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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 with 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
For many Georgia anglers walleye might seem like some obscure gamefish that’s only found up North. Contrary to that notion, north Georgia is dotted with lakes that have fishable walleye populations. There aren’t many folks fishing for them, and those who are aren’t likely to talk about it. You see, these tasty fish are one…
Christmas is over, but the weather outside is still frightful. Forget the delightful fire, you have a place to go. The spotted bass in Carters Lake are huge, and they seem to bite better the colder it gets. You can catch some big spots on Carters right now. Located between I-75 and I-575 near Ellijay,…
It really is a simple fishing lure. It doesn’t require a high degree of skill to make a fish eat one, and right now — with a strong postspawn bite happening on most Georgia waters — it can be one of the most productive and versatile weapons in your arsenal. It will catch bass…
With lake records falling last year for striped and hybrid bass, Carters Lake anglers are anxiously awaiting the start of the annual spring run of fish to the upper end of the lake and into the Coosawattee River. In May 2009, Jake Wheeler set the new lake record for hybrid bass with an 11-lb., 4-oz.…
The striper on Carters Lake are getting big. About a year and a half after a new mark was set for the Carters Lake striper record, the bar has been raised again. Angela Hawes, of Fairmount, landed a 36-lb., 42-inch striped bass on Aug. 22, beating the old record by a little more than 5…
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 |