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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
Brian Childs, of Ranger, caught one of three Carters Lake records that were set in the year 2000. Brian’s black crappie weighed 2.07 pounds and fell for a white/blue/white Hal Fly.
Buddy Callahan says that bass fishing for Carters Lake spotted bass is a “challenge.” A lot of other fishermen who have spent time trying to catch a bass on this lake use much stronger language to describe the fishing. Bass fishing on this deep, clear-water lake is often cussed — even by the locals. The…
Jonathan Sutton, of Adairsville, caught a 1-lb., 11-oz. bluegill on Carters Lake on April 12, 1998. The big bream set a records as the largest verified bluegill from Carters.
Spotted bass that weigh six pounds? In Georgia? That’s just a little hard to believe. Although I had seen pictures of Bruce Hicks in the Stratos GON Fishin’ Contest a couple of times with huge spots from Carters Lake, I was still a bit skeptical, but talking to him on the phone really got me…
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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 |