Angler's guide to walleye fishing in Georgia [Feb. 2011]

Angler's Guide to Walleye Fishing in
Georgia
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries Management Section February 2011

Walleye in Georgia
Walleye is the most popular sport fish in the northern states and Canada, but it remains a relatively obscure species to most Georgia anglers. With expanding populations and an excellent reputation as table fare, walleye are gaining the attention of increasing numbers of Georgia anglers. Walleye are a coolwater fish that is native to the Tennessee River and Coosa River Valley systems that flow through the heart of Fannin, Union, and Towns counties in northeast Georgia and in Dade, Walker and Catoosa counties in northwest Georgia. Rivers with Native American names like the Coosawattee, Conasauga, Etowah, Oostanaula, Toccoa, Nottely, and Hiwasee Rivers once contained native walleye populations.
Native walleye declined in the state many years ago for a variety of reasons including loss of spawning habitat and overfishing. To rebuild walleye populations in Georgia, a walleye stocking program was initiated in the 1960s. However, due to low survival and success from these introductions, walleye stocking in Georgia ceased in 1968.
A second opportunity to establish walleye populations in Georgia came about in the 1990s when Georgia DNR (GADNR) biologists discovered blueback herring in several north Georgia reservoirs. Because of negative impacts associated with blueback herring in mountain reservoirs, GADNR fishery managers decided to stock walleye, with the blessing of the angling public, to help reduce the growing numbers of herring with the added benefit of providing new angling opportunities. Georgiagrown fingerlings have produced thriving populations. Today, nine lakes receive annual stockings of walleye. These include lakes Burton, Seed, Rabun, Tugalo, and Yonah in the Savannah River drainage and Lake Lanier, Carters Lake, and two lakes in the Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area. Four north Georgia lakes have self-sustaining, low density populations. These include Blue Ridge Lake, Lake Chatuge, Lake Nottely, and Lake Hartwell.
This guide was written to provide anglers with seasonal information on where, when and how to catch walleye in Georgia. GADNR staff is also available to answer more specific questions. Contact information for walleye lakes in Georgia is provided in the table below.

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Reservoir
Lakes Burton, Seed, Rabun, Tugalo, Yonah, Hartwell, and Lanier

GADNR Phone Number
706/947-1507, 706/947-1502 770/535-5498

Blue Ridge Lake, Carters 706/624-1161 Lake, and Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area

Late-Winter / Early Spring Fishing Tips
By late-winter, the natural instincts of adult walleyes draw the population to the spawning grounds for the annual ritual of laying and fertilizing eggs. Identifying potential spawning areas is critical to angling success from February to April. For the Savannah River lakes and Lake Lanier, the major spawning areas are located in the headwaters in very shallow water with rocky bottoms, similar to the picture below of a major spawning area in the headwaters of Lake Rabun. Pre-spawn
walleye stage in deeper water in close proximity to the spawning grounds for several weeks while they wait for the water to reach the critical temperature of 48oF to 50oF. No fancy gear or tackle are needed to catch these fish. Simply drifting nightcrawlers slowly along the bottom through these staging areas is the best way to catch prespawn walleye. Walleye are finicky feeders and may prefer small jigs tipped with minnows or a curly tailed grub or even a crankbait, such as a sinking Rapala or Shad Rap. Keep focused, be patient and remain persistent as you target pre-spawn fish in these staging areas because the walleye are there. Make slight adjustments to your bait or presentation until you discover what they will bite on that day.

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Male walleyes will be the first to reach the spawning grounds in early March, and they will remain in the area through mid-April. At night, male walleyes will swim into very shallow water with rocky bottoms in hopes of finding a female ready to spawn. During the day, they will retreat to the shelter of nearby deeper water to recover from the previous night's activities. Female walleye behave much differently than male walleye. Females will only move in and out of the spawning grounds for brief periods at night to broadcast their eggs onto the rocky bottoms where they will be fertilized by several males. When her heavy egg sac is emptied, she will leave the spawning grounds for the season. Because of the differences in spawning behavior between male and female walleyes, anglers can expect the bulk of their catch to be males that range in size from 2 to 4 lb. GADNR has been stocking walleye into north Georgia lakes since 2001. This is sufficient time to allow many females to reach trophy size. In fact, GADNR biologists have collected walleye over 12 pounds during the spawning season on some lakes.
From March through early-April, walleye are easiest to catch in the evening hours when they venture into the shallows of the spawning grounds. In fact, some anglers report there is a "golden hour" right before nightfall when walleye bite best. Shallow water walleyes are most easily caught using a 3/8 oz jig tipped with a live minnow, nightcrawler, or plastic grub. Shallow running minnow imitations are also effective during the nightly spawning run. Whatever your preference of baits or
lures, the presentation is similar. Cast across the rocky structure and make a slow but steady retrieve. The bite is rarely aggressive but more like sudden resistance. A slight upward swing of the rod is all that is needed to set the hook. Walleyes in shallow water are easily spooked, so finesse and stealth are critical, even at night. The rocky, shoal areas below the dams at lakes Burton, Seed, Tugalo, and Yonah offer easy bank access for nighttime anglers. Boats are required to reach spawning fish on lakes Tugalo, Hartwell, Lanier, Carters, and Blue Ridge. Use caution when fishing below dams because water levels may rise suddenly. Check water release schedules before your trip.

