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West Point Lake
West Point is a great fishing lake, but it has undergone major changes in the past several decades. Once overly fertile because of Atlanta's upstream influence, environmental changes have reduced the flows of nutrients that once created pea-green waters and super largemouth bass fishing. The lake is clearer these days, and the less fertile waters are transitioning from largemouth to spotted bass. Bass fishing is still excellent, just more spotted bass are caught these days. Hybrid bass fishing is very good, especially during the famed spring run up the Chattahoochee River to Franklin. West Point is a man-made reservoir of 25,900 acres impounded by the West Point Dam, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
West Point Lake Resources
In the catfish world, you often hear the term “big fish October.” I am convinced that is more applicable to water bodies farther north than my home lake down here on the Georgia/Alabama line. Our cooler weather and water conditions seem to lag behind other major catfish waters just a bit and so do the big catches. Nonetheless, it is big fish season now on West Point Lake! Let’s be honest, overall fish activity will slow as their metabolism slows. However, the percentage of big fish caught will indeed go up. If you are targeting cats, expect much more blue cat activity over flatheads, as the flatties seem to slow way down once water temps dip to 50 degrees or below. Gizzard shad is always my favorite bait on this lake. The cats will often show preference for other baits during warmer seasons, but, gizzards are THE bait to have…
Read MoreWest Point Lake Articles
You can catch more than 200 crappie a day at West Point shooting docks in June. That may seem like an unachievable dream, but Payton Caldwell does it almost every trip. In the June 2003 issue, GON published an article on shooting docks at West Point with Payton’s grandfather, Joel Chambers (gon.com/fishing/run-run-and-gun-for-west-points-deep-shade-crappie). During the fishing…
Thirty-seven striper teams fished the April 1 Striper Bass Challenge on West Point Lake. With a two-fish limit, it took 36.3 pounds to win the event. The team of Lineside Addiction took the win. This tournament attracted some of the best striper teams in the Southeast. The first-ever event was a fundraiser for Georgia Sheriffs’…
Gentlemen, start your engines! But more appropriately, get your outboard motors up and running and get ready to fish. Spring is right around the corner, and now is the time to get everything in tip-top shape and ready to hit the lakes, streams and reservoirs of this great state. Yes, we are still in the…
A huge catfish set a new lake record on West Point Lake, setting the mark for blue catfish on the Chattahoochee River reservoir as a tough record to break. Jerrimie Tolbert boated a West Point blue cat on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022 that had a certified weight of 61 pounds. Jerrimie was fishing with…
In February, a lot of spotted bass and some largemouth at West Point Lake are feeling the longer days and moving up to feed on rocky main lake and creek points. Anglers can fish the more stable water on the lower lake section and catch West Point bass on a variety of baits as they…
West Point Lake Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 14-lbs., 2-ozs. | Richard Little | 04/15/1988 |
| Spotted Bass | 6-lbs., 9-ozs. | Wendell Young | 02/07/1990 |
| White Crappie | 3-lbs., 14-ozs. | Willie Arnold | 02/15/1989 |
| Black Crappie | 3-lbs., 6-ozs. | Edward Cagle | 03/14/1996 |
| Hybrid Bass | 14-lbs., 12.75-ozs. | Dustin Pate | 03/13/2009 |
| Shoal Bass | 3-lbs., 7-ozs. | Danny Swafford | 08/02/1997 |
| Blue Catfish | 61-lbs. | Jerrimie Tolbert | 10/22/2022 |
| Flathead Catfish | 48-lbs. | Mike Felter | 08/22/2020 |
| Yellow Perch | 1-lb., 2.4-ozs. | Toney Booker | 11/18/2017 |
| Channel Catfish | 16-lbs., 7.5-ozs. | Owen Knabe | 4/22/2018 |
| Striped Bass | 40-lbs. | Mike Steele | 3/24/2024 |
| Shellcracker | 1-lb., 8-ozs. | Justin Tomlinson | 10/26/2024 |
| Longnose Gar | 23-lbs. | April Waldrop | 07/21/2023 |
West Point Most-Read Articles
Many of our lakes and rivers are loaded with large, trophy-sized trash fish that no one really cares about fishing for because they are supposedly not that good to eat. Carp and gar are at the top of that list, and even if their taste and table quotient is questionable, they sure are sporting. Just…
There’s a reason tournament partners Earl Kitchens, of Gray, and Wayne Ard, of Lizella, drive halfway across Georgia to fish West Point Lake. The crappie fishing can be that good. And, in late February and early March, when the first waves of egg-heavy females begin pushing into the shallows to spawn, the fishing gets that…
In July, the days are often long and hot, and the lakes can be crowded with pleasure boaters. Conditions can be tough for bass fishermen. To lower your frustration and catch some fish, head to West Point Lake. The spotted bass and largemouths there feed even on the hottest days, and summer bassin’ at West…
There’s no doubt that amongst the beautiful scenery of West Point Lake there’s a huge population of hungry, eager and hard-fighting linesides. And, as the weather continues to warm this month, the action should only get hotter, according West Point Lake angler and part-time guide Todd Pursley. Now that the crowded spring striper and hybrid…