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Lake Oconee
Lake Oconee is an excellent fishing lake located in central Georgia on the Oconee River near Greensboro, the real Buckhead and Eatonton. Oconee is known for very good bass fishing, great crappie fishing for huge slabs, and very good fishing for linesides and catfish. The lake was created in 1979 when Georgia Power completed the construction of the Wallace Dam on the Oconee River. Lake Oconee runs through Georgia's Morgan, Greene, and Putnam counties and is separated from its sister lake, Sinclair, by Wallace Dam. Lake Oconee is home to a number of golf communities, including Reynolds Plantation, Cuscawilla, and Harbor Club.
Lake Oconee Resources
Oconee: Level: 0.3 feet below 435. Temp: 58-62 degrees. Clarity: The north and south end of the lake is clear, but it’s muddy mid lake on the Oconee side. Clear in Richland. Bass: Guide Nick Knapp, with Elite Guide Service, reports, “April is a month when a lot of things happen on this lake. You have the spawn coming to an end and the shad spawn beginning. Look for any rocky backs with shad on them. I like throwing a 1/2-oz. Booyah spinnerbait and a pearl-white fluke on a 1/2-oz. jig head. Any of the bridges will have shad spawning on them. It’s a great time of year to catch some big ones on Lake Oconee. I really like the bridges in Lick Creek first thing in the morning for targeting fish this time of year. April is one of the best months, so get out there and catch some.”…
Read MoreLake Oconee Articles
Diehard bass fishermen love October. Pleasure boaters are mostly off the lakes, so you don’t rock and roll all day while fishing. A lot of part-time fishermen are in the woods hunting or stuck in front of a TV watching football, so there is a lot less pressure on the bass. Lake Oconee is a…
The rod sticking off the back of the boat started to gently wave as though a fish might be messing with the bait, and guide Chad Smith urged patience and said, “Wait for it. Wait for it.” Within a few seconds, the rod doubled down in a deep bend, and a big catfish was on!…
The recent carp die-off occurring at Lake Oconee has many homeowners and visitors alarmed and worried. According to WRD, approximately 2,000 carp have been found floating. However, this type of die-off involving carp seems to be a common occurrence during the late spring. The DNR states that similar carp die-offs have been experienced in other…
Local law-enforcement teams are asking sportsmen and anglers to share any information that could help bring justice to a recent murder case on the banks of Lake Oconee in Putnam County. The double murder of an elderly couple, Russell and Shirley Dermond, has gained national attention, and law-enforcement officials are still looking for clues to…
Chris Wilson, of Madison, will be eating catfish for a while after catching a 50-lb. flathead catfish from Lake Oconee at 6 p.m. on April 13. “I caught ’em on cut mullet,” said Chris. Chris was “jug” fishing when he caught the beast. The giant cat had traveled about 600 yards with Chris’ float and…
Lake Oconee Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 12-lbs., 14-ozs. | Bill Brantley | 05/14/12 |
| Hybrid Bass | 14-lbs., 4-ozs. | Jan Allen Ward | 04/03/91 |
| Striped Bass | 29-lbs., 14.9-ozs. | Fred Worthy | 05/10/96 |
| Black Crappie | 3-lbs., 12-ozs. | Edward Rhodes | 02/10/97 |
| Channel Catfish | 34-lbs., 8-ozs. | Jonathan Clifton | 05/31/98 |
| Blue Catfish | 70-lbs., 2-ozs. | Koob Moua | 03/22/23 |
| Flathead Catfish | 62-lbs., 10.4-ozs. | Rob Allgood | 03/11/23 |
| White Bass | 3-lbs., 6-ozs. | Tony Couch | 04/02/93 |
| Longnose Gar | 20-lbs., 13-ozs. | Dustin Turk | 10/05/19 |
| Chain Pickerel | 1-lb., 2-ozs. | Terry Brice | 03/05/17 |
| Spotted Bass | 5-lbs., 3.2-ozs. | Austin Skinner | 03/19/22 |
| Shellcracker | 1-lb., 14.56-ozs. | Randy Smith | 04/23/22 |
| Yellow Perch | 11-ozs. | John Moore | 02/16/23 |