Fishing Forecast - Satilla River
Overview
The Satilla River is considered to be one of the most scenic and natural rivers in south Georgia. Originating in Ben Hill County, the river takes a free flowing and winding course for 260 miles before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.
Guide to Fishing and Floating the Satilla River in PDF (494 KB). This document contains access and fishing tip information and a color map with river-mile designations.
Contact Information: DNR Office: 912-285-6094
Best Bets: Redbreast Sunfish, Bluegill, Crappie, Catfish
Satilla River - Largemouth Bass
Prospect: Though not known for its bass population, largemouth are present in sufficient numbers in the Satilla. A good number of bass in the 12 to 16-inch range continue to be seen, and recent Spring samples had a good abundance of bass. If high water levels persist into the spring there should be several bass caught in the 2-3 lb size range, but the occasional lunker is lurking.
Technique: Typical bass lures work, but it's hard to beat a shallow-diving minnow plug during the spring.
Target: As the river begins to fall in the early spring, target woody cover near the mouths of oxbow lakes and feeder creeks.
Satilla River - Catfish
Brown Bullhead
Prospect: Catfish fishing should be very good this year. The river supports healthy populations of channel catfish and several species of bullhead catfish (snail, brown, etc.). Two non-native catfish species may be found in the river (flathead catfish and blue catfish), and anglers are encouraged to harvest ANY flathead catfish or blue catfish captured while fishing, regardless of size.
Technique: Use worms, chicken livers, cut bait or your own secret bait fished on the bottom.
Target: Fish the deeper holes, which are usually located on outside bends in the river.
Satilla River - Bream
Redbreast Sunfish
Prospect: One of the premier redbreast sunfish rivers in the southeast, and an angler's best bet for catching a redbreast greater than 1 pound. Some nice fish in the 3/4 -1 lb range were harvested in the spring. If current high water levels this winter persist through early spring, anglers should once again catch very good number of redbreast in the 6 to 8-inch size range and an occasional rooster (greater than 8 inches). Anglers should also expect to catch many 6 to 8-inch bluegill and 8 -10 inch coppernose bluegill, along with some quality warmouth. Good numbers of sunfish were seen in recent Spring samples.
Technique: For redbreast: Crickets and worms fished under bobbers or on the bottom with split-shot weights works best. Try switching to artificial lures such as small beetle spins and rooster-tail spinners when water temperatures rise into the 70s (F). Also attempt fly-fishing as the water warms. Stick to crickets and worms for other bream species.
Target: For redbreast: Concentrate fishing efforts around woody cover in the mainstem of the river. For bluegill: Target oxbow lakes and beaver ponds off the main river channel; particularly oxbow lakes in the lower section of the river around the .
Satilla River - Crappie
Prospect: Crappie are present throughout the river. Try fishing for crappie when conditions are too cold for targeting bream and bass.
Technique: Live minnows and small artificial jigs are recommended.
Target: Try fishing woody cover in slack-water away from the main channel.
Additional Information
Refer to the USGS gauges located at Waycross, GA and Atkinson, GA when planning your fishing trips. Fishing conditions are best when the USGS gauge reads between 4-8 feet at Waycross and 3-7 feet at Atkinson .