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Summer Fishing Tips
After the spawning season, walleye return to the main lake to resume their daily habits of finding food and searching for sheltered resting areas. Because walleye prefer cool water temperatures (65 to 72oF), schools of walleye will congregate in deeper water during the summer months where temperatures are more suitable. Walleye orient to structure, especially bottom structure, in their preferred depth zone, only leaving these hiding spots to feed on herring, shad, yellow perch, sunfish, and crayfish. The key to successful walleye fishing in the summer is to determine areas of the lake where walleye are most likely to congregate. In the mountain lakes, likely congregation areas occur on points and the mouth of coves at target depths that range from 15 to 25-feet in early summer and progressively increase to 30 to 50-feet by summer's end. During the summer, most walleye can be found on the lower half the lake.
A weighted bottom bouncer armed with an in-line spinner and tipped with a nightcrawler is the preferred summer technique for bottom-hugging walleye. At times, actively feeding walleye will chase blueback herring or shad that are suspended in the water column. During these opportunities, troll very slowly with deep diving crankbaits in shad patterns or shallow runners attached to a downrigger in order to attract the attention of a hungry walleye on the prowl. Electronic fish finders will help identify if walleye are suspended or cruising bottom structure. Long points, humps, and weed beds on the lower end of the lake are the best place to start searching for summer walleyes.
Several reservoirs in north Georgia are summer standouts because of their relatively small size and ease of locating deepwater fish. Lakes with excellent summer walleye fishing include Lake Yonah, Lake Tugalo, Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area, and Lake Rabun. The search for summer walleye should begin on the

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lower one-third of the reservoir in the mouth of coves, on long points, or around any deep water structure. There is one unusual twist to the traditional summer, deepwater pattern. After heavy rain events that typically follow severe thunderstorms, walleye will frequently move into the shallow headwaters below an upstream dam to feed in the flowing, turbid waters. This summer pattern has been observed in several small lakes such as Tugalo and Yonah and even in the headwaters of Lake Hartwell. These opportunities are unpredictable but worth taking advantage of because the walleye that move into the shallow headwaters are generally big and hungry!

Fall Fishing Tips
As the leaves change into their fall colors during the cool days of October, walleye emerge from their deep water summer refuge to search the shallows for unsuspecting prey. During the fall, walleye actively feed during low light conditions and throughout the night in order to build their winter fat reserves. The moon phase can also influence walleye fishing success, with the best night time fishing occurring under a full moon. Once again, search the points and adjacent flats on the lower one-third of the reservoir at dawn, dusk or at night for shallow water feeding activity. Walleye may be in as little as 2-feet of water to just offshore in water that is 30-feet deep. An important tip is to cover a lot of territory in your search for feeding fish.
Cool weather walleye feed on a wide variety of prey items, including blueback herring, shad, yellow perch, bluegill, minnows, crayfish, and even insects. To help zero in on walleye, troll crankbaits and shallow runners parallel to the shoreline at varying depths. Once fish are pin-pointed, a jig tipped with a nightcrawler is the bait of choice. If trolling is not your thing, then try bouncing a jig tipped with a nightcrawler or minnow along the bottom across long, sloping points and rocky banks.
The smaller impoundments of Lake Rabun, Lake Tugalo, Lake Yonah, Blue Ridge Lake, and Carters Lake offer great fall walleye fishing opportunities.

Winter Fishing Tips
From December through February, water temperatures on most north Georgia lakes dip into the mid to low 40s. Cold winter temperatures reduce the fish's desire to feed. For those brave enough to endure the cold, live baits presented near the bottom at depths from 30 to 60-feet, especially near the dam, can produce a few strikes. Although winter walleye will be bunched up, they are largely unwilling

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to move around. Fishing with a live herring, where legal, or a medium shiner or even a jigging spoon dangled in front of their nose may be sufficient temptation to draw a strike. If one fish is caught or located, you can be sure that others are nearby. The key is to fish your baits slowly during cold weather periods.
In late winter, warming rains can concentrate walleye in tributary areas of the lake. Tributary runoff is often a few degrees warmer than the main lake and sometimes more turbid in color. These conditions are favorable to the baitfish that walleye prey upon. Follow the warming water to the bait and you will find the predators, including walleye.

Fishing guide, Wes Carlton, enjoying another good day of walleye fishing in north Georgia!

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Walleye Fishing Seasonal Calendar at a Glance

Color-Coded Seasonal Index

= Good

= Fair

= Low

RESERVOIR

FEB APRIL

Burton

Seed

Rabun

Tugalo

Yonah

Hartwell

Lanier

Blue Ridge

Carters

Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area

MAY SEPT

OCT JAN

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Seasonal Tips, Tactics & Locations by Reservoir

Color-Coded Seasonal Index

= Good

= Fair

= Low

RESERVOIR Burton

FEB APRIL

MAY SEPT

OCT JAN

Headwaters. Fair. Fish upstream of Commissioner
Bridge

Main Lake Points in 25 to 45-ft of
water. Low.

