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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: 0.3 feet above 1074. Temp: 62 degrees. Clarity: Stained. Bass: Guide Robbie Linginfelter, with Carters Lake Guide Service, reports, “Shad and spot spawns are the key. Fish rocky, main-lake points early with topwater, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits around shad and bass hitting them. Move fast until you find activity. After the sun gets up and stops the shad spawn, target clay and rock banks with nail-weight stick worm for spots in all stages of the spawn. Fish slowly and carefully. Details and good spots for both patterns are in this month’s Map of the Month article.” Walleye: Guide Eric Crowley, of Lake And Stream Guide Service, reports, “With the walleye spawn wrapping up in the river, we are focusing our walleye efforts back on the main lake. Early morning the toothy fish are up shallow feeding on the shallow bait. These fish will get back to depth after sunrise,…
Read MoreCarters Lake Fishing Articles
Carters Lake has long been known for its trophy spotted bass. Spots of five pounds and more are not uncommon on this deep north Georgia reservoir north of Atlanta off I-575. The habitat in Carters is simply perfect for this feisty fish, and the catches over the years are a great indication of that fact.…
It was a Friday in January that felt for all the world like a Friday in April. However, in just a few hours, a bad-looking storm that had barrelled through the Great Plains was supposed to rip across Georgia, bringing heavy rains, cold temperatures, gale-force winds and a chance of snow with it. This is…
The small hand-held scale registered 24 pounds. The battle was over, and I had won… sort of. The fish, a typical hard-charging lineside, never gave up, fighting all the way to the net and winning my admiration. It’s hard to not like the striper, the biggest, fastest and strongest of Georgia’s reservoir fish. Stripers, which…
Carters Lake has a good population of big spotted bass, and December is a great month to land one over 5 pounds there. The cooler water seems to turn them on, and they are feeding heavily on shad, getting ready for the cold weather to come. If you want a bragging-sized spot, now is the…
To catch bass in Georgia in February usually means one of three things — hope for a warm spell, head south, or look for clear water and spotted bass. If you live in northwest Georgia, the first two are tough, but you have Carters Lake near you which has clear water and a great population…
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 |