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Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier is a very popular reservoir in north Georgia for anglers and recreational boaters. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee and Chattahoochee rivers. The lake encompasses 38,000 acres, or 59 square miles of water, and 692 miles of shoreline at normal level, which is at full summer pool of 1,071 feet above sea level. Lake Lanier boasts some of the best striped bass and spotted bass fishing in the country.

Lake Lanier Resources

Lake Lanier Fishing Report – November 2024

By GON Staff | October 30, 2024

Lanier: Level: 2.5 feet below 1071. Temp: 69 degrees. Clarity: The lake is turning over in many areas but not all. The south end of the lake still looks pretty good. The lake is turning toward the backs of the major creeks and above Vanns Tavern Ramp. It is turning over some in the mid section of lower lake, like the Six Mile area, but it’s still fishable. Colder weather should really accelerate the turnover. Expect the lake to not look as good and not fish as well for the next couple of weeks. Bass: Guide Jimbo Mathley, with Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service, reports, “Many anglers make the common mistake of underestimating the viability of late fall and winter fishing. While the outside elements are not always favorable, the months of November and December on Lake Lanier can offer anglers some of the best fishing of the…

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Lake Lanier Articles

Lanier Blue Catfish Sets The Record Bar A Little Higher

For Buford’s Tyler Kesselring, it was a fishing tournament outcome that he wasn’t necessarily expecting. Fishing in the Lake Lanier Catfish Challenge, he went to the scales at 2 a.m. with a winning weight of 40 pounds. In his catch was a new Lake Lanier record blue catfish that tipped the scales at 19-lbs., 5.5-ozs.…

Lake Lanier’s Van Pugh South Now A Reservation-Only Day-Use Park

Van Pugh South Park on Lake Lanier has transitioned from offering overnight camping options to a reservation-only day-use park that is open on Saturdays and Sundays. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, this change is designed with your convenience in mind and aims to enhance visitor experiences at the Lake Lanier recreation site.…

High School Senior Breaks Lanier Carp Record

One of the keys to being a good fisherman is being observant. North Hall High School senior Charlie White was fishing for bass off his grandparent’s dock on Lake Lanier when he noticed a change. “My grandparents have one of those green lights in the water off their pier, and I noticed that the bass…

Brooks Anderson Wins Lanier BFL Bulldog Tournament With 23 Pounds

Brooks Anderson, of Marietta, caught a five-bass limit weighing 23-lbs., 3-ozs. on Saturday, Feb. 19 to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Lake Lanier. The tournament was the first event of the 2024 season for the BFL Bulldog Division. Anderson earned $4,584 for his victory. Anderson began his day…

Big February Spotted Bass On Lake Lanier

Anglers are learning to go to the ditches at Lake Lanier during the winter months for numbers of spotted bass, but you can also fish rocky points for kicker-size fish to feel the fight of a magnum Lanier spot. The ditch bite is in full swing this month, and you can catch a lot of…

Lake Lanier Record Fish

Largemouth Bass17-lbs., 9-ozs.Emory Dunahoo12/19/65
Spotted Bass8-lbs., 0.5-ozs.Patrick Bankston05/20/85
Striped Bass47-lbs., 12-ozs.Ward Schanhals04/03/10
Hybrid Bass12-lbs.Fred Duncan12/22/92
White Bass5-lbs., 1-oz.*J.M. Hobbins06/16/71
Shoal Bass5-lbs., 5-ozs.Peter T. Thliveros12/01/94
White Crappie3-lbs., 2-ozs.Bill Fretwell04/17/91
Black Crappie3-lbs., 5-ozs.Chris Williams10/06/06
Walleye8-lbs., 9-ozs.Buddy Wade 01/20/13
Bluegill1-lb., 2-ozs.Mrs. Pat Johnson06/03/79
Yellow Perch1-lb., 8-ozs.Jeff Howard02/02/90
Shellcracker1-lb., 9.44-ozs.Michael Madryga12/12/21
Rainbow Trout9-lbs., 6-ozs.Brooke Wheeler03/02/19
Brown Trout6-lbs.Tim Wyatt04/24/04
Flathead Catfish
51-lbs., 10-ozs.
Rodney Stephens
08/14/16
Channel Catfish22-lbs., 8-ozs.Robert Hancock09/28/11
Longnose Gar30-lbs., 13-ozs.Gerald Kennedy09/04/13
Common Carp19-lbs., 9.6-ozs.Charlie White03/17/24
Blue Catfish19-lbs., 5.5-ozs.Tyler Kesselring07/27/24

For Subscribers: Lanier Map-Of-The-Month Bass Articles

Topwater Milk Run For Lanier’s Magnum May Spots

Georgia fishermen have a dilemma in May; there are just too many good lakes to fish right now. What makes one stand out? Consider the big spotted bass at Lake Lanier, where low water has reduced fishing pressure for a couple of years, and the spots are big, strong and feeding heavily. Lanier is a 40,000-acre Corps of Engineers lake that was filled in 1956.…

Ryan Coleman Marks Lanier Map For January Spotted Bass

Yes, Lake Lanier is down to the lowest level in its 50-year history, more than 20 feet below full pool. But there is still water more than 100 feet deep in lots of places. The bad news for fisher- men is there are few ramps open, and it is very hard to find a place…

Millsaps Mark Lanier Map For March Prespawn Bass

Georgia bass fishermen have a wonderful dilemma every March. There are so many good lakes for bass fishing this month that it is hard to choose which one is best. Lake Lanier has to be at the top of any list when considering where to go right now. Lanier is full of big spotted bass,…

Patterns And Locations For Lake Lanier Fall Football Spotted Bass

The big spotted bass at Lake Lanier will be feeding a lot this month, getting ready for winter. They will be on predictable patterns that you can take advantage of and catch them. November is one of the best months to be on the lake, and several patterns will work. The arrival of blueback herring…

Lanier Bass Mapped For April

It would be hard to pick a bad lake to fish in April. This is one of the best months of the year. Though the angling choices are many this month, Lanier should be at the top of any bass fisherman’s list. Lanier has varied structure that is easy to fish in April, both largemouth and…