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Lake Burton

Lake Burton is a 2,775-acre Georgia Power Co. reservoir located in the northeast corner of Georgia in Rabun County. Burton offers very good bass fishing, and it also has a unique fishery for reservoir trout. The lake is lined with exclusive homes. It is the first lake in a six-lake series of small reservoirs on the Tallulah River. The chain begins with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Seed, Rabun, Tallulah Falls, Tugalo and Yonah.

Lake Burton Resources

Lake Burton Fishing Report – February 2025

By GON Staff | January 29, 2025

Burton: Level: 4.9 feet below 1866.66. Temp: 36 degrees. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Guide Wes Carlton reports, “Bass fishing has been consistent the last couple of weeks. The colder weather has pushed the fish deeper to their normal winter pattern, which we haven’t seen in a couple of years. These cold water temps and wind should cause a bait die-off in the next week or so. Most of the spotted bass seem to hanging in the 28- to 35-foot depths in the middle of the coves. Hopkins spoons have been working well on these fish. Jig the spoon using a slow retrieve just up off the bottom. Most of these fish are lethargic, so take your time when fishing for them. We have caught a few largemouth around some of the deeper docks using a weighted fluke (pearl color), letting it sink slowly. This bite should continue to get better as…

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Lake Burton Fishing Articles

Mixed Bag Fishing At Beautiful Lake Burton

It’s always cold on a mountain reservoir in January. But, those who are willing to brave the occasional ice on the deck of the boat or in the eyes of their rods will be in for some prime fishing at Lake Burton. One of the reasons the fishing tends to pick up in Burton this…

Lake Burton Record White Bass

Tod Hickman caught a 3-lb., 2-oz. white bass on Lake Burton on May 2, 2012 that set a benchmark for this species on Burton.

December Mixed Bag Bass On Lake Burton

After the leaves have hit the ground across northeast Georgia, things on Lake Burton start to get hot. Add in the fact that most of the pleasure boats and jet skis are long gone until next summer, and you can find yourself in a great spot for an excellent day of fishing. Lake Burton is…

Lake Burton Full Moon Bull Bream

Each year, beneath the light of summer’s first full moon, huge honeycombs of saucer-shaped depressions appear in Lake Burton’s sandy shallows. These are the storied bluegill breeding grounds, and each bed is fiercely guarded by huge purple-browed papa bream that will attack anything that gets near their nests. Burton’s bream spawn lasts from May through…

Two Burton Lake-Record Smallmouth

Six months after the first smallmouth bass ever documented in Lake Burton was caught, that lake record has been broken twice by some impressive bronzebacks. On July 7, 2008, David Roane, of Atlanta, was fishing at Burton with a blue-and-chrome colored Krocodile spoon. At about 11 a.m. a hefty fish hit — an unusual fish.…

Burton Lake Records

Largemouth Bass14-lbs.Carl Lovell Jr.05/28/93
Spotted Bass8-lbs., 2-ozs.Wayne Holland02/23/05
Smallmouth Bass4-lbs.Jeff Blair10/15/08
Striped Bass47-lbs.Robin Vaughn12/02/88
Hybrid Bass12-lbs., 12-ozs.Richard Sokolowski05/03/15
White Bass3-lbs., 2-ozs.Tod Hickman05/02/12
Walleye11-lbs.Steven Kenny04/13/63
Yellow Perch2-lbs., 9-ozs.*Emerson Mulhall02/18/24
Black Crappie2-lbs., 11-ozs.Tom Cook03/07/94
Brown Trout12-lbs., 4-ozs.Tom Fox05/30/22
Rainbow Trout6-lbs.Lila Kilby10/21/22
Shellcracker3-lbs.Greg Taylor05/21/75
Bluegill1-lb., 15,5-ozs.J. Gary Simmons07/03/76
Channel Catfish18-lbs., 12-ozs.Bland Burroughs10/14/94
White Catfish4-lbs., 4-ozs.Bill Papineau10/02/93
Chain Pickerel2-lbs., 12-ozs.Shelby Cathey7/17/24