The Best Fishing Spots in Georgia
Georgia offers diverse freshwater and saltwater fishing from mountain streams to the Atlantic coast. Inland waters like the Chattahoochee River, Lake Lanier, Lake Oconee and the Okefenokee Swamp are known for largemouth bass, spotted bass, crappie, bluegill (bream) and channel/flathead catfish, while colder North Georgia streams hold rainbow trout and brown trout. Along the coast and in estuaries near Savannah, St. Simons and Brunswick, anglers chase red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, flounder, Spanish mackerel and seasonal tarpon, with good inshore, nearshore and shore options. Whether you prefer lake bass fishing, mountain fly fishing or coastal flats and estuary trips, Georgia has varied fisheries and strong populations of popular game species.
Top Cities For Fishing
River Fishing
Lake Fishing
Lake Seminole
Lake Sidney Lanier
Hartwell Lake
Sea Fishing
Brunswick
(2 km to coast)
Country Club Estates
(1 km to coast)
Dock Junction
(7 km to coast)
Georgetown
(16 km to coast)
Kingsland
(18 km to coast)
Saint Simon Mills
(1 km to coast)
Saint Simons Island
(0 km to coast)
Skidaway Island
(6 km to coast)
St. Marys
(5 km to coast)
Whitemarsh Island
(11 km to coast)
Wilmington Island
(5 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Cumberland Sound
At Georgia’s southern border near St. Marys , Cumberland Sound offers jetties and deep channels that hold red drum, sheepshead, spotted seatrout, and summer tarpon; work the rocks on falling tides and drift live baits along the Fernandina channel.
Ossabaw Sound
Wild and productive, Ossabaw Sound features tidal creeks and bars that hold redfish, trout, and bull sharks, with summer passes drawing tarpon; work rips and points around Wassaw and Ossabaw islands with live bait or jigs on moving water.
St. Simons Sound
Between St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island , St. Simons Sound delivers reliable inshore action for spotted seatrout, red drum, and flounder, plus summer tarpon; fish creek mouths on moving tides, oyster bars, and the Brunswick shipping channel edges.
Sapelo Sound
Fed by the Altamaha , Sapelo Sound mixes brackish and salt to produce spotted seatrout, redfish, and seasonal flounder; probe oyster-studded banks, creek mouths around Doboy Sound approaches, and grass lines on rising water with popping cork rigs.
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Lake Seminole
Famed for mats and hydrilla, Lake Seminole produces heavyweight largemouth bass, strong spring crappie, and reliable catfish; punch thick vegetation, rip lipless cranks on outside edges, and work current near Flint and Chattahoochee river confluences.
Lake Allatoona
A clear, upland reservoir near metro Atlanta, Lake Allatoona fishes fast with spotted bass on rocky points, summer linesides (hybrids/stripers) on downlines, and strong winter crappie around brush; productive zones include Stamp Creek , Illinois Creek , and the Etowah River arm.
Altamaha River
Georgia’s largest river is famed for redbreast sunfish, hefty flathead catfish, and solid largemouth; work oxbows, woody banks, and mouths of tributaries like Ohoopee and Ocmulgee , with prime flows producing steady bites from spring through early fall.
Lake Blue Ridge
A deep, clear mountain reservoir, Lake Blue Ridge features quality smallmouth and spotted bass, plus seasonal runs of walleye and trout from the Toccoa River ; finesse presentations on rocky structure shine, with topwater over herring schools in late spring.
Chattahoochee River
From trout-rich tailwater below Buford Dam to shoal bass haunts near Columbus , the Chattahoochee offers diverse opportunities: drift rainbow and brown trout with nymphs and small spinners in the upper reaches, and target shoal bass, stripers, and catfish around current breaks downstream.
Flint River
Wild and scenic, the Flint River is a premier destination for native shoal bass, along with catfish and seasonal stripers near Lake Blackshear ; wade or float to pick apart shoals, current seams, and boulder gardens with topwaters and swimbaits.
Lake Hartwell
Straddling the Georgia–South Carolina line, Lake Hartwell offers year-round action for largemouth, spotted bass, open-water stripers/hybrids, and slab crappie; spring prespawn fish stack in creeks like Chauga and Tugaloo , while summer umbrella rigs and live herring excel on the main river channels.
Lake Oconee
Lake Oconee is celebrated for epic crappie runs, dependable largemouth bass around docks and standing timber, and quality hybrid/striped bass schooling; spring spider-rigging in Richland Creek and fall shad-chasing topwater near Wallace Dam headline the bite.
Lake Sidney Lanier
Georgia’s busiest reservoir for anglers, Lake Sidney Lanier is renowned for spotted bass, trophy striped bass, and big crappie; spring topwater for spots over points and humps is electric, summer downlines on deep timber produce heavyweight stripers, and winter jigging spoons shines near Buford Dam and Browns Bridge .
Lake Sinclair
A Middle Georgia favorite, Lake Sinclair offers steady largemouth bass around docks and seawalls, strong winter crappie, and seasonal hybrid bass schooling; focus on stained-water creeks like Rooty and Little River and current around Plant Branch discharge in colder months.
Ocmulgee River
Flowing through Middle Georgia, the Ocmulgee offers strong redbreast sunfish, largemouth bass, and catfish action; target outside bends, downed timber, and sandbars from Jackson to Macoon with small crankbaits, worms, and cut bait, and watch for spring runs below Lake Jackson .
Okefenokee Swamp
This iconic blackwater marsh yields unique catches like bowfin (mudfish), chain pickerel, and warmouth, with occasional bluegill and flier; paddle quiet trails out of Stephen C. Foster State Park or Suwannee Canal for sight-fishing along lily pads and grass edges.
Satilla River
Tea-stained and scenic, the Satilla is a classic South Georgia fishery for redbreast sunfish, warmouth, and largemouth; small beetle spins and crickets shine around cypress knees and bends from Waycross toward Woodbine , with summer topwater bites at dawn and dusk.
Clarks Hill Lake
Also known as J. Strom Thurmond Lake, Clarks Hill delivers classic East Georgia fishing with roaming striped bass, schooling hybrids, quality largemouth, and spring crappie in creek arms; work points and saddles near Modoc and Little River or pull live bait along river channel edges.
Top Saltwater & Freshwater Spots
Savannah River
Below Clarks Hill Dam the Savannah River hosts cool-water stripers and hybrids, transitioning to tidal stretches near Savannah where anglers find red drum, flounder, and spotted seatrout; fish eddies, creek mouths, and jetties with live shrimp or soft plastics.