Fishing Forecast - Bartlett's Ferry Lake

The Georgia Power Company operates Bartlett's Ferry a 5,850-acre reservoir (a.k.a. Lake Harding) on the Chattahoochee River along the Georgia-Alabama border just above Goat Rock Lake. The lake offers many boat docks and piers that provide good structure for concentrating fish. Anglers will find two available boat ramps on the Georgia side - one at Idle Hour Park and one at Blanton Creek Park. 

Contact Information: Georgia Power:  http://georgiapowerlakes.com/bartlettsferry/lake-levels/  :  DNR Office: 706-295-6102.

 State records  and  fishing reports  

Fish attractor data for this reservoir are available for you to upload into your fishfinder or other GPS devices, or view in free online mapping applications. The data is compatible with many brands including Lowrance, Humminbird, Garmin, and Magellan to name a few. Instructions are  here  on how to use the data.  Download  the zipped data. 

Best Bets: Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Hybrid Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, and Catfish 

•  Largemouth Bass 
•  Spotted Bass 
•  Hybrid Bass 
•  Striped Bass 
•  Catfish 
•  Crappie 
•  Other Species 

 Fish Identification Page  

Prospect: Largemouth bass abundance has been relatively steady over the last few years. Fish in the 12-15 inch range will be the norm, but anglers may also have a chance to catch a few largemouth over 16 inches. The average catch weight of the larger fish is 1 to 2 pounds.  Recent sampling has shown an equal chance of catching largemouth and spotted bass.

Technique: For spring spawning fish try shallow crankbaits, plastic worms, buzzbait, chatter bait, and spinners. In warmer months, fish deeper crankbaits and dark-colored worms. During winter, try fishing deep-running plugs, jigs, and shakey-head worms in dark colors. 

Target:  Boat docks are popular areas to target largemouth bass because they often have fish attractor materials beneath them. Also, target rocky points and underwater humps. The peak time for largemouth fishing is from early March through May when water temps are in the 60s. In fall, fish further up the lake, above Georgia Power's  Blanton Creek Park .  Generally, there are more largemouth found above Blanton Creek Park than spotted bass.

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 Fish Identification Page  

Prospect: The spotted bass fishery is generally under-utilized. Given there is no minimum size restriction for this non-native bass species, anglers are encouraged to harvest their daily limit. Over half the spots are in the 7-12 inch range and weigh under a 1/4 pound.

Technique: Spotted bass are usually aggressive feeders. Fishing for spotted bass is similar to fishing for largemouth bass, jigs, and plastic worms work well for spots. Smaller-sized plugs and spinnerbaits can also produce a few good fish. Traditional shad patterned crankbaits or bass jigs slowly retrieved over rocky shorelines are good wintertime spotted bass baits. Live bait like nightcrawlers, crayfish, and minnows may also produce larger spotted bass catches. 

Target: During the spring, target rocky points in deeper water. Boat docks are excellent places for spots to hide in the summer, and they tend to hold to structures like blowdowns and woody debris year-round. Often, the spots will hold deeper than the largemouth bass. For spotted bass, focus your fishing effort down the lake where most of the docks are located.

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 Fish Identification Page  

Prospect: Hybrid bass anglers generally do well in Bartlett's Ferry. For the third year in a row, hybrid bass were stocked to supplement the population in 2024. In the past, the hybrids in Bartlett's Ferry have passed downstream from West Point Reservoir.  This movement downstream ensures hybrids are available for anglers. These hybrids are usually good-sized and should average 18 inches long and weigh around 2-3 pounds. Hybrids are fun to catch and are great for young anglers. 

Technique: White or shad-patterned spinners, spoons, and curly-tail jigs work well for hybrid bass. Trolling can also be an effective method that also helps locate schooling hybrid bass. Natural baits including live shad and cut bait work well anytime. 

Target: For good fishing action in early spring, target just below the  Riverview Dam  area, also known as Crow Hop, during normal flows. For the summer and winter months, try lake-wide fishing, especially in deeper areas near the  dam .  Again, trolling is another good option. Try trolling live shad where Halawakee Creek arm flows into the main lake.

