The rivers are dropping out, tides are better in saltwater, and fish in ponds, lakes, and the Okefenokee are feeding with reckless abandon. Pretty much pick where you want to…
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I’ve not been around a lot this week due to fishing in the Everglades, but the reports I did receive were good. The rivers are getting back down and those…
Read MoreAltamaha River Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 12-lbs. | Terry Moore | 12/18/1974 |
| Flathead Catfish | 83-lbs.* | Carl Sawyer | 06/22/2006 |
| (tie) | 83-lbs.* | Jim Dieveney | 07/11/2010 |
| Channel Catfish | 44-lbs., 12-ozs.* | Bobby Smithwick | 05/18/1972 |
| Blue Catfish | 93-lbs.* | Ricky Barrett | 10/14/2017 |
| Black Crappie | 1-lbs., 9.76-ozs. | Israel Sapp | 03/13/2023 |
| Shellcracker | 2-lbs., 9-ozs. | Clinton Johnson | 05/05/2016 |
| Bluegill | 1-lbs., 5.7-ozs. | Robert Attaway | 06/23/2010 |
| Redbreast | 11.87-ozs. | Kary Davis | 05/19/23 |
| Yellow Perch | 9.92-ozs. | Israel Sapp | 03/13/2023 |
| Bowfin | 8-lbs., 1.44-ozs. | Bert Deener | 9/03/24 |