Steep Rocky Banks in the mid-section of the lake. Fair. Fish in 30-50 ft of
water on rocky points and banks from Dicks Creek to Murray Cove.

Seed

Headwaters. Good. Requires a boat. Fish from Burton Dam downstream to the Old Bridge.

Lakewide. Fair. Fishing is best on the bottom near
the dam in late summer.

Main Lake Points. Fair. Fish on the
bottom with nightcrawlers at midlake points.

Rabun

Headwaters. Good. Fish on shore from
the Low Gap Bridge upstream to Seed Dam at night. During the day, fish on the bottom very
slowly with nightcrawlers or jigs. Target the area below the bridge for about
- mile.

Main Points. Fair. Fish on the lower lake from Hall's Marina to the dam. Fishing is best on the bottom with nightcrawlers in 30-40 ft of water on points and the mouth of coves.

Main Lake Points on the lower lake. Good. Fish in 35 to 50 ft of water from Hall's Marina to the
dam. At night, walleye move into shallow water on
the lower lake points to feed on small sunfish and
perch.

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Tugalo Yonah Hartwell

Headwaters. Good. Requires a boat.
Go upstream as far as possible by boat on both river arms
to fish. Use crankbaits, jigs or nightcrawlers day
or night.

Main Points. Good. Bounce
nightcrawlers and minnows along the bottom in 40-60 ft of water on points on the lower half of
the lake.

Main Lake Points on the lower lake. Good. Fish from
30-50 ft deep during the day. At
night, fish the shallow water with crankbaits or jigs.

Headwaters. Good. Fishing is best at
night from shore in the day use area
below Tugalo Dam. Fish downstream of the day use area by boat during the
day by drifting nightcrawlers across the bottom.

Main Points and Over the Channel.
Good. Drift nightcrawlers on the bottom or use vertical jigs in 45 ft of water from the Big Rock face at mid-lake to the dam. After storms,
fish the headwaters with shallow-running plugs downstream of Tugalo Dam.

Lakewide. Good. Yonah is a small lake. Walleye are over the main river channel and on points from 30 ft to the bottom. Use nightcrawlers,
minnows or vertical jigs.

Headwaters. Good. Fish from a boat from the Walker
Creek boat ramp to the first upstream island. Fish from
shore from the island upstream to
Yonah Dam. Fishing is good day
or night with crankbaits &
Rapalas.

Main Lake Points near the dam. Low. This
population is too small for anglers to successfully locate
walleye on this large
impoundment during the summer.

Low. Fish are too scattered to be able to target
walleye successfully.

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Lanier

Headwaters. Fair. Requires a boat and fish are scattered over a large area just
below shoals from Belton Bridge
upstream as far as you can go by boat.
Use crankbaits, Rapalas, or
nightcrawlers.

Main Lake Points on the lower lake.
Low. A lot of walleye are caught
on Lanier in the summer, but it is while fishing for stripers or spotted
bass.

Low. Walleye are too scattered over
this large impoundment to successfully target.

Blue Ridge

Headwaters. Fair. Best fishing occurs at night during the
full moon. Use shallow running crankbaits or jigs fished parallel to
the shore.

Main Lake Points and Deepwater Humps near the river channel. Fair. Walleye may be in 50-ft of water. Vertical jigs and flex-it spoons are
best bets.

Main Lake Points. Fair. Use shallow running crankbaits or jigs fished near the shore during
low light conditions.

Carters

Headwaters. Fair. Walleye are easier to reach by boat, but some shoreline access is available.
Fish from Ridgeway Boat Ramp upstream to the shoals in the Coosawattee River.

Gradual main lake points and
submerged timber offer good fishing in May and June.
Fair.

Main Lake Points. Good. Fishing is good between Ridgeway Boat Ramp down to about the middle of
the lake.

Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area
Antioch Lake Heath Lake

Early spring walleye will congregate around rocky substrate.

Walleye will concentrate near the bottom in deep water on points and structure.

Fish summer habitat areas. Under low light conditions, fish the shallows.

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For More Information
We hope the tips provided in this fishing guide were helpful and will improve your chances of catching a walleye in Georgia. Now that you know where, when, and how to catch walleye in Georgia, we trust that you will be able to fill your stringer and fill the dinner plate. For more information about fishing in Georgia, we invite you to visit our website at www.gofishgeorgia.com. Volumes of information are also available on the internet. Here are a few favorites:
www.walleyefishingsecrets.com www.in-fisherman.com/walleye www.walleyefishingchat.com/walleye-fishing-tips www.indianagameandfish.com/fishing/walleyes-fishing/gf_aa026305a
Good luck and good fishing!

GADNR - Working for the natural resources and the anglers of Georgia!

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