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Lake Chatuge
Lake Chatuge is a TVA reservoir on the Hiwassee River that was created by the construction of Chatuge Dam, which was completed in 1942. The dam is located in western North Carolina, and the lake extends southeast into Georgia around the city of Hiawassee.
Lake Chatuge Resources
Chatuge: Level: 7.5 feet below 1925. Temp: 44-46 degrees. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service, reports, “Fishing has been decent. It’s been a cold winter so far, and we are hoping for a big shad kill. Fish biologists said a few years back that all of our lakes that had herring baitfish in them were getting out of balance, meaning there are more baitfish than the bass could eat. I’m going to be throwing smaller-sized baitfish lures this time of year to try to match the herring they’re feeding on. I like a Bandit 200 or an old Deep Wee R in a crawfish or shad pattern. I’m going to drag a Ned rig in green-pumpkin, a 3.5-inch tube and also a 3.8-oz. jig in green pumpkin and pb&j. My choice of jerkbaits are going to be Lucky Craft, Berkley Stunna and Megabass. Silver Buddy spoons will…
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It seems counterintuitive to go north in the winter to catch bass, but Lake Chatuge largemouth and spots are moving from winter holes to prespawn structure and cover, and they offer great catching opportunities. February is a good month to land your personal best largemouth or spot on Chatuge. Chatuge is a 7,000-acre, 13-mile-long TVA…
Lake Chatuge spotted bass are moving from spring spawning areas toward their summer holes. Also in late May and throughout June, the herring are finishing up spawning. The presence of these baitfish can stimulate feeding frenzies. You can intercept the spotted bass as they move out and have great catches if you hit it right.…
A high-school senior from Ellijay drowned when he tumbled overboard while duck hunting on Lake Chatuge just across the Georgia-North Carolina border on Nov. 18. Authorities said 18-year-old Trenton Daniel Johnson, a student at Gilmer High School, was attempting to retrieve a downed duck when he toppled headfirst into the water. His hunting partner, Carson…
A black crappie that weighed 2 pounds on the dot has set a new record for Lake Chatuge. Howard Stimis, of Hiwassee, was fishing on Chatuge April 6 when the big slab bit a 2-inch Hot Grub made by Crappie County Bait & Tackle that Howard purchased at Hammond’s Fishing Center near Lake Lanier. “I…
Lake Chatuge spotted bass are feeding heavily in January, eating shad and herring. They follow the same wintertime patterns as Lanier spots, and you can catch them on ditches and rocks. There is also a good largemouth bite at Chatuge after a heavy rain stains the rivers and creeks. Chatuge is a good choice…
Lake Chatuge Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 16-lbs., 11-ozs. | David Presely | 03/27/1976 |
| Smallmouth | 7-lbs., 2-ozs. | Jack Hall | 03/28/1973 |
| Spotted Bass | 6-lbs., 13.8-ozs. | James Dean | 10/11/03 |
| Hybrid Bass | 25-lbs., 8-ozs. | David C. Hobby | 05/01/1995 |
| Walleye | 9-lbs., 4-ozs. | Carol Owenby | 04/07/1991 |
| Black Crappie | 2-lbs., 3-ozs. | Dillon Phillips | 03/31/24 |
| Rainbow Trout | 2-lbs., 8.5-ozs. | Walker Ross | 06/23/2012 |
| Yellow Perch | 1-lb., 2.24-ozs. | Mark McClure | 04/19/2021 |
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Lake Allatoona
Lake Allatoona is a 12,010-acre reservoir in the north Atlanta suburbs located primarily in Bartow and Cherokee counties. The major tributaries are the Etowah and Little rivers and Allatoona and Stamp creeks, although numerous other creeks flow into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment. Allatoona is known as a good lake for catching numbers of spotted bass, and it's also known for good striped bass and hybrid bass. Allatoona is a very busy lake for recreational boaters during the summer, when many bass anglers opt to fish at night.
Allatoona Links
Allatoona: Level: 12.2 feet below 840. Temp: 39-44 degrees. Clarity: 3 to 5 feet. Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fish are still in their winter pattern, and the jig bite has been great all winter. Brush, bluffs and rock on red clay banks have been the most productive. A green-pumpkin Picasso Little Spotty in 3/8-oz. with a green-pumpkin trailer has been the go-to bait. A slow presentation is best. The other technique has been FFS in the main-lake area and targeting bass chasing shad. The jig minnow, spoon and lipless crankbait have worked best. Look for bait, and bass are definitely nearby. Toward the end of the month, bass will begin to migrate toward staging areas and preparing for the spawn. If we were to get warmer weather for a few days, bass will go shallow. The jerkbait bite will get good.” Linesides: Guide Robert Eidson, of First Bite…
Read MoreLake Allatoona Fishing Articles
Over the years, Craig Miller, of Canton, has taken an annual trip to fish Dale Hollow Reservoir in Tennessee. Craig and his family meet there to go after the big smallmouth bass. Most years he’d head up in early spring, but about eight years ago, he made the trip in the dead of winter. On…
Hunting down a good string of bass can be a frustrating proposition in the heat of summer. It takes knowledge, patience and a good deal of luck to locate bass. However, persistence generally pays off if you have the knowledge to locate fish and know what to offer them. On Lake Allatoona, experts agree your…
Keri Schieber of Cumming is a dedicated and proficient angler. She has spent the last few years competing in tournaments at both the local and national level, and her results speak for themselves. Keri has won the Georgia Peaches Bass Club championship for two years running, and in 2007 she took home the co-angler title…
The Savannah River near Augusta continues to churn out new river-record fish — the latest a whopper 3-lb. shellcracker. New records have also been recently established for flathead catfish on Allatoona, rainbow trout at Lake Burton and brown trout on the new Toccoa River listing. For information on GON’s lake and river records, call (800)…
Sandy Sanders, of Canton, caught this 44-inch-long flathead catfish from Lake Allatoona on June 20, 2008. The catfish, weighed on certified scales at Bart’s Bait & Tackle, weighed 35-lbs., 10.88-ozs., and fills a vacant lake-record slot for Allatoona.
Allatoona Lake Records
| Largemouth Bass | 16-lbs., 9-ozs. | Greg Rymer | 08/31/82 | ||
| Spotted Bass | 7-lbs., 11-ozs. | George Clark | 11/18/74 | ||
| Hybrid Bass | 13-lbs., 9.5-ozs. | Danny Alsobrook | 02/07/90 | ||
| Striped Bass | 42-lbs. | Clint Hight | 02/15/02 | ||
| Black Crappie | 3-lbs., 7.36-ozs. | Corey Harmon | 03/05/22 | ||
| White Bass | 3-lbs., 2-ozs. | Darrell Baxter | 05/15/94 | ||
| Flathead Catfish | 35-lbs., 10.88-ozs. | Sandy Sanders | 06/20/08 | ||
| Blue Catfish | 52-lbs., 1-oz. | Aaron Churchwell | 10/27/20 | ||
| Tiger Trout | 2-lbs., 12.8-ozs. | Bob Geresti | 02/01/18 | ||
| Yellow Perch | 1-lb., 1.44-ozs. | David Brewer | 12/02/23 | ||
| White Crappie | 3-lbs., 4.24-ozs. | Cody Hopkins | 02/10/22 | ||
| Longnose Gar | 27-lbs., 4-ozs. | Caleb McClure | 06/24/23 | ||
| Shellcracker | 2-lbs., 5-ozs. | Dan Huizinga | 04/20/24 | ||
| Redbreast | 10-ozs. | Dan Huizinga | 08/03/24 |