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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: 1.9 feet below 1925. Temp: 65-67 degrees. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Guide Eric Welch, of Welch’s Guide Service, reports, “Fishing has been good. TVA has been bringing the lake up, and it’s almost at full pool for the bass to finish spawning. The bite has been on fire. I’ve been catching fish on about every rocky bank that looks to be a spawning area. This makes for some great fishing because you don’t hardly have to use any gas or run all over the lake. The baits I’ve been using in these areas have been a 3.5-inch tube and a shaky head. Fish are in just about any finger pocket on the main body or on any point and bankline that has small rocks or sand. I’ve been catching my largemouth in the backs of pockets and around areas that a creek runs into. We are coming off the end…
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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…
Fishermen can honor our veterans and those on active duty while enjoying a day fishing on Lake Chatuge for big money and prizes. The Lake Chatuge ‘Reelin’ It In For Vets’ fishing tournament will be held Nov. 2. The team event entry fee is $200 per team, which includes tournament entry, Big Fish pot and…
There is a secret in the north Georgia mountains. Few anglers are aware that Lake Chatuge is full of 6- to 8-lb. hybrid bass. They are hungry, they are in tight schools under baitfish right now, and you can catch 30 to 50 of them in a few hours all summer long. Filled in 1942,…
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: 1.2 feet above 840. Temp: 66-72 degrees. Clarity: Clear to a light stain. Bass: Tournament angler Matt Driver reports, “Fishing for the month of May is great. This month bass are postspawn and keying on shad and the shad spawn. The shad spawn occurs at night and usually ends shortly after daybreak. Threadfin typically spawn on hard surfaces, like rock and rip-rap. Blueback herring will spawn on red clay banks. During these times, fishing a jerkbait and walking-style topwater bait is the way to go. Fish are super aggressive and feeding up. Once the shad spawn bite is over, I’m switching to a swim jig and covering water. Fish are on the move. This time of year fish are relocating to summertime patterns. A lot of fish will be suspended in between those areas. You will notice a lot of fish suspended and feeding on bait in the…
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Seven members of the E3 Bassmasters bass club, along with Jackson Sibley and Collin George of WRD Fisheries, spent Saturday, Feb. 5 making and deploying fish habitat on north Georgia’s Lake Allatoona. The project was supported by the Lake Allatoona US Army Corps of Engineers. “The purpose of the project was to assemble and deploy…
After a 42-year run, the Lake Allatoona white crappie record has been broken. Cody Hopkins, of Canton, is the new record holder after catching a 3-lb., 4.24-oz. slab on Feb. 10. “It was only the third fish I’ve caught since moving here on Dec. 4,” said Cody. Cody is the new caretaker at Cushing Memorial Park…
January’s cold temperatures reduce boat traffic, but that cold only increases spotted bass activity on Lake Allatoona. Fish rocks and brush in ditches and channel edges 25 to 30 feet deep for numbers of fish, or go deeper for bigger fish. Either way, it is a good time to be on Allatoona. With 12,000 acres…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a pair of news releases yesterday with information for those interested in turning their live Christmas trees into fish habitat. The drop-off locations are in various locations around West Point and Allatoona. Lake-specific information is below. West Point Christmas Trees The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at West…
The Blast is back! The Ag-Pro GON Outdoor Blast, presented by Georgia Drives Chevy, is a sure sign of a return to normal from a crazy year. And yes, we are still giving away a gun every hour of the show, no raffle ticket to buy. The big news for the 2021 outdoor show is…
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 |