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Carters Lake
Located in the north Georgia mountains in Gilmer and Murray counties, Carters Lake is the deepest of Georgia's reservoirs. The spotted bass fishing at Carters is nationally known, and the lake also produces trophy striped bass, as well as a unique Georgia fishery for trophy walleye. Relatively small with 3,200 acres and 62 miles of shoreline, Carters Lake has an average depth of 200 feet and is also more than 450 feet deep in places. Carters is a Corps of Engineers impoundment that is unique that there are no private docks or houses along its shore. This lake is fed by the Coosawattee River.
Carters Lake Resources
Carters: Level: 0.2 feet below 1074. Temp: 53 degrees. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Guide Louie Bartenfield, with Carters Lake Guide Service, says, “January is one of my favorite months of the year for both numbers and quality. Fishing is fantastic. The baitfish have wintered into their cold-weather areas. You will find spotted bass scattered 10 to 45 feet deep. Look in ditches and creek channels around bait. Use jerkbaits for the shallow fish and go to football jigs and drop shots for the deeper ones. The Oneten+1 jerkbaits will get a little deeper, and herring or shad colors will match the baitfish. Jigs in greens and browns with matching trailers are best in the cold water.” Guide Robbie Linginfelter, with Carters Lake Guide Service, reports, “We are in the full swing of wintertime fishing. These next three months are my absolute favorite time to be on the water. It’s a great…
Read MoreCarters Lake Fishing Articles
Carters Lake has been a not-so-well-kept secret lake for big spotted bass for years. In April, it is not hard to catch 4-lb. spots at Carters. These magnum spotted bass will be in shallow water from main-lake humps and points to blowdowns in the backs of creeks, and a variety of baits will work. Located…
Underwater woody debris such as logs, brush, and stumps are all natural fish attractors. Fish use these areas for protection, as places to ambush prey, and sometimes as spawning areas. As a reservoir ages, much of this woody debris is lost through the natural process of decay or sedimentation. As a result, fish habitat is…
Shann Cochran caught a 32-lb., 7.36-oz. lake-record flathead catfish on Carters Lake on April 17, 2015.
Spring is finally here! The days are getting longer, and the air is warmer. April is a very popular month for Georgia bass fisherman, and for good reason. For a lot of anglers in middle to north Georgia, April is the easiest month to catch bass consistently. April is a month when bass are in…
Gary Turner, of Statham, is the first angler to have a blue catfish entry in GON’s Georgia Lake and River Records list for this north Georgia reservoir. He caught the record fish on Aug. 17 while in the boat with GON Fishing Reports contributor and lake guide Eric Crowley. Gary’s fish weighed 17-lbs., 4.64-ozs. Although…
Carters Lake Records
| Largemouth Bass | 13-lbs., 1-oz. | Jimmy Dixon | 04/11/87 |
| Spotted Bass | 7-lbs., 3-ozs. | Leonard Lawson | 12/05/92 |
| Hybrid Bass | 14-lbs., 6-ozs. | Hunter Bruce | 04/03/12 |
| Black Crappie | 2-lbs., 1-oz. | Brian Childs | 05/20/00 |
| Striped Bass | 36-lbs., 0-ozs. | Angela Hawes | 08/22/09 |
| Walleye | 8-lbs., 11-ozs. | Gary Hawkins | 03/09/03 |
| Bluegill | 1-lb., 11-ozs. | Jonathon Sutton | 04/12/98 |
| Rainbow Trout | 3-lbs., 12.48-ozs. | Mike Guthrie | 04/28/17 |
| Flathead Catfish | 41-lbs., 12-ozs. | Wyatt Stokes | 05/06/20 |
| Blue Catfish | 17-lbs., 4.64-ozs. | Gary Turner | 08/17/14 |
| White Crappie | 3-lbs., 4.9-ozs. | Chandler Watkins | 02/28/21 |