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Lake Sinclair
Lake Sinclair is in central Georgia near Milledgeville directly downstream from Lake Oconee on the Oconee River. The 15,330-acre lake is operated by Georgia Power. Bass fishing and crappie fishing are very good and quite popular on Sinclair, and the lake is also home to plenty of catfish. The lake's dynamics changed in 2013 when Georgia Power ceased operation of Plant Branch, which created a warm-water discharge near the Highway 441 bridge area. Even the iconic Plant Branch smoke stacks were brought down. Lake Sinclair stretches through the counties of Baldwin, Hancock and Putnam. Lake Sinclair was created in 1953.
Lake Sinclair Resources
Sinclair: Level: 1.3 feet below 340. Temp: 69 degrees in Little River. Clarity: Heavily stained most places but clearing by the dam. Bass: Karl Pingry reports, “Ed at Lakeside Chevron says the first wave of spawning bass has occurred. A Trick Worm in dark colors or merthiolate is your best bet in the backs of the coves for the postspawners. A prop bait in bluegill color is another good choice. Either a shaky-head worm or an Ol’ Monster in dark colors will also work around the docks, both in the coves and on the main lake. Also on the main lake, fish the shallow grass with a frog or chartreuse/white ChatterBait for prespawn bass. A Rat-L-Trap or Bandit 200 will work on shallow rock. The big news is the shad spawn. Ed says the shad are trying to spawn in the backs of the pockets. That means by the printing…
Read MoreLake Sinclair Fishing Articles
If you enjoy competing in fishing tournaments on lakes Oconee or Sinclair, it may be time to shift gears and do a little yard work. In a statement released on March 30 by Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills, he is asking fishing tournament directors to reschedule any tournaments taking place between now and at least…
The bass spawn, shad spawn, seawalls and grassbeds—March Madness didn’t happen this year, but pay attention to these “Final Four” at Sinclair this month, and you can have a personal best catch of bass. Sinclair had been on fire this year for quality fish, with five-bass limits in the low 20s just placing, not even…
$13,791 was raised during the 4th annual Brandon Key Catfishing Tournament June 1-2 on Lake Sinclair. The money raised through sponsorships go directly to 30-30 Ministries, an organization that uses hunting and fishing as a platform to share Christ. They’ve hosted weekend Camps in Georgia, Alabama, Texas and South Africa. The ministry caters to kids…
I bass fish—and write about bass fishing—for a living. I’m normally the ding dong you’ll see on the lake in the rain, sleet and snow. I’ve had some strange looks over the years. But I’ll be flat-out honest with you: You’d be hard pressed to find me bass fishing in the heat of the summer.…
Lake Sinclair bass are on their winter pattern. Many fish spend idle time in deep water, but they move up shallow to feed around rocks and wood. They will hit while holding deep, too, so you have many options of where and how to fish this month. Lake Sinclair has been on fire for big…
Lake Sinclair Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 13-lbs., 2-ozs. | Jimmy Edge | 02/10/90 |
| Hybrid Bass | 10-lbs., 7-ozs. | David Phillips | 11/27/98 |
| Striped Bass | 42-lbs. | Mike Wicks | - |
| White Bass | 2-lbs., 7-ozs. | James Borders Jr. | 07/12/92 |
| Black Crappie | 2-lbs., 11.5-ozs. | Brent Moye | 01/22/00 |
| Channel Catfish | 21-lbs., 5-ozs. | Kenny Durden | 05/02/07 |
| Longnosed Gar | 15-lb., 3-ozs. | Dustin Turk | 08/18/09 |
| Flathead Catfish | 39-lbs. | Tommy Spell | 07/19/22 |
| Blue Catfish | 79-lbs., 8-ozs. | Guy Covington | 04/27/2024 |
| Yellow Perch | 15.04-ozs. | Eric Phillips | 02/09/22 |
| Spotted Bass | 3-lbs., 9.76-ozs. | Larry Cason | 05/10/21 |
| Warmouth | 12-ozs. | Christopher Leverette | 02/22/23 |
Oconee River Below Sinclair Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 10-lbs., 3.2-ozs. | Tracey Jackson | 03/26/17 |
| Channel Catfish | 32-lbs., 6-ozs. | Rick Leitheiser | 04/07/96 |
| Flathead Catfish | 62-lbs. | Brian Estes | 06/13/99 |
| Striped Bass | 63-lbs.* | Kelly Ward | 05/30/67 |
| Black Crappie | 1-lb., 11.6-ozs. | Kelsey Helms | 12/07/24 |
| Bluegill | 1-lb., 8-ozs. | Duke Campbell Jr. | 03/31/15 |
| Shellcracker | 1-lb., 13-ozs. | Ben Bell | 05/29/22 |
| Blue Catfish | 62-lbs., 15.2-ozs. | Kevin Carey | 01/12/25 |
| Bowfin | 7-lbs., 6.016-ozs. | Benjamin Hammock | 07/24/23 |