Georgia State Record Yellow Perch Caught In Savannah River

Angler Thomas Lewis of Grovetown in Columbia County reeled in the new state-record yellow perch from the Savannah River, just below Clarks Hill Dam, on Feb. 27, 2013. This is the first new state record fish since 2010.

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, this 2-lb., 9-oz., 16.5-inch catch beats the former state record by more than 1 ounce. This record was previously held as a tie with a 2-pound, 8-ounce fish, one caught in 1980 on Lake Burton, and the other caught on the Savannah River in 2008.

“It is so exciting to hear about a state-record catch as it reminds us that Georgia is such a fantastic place for anglers with its numerous fishing opportunities and resources, from big rivers and reservoirs to small neighborhood lakes,” says John Biagi, chief of Fisheries for the Wildlife Resources Division.

Thomas Lewis, of Grovetown, set a Georgia state record for yellow perch on Feb. 27, 2013 when he caught this 2-lb., 9-oz. fish from the Savannah River below Clarks Hill dam.