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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: 2.6 feet below 1074. Temp: 52 degrees. Clarity: 4 feet. Bass: Guide Robbie Linginfelter Carters Lake Guide Service reports, “Fish are slowly making their seasonal transition to the bank. March is possibly the best month to catch your spotted bass of a lifetime. Look for prespawn fish on transition banks leading into spawning pockets. They will hit jerkbaits, crankbaits and worms. On windy days, the old standby spinnerbait will catch fish on wind-blown banks. You can still catch deep fish. Use your electronics to find bait and fish around it with drop-shot worms and jigging spoons or any other vertical bait you like. This is the time of year you can catch fish pretty much any way you like.” Stripers: Guide Eric Crowley of Lake And Stream Guide Service reports, “The striper bite has been good and will continue to improve as the water warms and the bait starts to…
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 |