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Lake Nottely
Lake Nottely is a deep, clear mountain lake of 4,180 acres that offers good fishing for a variety of species, but Nottely is probably best known for its trophy striped bass. Nottely is one of many reservoirs built by the Tennessee Valley Authority. It is located entirely in Union County. Formed in 1942 by the damming of the Nottely River, Nottely Reservoir extends 20 miles upstream to Blairsville. Approximately 70 percent of the shoreline is owned by the U.S. Forest Service and undeveloped.
Lake Nottely Resources
Nottely: Level: 2.3 feet below 1775. Temp: 66-70 degrees. Clarity: Clear. Stripers: Guide Jeremy Seabolt, of Lake Nottely Fishing Charter, “April has been off the charts. We have caught on some nice fish, and it’s only going to get better. We have been catching fish all over, but the creeks are holding the better fish. However, if you are looking to run the numbers up, the open water as been as good as it gets. The key to catching fish is having big, lively shad or herring. We have been pulling planer boards and freelines with herring. The topwater bite is starting to take off going into May. The topwater should be on fire on the main lake. We have a bumper crop of threads this year. We will start working our way out to a little deeper water in May. May can also be a fast pace day when…
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Sitting in a boat on Lake Nottely, it is easy to get lost in the natural beauty surrounding you. That bass slashing and slamming your topwater lure on a hump or point will make you ignore the pretty scenic mountains. Although many tourists flock to the mountains of north Georgia for the views, the fishing…
As summer hits us Georgians in full force this month, you can bet anywhere you decide to fish it’s going to be hot, and I mean hot. About the only thing in the northern portion of our state that you can expect to be hotter than the sweltering daytime highs is the striper fishing. As…
Mason Tompkins, 11, of Milledgeville, had the catch of the day with his 46-lb. Lake Nottely striper on April 9. Mason was fishing with his parents Tim and Dawn, his 8-year-old brother Kolby and Jeremy Seabolt, who runs a guide service on Lake Nottely. “We were trolling freelines,” said Jeremy. “The fish hit in open water…
Lake Nottely is one of the top lakes in north Georgia when it comes to producing big stripers. When compared with the other mountain lakes, it may be the best. This month the fish will be on the move from their wintertime patterns into a spawning attempt and back into a transitional period before they…
Jonathan Lewis caught an 11-lb., 7.52-oz. lake-record brown trout on Lake Nottely on March 16, 2010.
Lake Nottely Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 12-lbs. | Sonny Evans | 07/30/75 |
| Spotted Bass | 7-lbs., 2-ozs. | Robert Kincaid | 03/08/72 |
| Smallmouth | 6-lbs. | James Miller | 01/30/93 |
| Striped Bass | 53-lbs., 12-ozs. | Christopher Hampton | 04/28/02 |
| Hybrid Bass | 11-lbs., 5.6-ozs. | James Beise | 03/21/17 |
| White Bass | 3-lbs., 10-ozs. | John Ledford | 08/06/88 |
| Black Crappie | 3-lbs., 1.28-ozs. | Anthony Tritt | 04/04/14 |
| Yellow Perch | 1-lb., 2-ozs. | Harold Underwood | 04/01/85 |
| Flathead Catfish | 51-lbs., 15-ozs. | Hoyt McDaniel | 06/02/69 |
| Blue Catfish | 12-lbs., 8-ozs. | Denise Dean | 06/26/86 |
| Walleye | 8-lbs., 15.2-ozs. | Dwight Dilbeck | 02/24/07 |
| Brown Trout | 11-lbs., 7.52-ozs. | Jonathan Lewis | 03/16/10 |
| Channel Catfish | 17-lbs., 12-ozs. | Micah Garrison | 08/20/21 |