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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
West Point: Level: 2.9 feet below 635. Temp: 70s and low 80s. Clarity: Clear over most of the lake. Bass: Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Good. May should be a great month to be fishing this year. The lake is near full pool, water temps are perfect, and there seems to be more largemouth showing up than in previous years because of the ongoing stocking program. The topwater fishing is usually very good in May. Baits such as Pop-Rs, Whopper Ploppers and buzzbaits can be extremely effective for shallow and aggressive fish in the backs of pockets with ditch runs. Keep your eyes open for bream beds, as largemouth love to feed on them. Another pattern that can work really well is to look for spawning shad. Try fishing rip-rap around bridges with spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and Zoom Super Flukes. In May, some big tournament sacks of largemouth are still being weighed…
Read MoreWest Point Lake Articles
For the second time this year, the West Point Lake flathead catfish record has been broken. The latest angler to do it was Mike Felter, of Waco, with a 48-pounder caught before midnight on Aug. 22 while fishing in the Southern Catfish GA tournament. Video from the tournament’s weigh-in and the new record catfish is…
You might think it’s too hot to go fishing, or that this time of year thunderstorms may run you off the lake. But the largemouth and spotted bass at West Point are feeding both shallow and deep. Anglers can catch quality largemouth on topwater around shallow wood and grass, and both species can be patterned…
Gene Schmitt, of LaGrange, probably has the coronavirus to thank for his name being placed in the West Point Lake records chart. He caught a 41-lb. flathead at 12:05 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, an hour when he’d normally be in bed resting for work. “I’ve been out of work for almost two months now.…
West Point linesides are on the move, feeding heavily on shad and tearing into blueback herring when they can find them. You can catch both stripers and hybrids right now trolling artificials and live bait, downlining live bait and jigging spoons and bucktails. It is a great time to catch them. Both species have been…
In part two of our sit-down with this year’s Georgia Kayak Bass Fishing State Champion, Jason Alford shares his Day 1 experience on West Point Lake. Launching at his final pre-fishing ramp, Jason made for his spot. “After a 1.25-mile pedal, I arrived at the mouth of the creek where I planned to start,” said…
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 | 12.64-ozs. | Todd Garner | 05/06/2023 |
| 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…