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 Fish Identification Page  

Prospect: Experienced anglers can find stripers exceeding 20 pounds. However, the warm water temperatures limit the number of the larger stripers the lake can support. Therefore, most stripers will be in the 18-inch range and weigh around 3 to 4 pounds.  Striped bass abundance in Bartlett's Ferry Lake has declined over the last few years because of the difficulty in producing the fingerlings in the hatcheries. However, fingerlings were produced and stocked in 2024, so smaller striped bass abundance may be on the rise.

Technique:  Trolling for striped bass with live bait fish is a popular technique. Also, spoons and popping corks with trailing jigs can be effective. Also, try light color bucktail jigs. Fishing shad-colored crankbaits (large) in deep water may also prove successful. 

Target: Look to the Bart's  dam  during the winter before the spawn and to the  Riverview Dam  in early spring during spawning runs. During summer and fall, the target extends to lakewide as they school after young-of-the-year shad near the surface. On windy days, fish or troll along wind-blown banks that may be holding schools of bait fish that have been pushed in close to the shoreline by a strong steady wind. Also, target immediately below Riverview dam during periods of power generation at West Point. 

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 Fish Identification Page 

Prospect: Fishing for catfish is considered good to excellent year-round on Bartlett's Ferry. Anglers can target blue, flathead, and channel catfish in Bart's. Channel catfish are still the most abundant catfish, but anglers have a chance to catch huge blues and flathead catfish in the 10-pound range or bigger. Typically, channel cats weigh 3-4 pounds, but 8-10 pound catches are possible. Over half of the channels will likely be in the Quality size class of 16 to 24 inches.  Quality-sized channel catfish are the perfect size to fry for the table.

Technique: Big cats like stink, chicken livers, and cut baits. Live bait like nightcrawler worms, minnows, and even crickets can be effective in Bartlett's Ferry. Fish for big cats in deeper water and have your bait located at or near the bottom. 

Target:  Catfish can be found lakewide. Fishing around the dam during water release is often a good time for catfishing. Catfish become more active and feed aggressively during this period. Fish bait on or near the bottom. In warmer months, fish under shady docks. After a big rain, try tributary mouths where muddy water enters the main lake. Also, night fishing in the hot months works well. 

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 Fish Identification Page  zProspect: Bartlett's has an abundant black crappie population. The crappie population has a wide range of sizes, which indicates a healthy population. Most of the fish are less than 10 inches and weigh up to 1/2 lbs, though larger slabs in the 12-15" size are available. Also, Bartlett's larger crappie tend to have above-average body conditions making for some thick-size slabs.

Technique: Trolling with bright-colored jigs at different depths to locate schools of crappie is effective. Small jigs under a bobber is another method to catch crappie. Live minnows also can provide excellent results. 

Target: From mid to early February through April, target fish on the structure and the upper end of the lake below the  Riverview dam . Later in the year, target the  lower end of the lake , around the dam and main channel at the mouth of the Halawakee arm of the lake.

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 Fish Identification Page  5

Prospect: Though not known for bream fishing, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, and shellcrackers/redear sunfish are all available in decent numbers. Bluegills are usually small and average around 4 to 6 inches. Redear sunfish generally grow much bigger than the bluegills - up to the 1/4 to 1/2 pound range. Also, Bartlett's Ferry has a small population of white crappie and a few white bass are available that average around 1 pound. 

Technique: Red wigglers and crickets work well on bream. Small plastic jigs can also catch bream in warmer weather. Fishing jigs under a bobber helps locate fish. Fishing bream beds starting in mid-May is a great way to catch many fish quickly. Fish for white crappie using the same basic techniques as black crappie. 

Target: In spring, fish bream beds in shallow water areas in protected coves and tributaries. Target bluegill and shellcrackers around docks, piers, and brush piles during the summer.  In the winter bream head to deeper water and can be a challenge to catch. Try live bait out in deep water. Bream fishing is an excellent choice for young or beginning anglers.

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Boating can be hazardous during low flows at the upper end of the lake. Boaters should heed marker buoys for their safety. Blanton Creek WMA borders much of the upper Georgia side of the lake. Georgia Power operates Blanton Creek Park, which has an additional ramp and camping. However, Blanton Creek is a seasonal park and not open in the winter months  https://www.georgiapower.com/our-impact/lakes-rivers/our-lakes/west-georgia-lakes.html  for more details). Generating schedules and lake-level information is available by calling 888-472-5253.

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