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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: Full at 435. Temp: 52 degrees, which is above the 38- to 46-degree water temperature reported just 10 days ago. Clarity: Stained. Stripers: Capt. Doug Nelms, with BigFishHeads Guide Service, reports on the afternoon of Feb. 5 that there is a “huge” striper bite right now from Safe Harbor Marina to River Bend. “Trolling regular Mini Macs (without any extra weight) and even umbrella rigs will bring a lot of fish into your boat,” said Doug. “Over the past week, there have been terrific numbers of fish coming in, and with the full moon coming, it should just keep getting better. With your gas motor, the trolling speed has been from 2.5 to 3 mph. If you find birds, troll right though where they are working.” Doug says if numbers of fish isn’t your thing, now is a good time to chase a trophy striper, “There is nothing more exciting than watching a…
Read MoreLake Oconee Articles
“This is a pretty good fish,” said Lonnie, grinning and hanging on to a rod bowing sharply toward the water. Whatever was hooked up on the other end of the line surged again, and the rod tip arced even farther as line spooled off the reel. “I love it,” said Lonnie. “These hybrids will try to…
When they’re moving water, the humps and ridges down by the dam on Lake Oconee can provide some seriously hot-and-heavy action on downlines. But sometimes the hybrids just don’t live up to their easy-to-catch reputation. That’s when lineside guide Doug Bowling pulls the ace out of his sleeve to consistently catch fish, even when they…
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen — and on the water at night. Or fish during the day and dip your cap in the water. Or jump in. Just do something to stay cool while fishing at Lake Oconee this month. The bass are biting, and if you stay home,…
Don’t you just love May? So many things go on this time of year that it’s hard to figure out just what to do on a sunny day. How about getting up before daylight, pulling the boat to Lake Oconee and being on the water, lights on and ready to catch bass as the first…
Anchored up at one of Wayne Loyless’ honey holes for the white-bass run on the Oconee River, a jonboat idled past, and we were hailed with the customary greeting. “Catchin’ anything?” the man in the front of the boat hollered over the drone of the outboard. “A few,” was Wayne’s remarkably honest reply. We had…
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 |