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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: 0.8 feet above 1074. Temp: Mid 70s. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Guide Robbie Linginfelter, with Carters Lake Guide Service, reports, “The month of June can be really special on Carters. Fish have moved offshore, and it’s your summertime spotted bass fishing. Go out on those main-lake points and brushpiles in 20 to 30 feet of water and start fishing. Baits can range from topwater to jerkbaits to drop shots. Every day will be a little different, so make sure to adapt with how the fish are acting. Be prepared with a variety of baits, and be ready to change. My favorite topwater bait is a KVD Sexy Dawg, my jerkbait is a 6th Sensa Provoke, and my drop shot is a Big Bite Baits Skinny Stick. Chrome hard baits and green-pumpkin soft baits are hard to beat.” Carters Lake Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports
Read MoreCarters Lake Fishing Articles
Georgia’s worst drought in more than 100 years is beginning to take its toll on lake levels. In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has “temporarily” closed all boat ramps on a Georgia lake due to low water levels. On Friday, September 7, the corps issued a press release announcing the closure…
“I wanted to try some topwater stuff this morning, but this wind is too much,” Billy Lambert said as we sat in his bass boat on Carters Lake, the morning sun barely cracking through the sky. “I think we’ll do good with spinnerbaits today.” Billy, a wholesale-carpet salesman from Calhoun, has fished Carters his whole…
I met Mike Maddalena and Bill Young, both from Cumming, at the Jasper Waffle House at 5:30 a.m. on a recent morning. We were headed to Carters Lake to chase stripers, something the two men have been doing together as part of the North Georgia Striper Club (NGSC) for years. “The club tournaments are a…
All across north Georgia, there has been an explosion of big spotted bass in lakes where blueback herring have been introduced. The spots have taken to these open-water baitfish and have grown fat and heavy. Carters Lake was one of the first to see this change, and it is still one of our best lakes…
At mid-morning on November 16, Buddy Callihan and I motored halfway back into Worley Creek at the upper end of Carters Lake. As Buddy lowered the trolling motor into the water a striper surged on the surface — twice, chasing shad. “That is what we want to see,” said Buddy, as he set about rigging…
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 |