Fishing Forecast - Lake Yonah

Lake Yonah is a 330 acre run-of-the-river type lake near the City of Toccoa that is operated for hydropower by Georgia Power Company. Walleye and largemouth bass are the featured species in Lake Yonah but spotted bass, white bass, yellow perch, bream, crappie and catfish also occur in moderate numbers.

 State records  and  fishing reports 

To increase your chances of catching fish, several large fish  attractors  like the one pictured below were placed into Lake Yonah. Fish attractor coordinates are available for you to upload into your fishfinder or other GPS devices, or view in free online mapping applications. The data are 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:  Walleye, Yellow Perch, and Bass 

•  Walleye 
•  Yellow Perch 
•  Bass 

 Fish Identification Page 

Prospect: Lake Yonah’s small size and abundant Walleye population make this reservoir an ideal place for catching Walleye in Georgia. Fall gill net sampling from this year captured mostly smaller individuals, but the chance to land a big one still remains. Pictured below is a 2 pound Walleye from Lake Yonah, although larger, trophy-sized fish over 8 pounds are also present.

Technique: During the walleye spawning season in March, successful walleye anglers refer to the twilight conditions before sunset the "golden hour." Cast floating stickbaits, shallow running crankbaits, curly-tailed grubs or nightcrawlers into the flowing waters below Tugalo Dam. Allow the bait to make regular contact with the rocky bottom. Use a slow retrieve to entice a walleye's gentle strike.

Throughout the remainder of the year, walleye remain close to the lake bottom adjacent to the edge of the river channel. Anglers have had good success dangling nightcrawlers, minnows or live herring a few feet above the lake bottom along the 20 to 40-ft depth contours, especially around structure. Vertical jigging with spoons is an alternative approach. Walleye prefer to stay close to structure, so good electronics will help you find submerged trees and brushpiles where walleye may be waiting to ambush prey. Slowly and patiently bounce nightcrawlers, minnows or jigs into every nook and cranny of the structure in hopes of enticing a gentle strike. If you suspect the walleye has taken the bait, allow plenty of time before setting the hook.

Target: During the March spawning season, walleye will congregate in the upper river section adjacent to the  Georgia Power campground . In fact, walleye can be caught from the shoreline in this area, especially at night.

For the remainder of the year, walleye will hide in any type of structure on the bottom near the river channel in 20 to 40-feet of water.

For those willing to try walleye fishing at night, your odds of catching fish increase. Cast live nightcrawlers, minnows, or herring onto shallow water points and drag the bait slowly back to the boat. Be sensitive to light resistance or line movement as this will indicate the gentle strike of a walleye. To ensure a good hook set, give the walleye some extra time to take the bait.

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Prospect: A successful Yellow Perch fishery with trophy individuals also exists as a by-product of the Walleye fishery on Lake Yonah, with Walleye feeding on the perch to keep numbers low and allowing perch to achieve maximum growth and size. Due to this, Yellow Perch weighing multiple pounds have been caught and often approach the state record of 2 lb 9 oz. Despite not catching any in gill nets during fall sampling this year, the perch are surely still there and waiting to be caught by anglers.

Techniques and Targets: The technique for catching yellow perch is simple. Thread a nightcrawler or small minnow onto a jighead and bounce it slowly across the bottom near blowdowns or creek channels. Seriously, this technique works year-round; however, the monster-sized fish are caught in late-winter before they spawn.

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Catch rates for Largemouth Bass and Spotted Bass came in about even with each other this year, with their size distributions also sharing in similarities. Expect to see mostly 1 – 3 pound bass in the reservoir along with some bigger Largemouth Bass above 3 pounds that should put up a great fight if you manage to hook one out on the water.

Technique: From December through March, largemouth bass find shelter among the submerged branches of fallen trees that are scattered along the shoreline. Fishing the trees with Wacky-rigged worms, pig & jig combinations and live baits are effective cold water tactics. 

During the spawning season (April and May), cast soft-bodied jerk baits, floating worms, spinner baits or plastic lizards around visible structure near the shore's edge. Slow rolling spinnerbaits in the creek channels is also an effective springtime tactic. When water temperatures heat up in the summer months, look for quality-sized fish in the cooler headwater area, small feeder streams, or around downed trees in deeper water. Bouncing crayfish imitations or live nightcrawlers along the bottom are effective baits for catching bass in these habitats. Shallow running stickbaits in herring color patterns or jigs tipped with a curly-tailed grub can also be effective in flowing water. The transition into the cooler fall months pushes bass into the interior recesses of downed trees, especially on the upper end of the lake. Shad-imitating crankbaits, soft plastics and jigs are best bets in the fall. Anglers should also keep a watchful eye for surface feeding fish in the upper reaches of the lake and cast toward breaking fish with crankbaits and surface plugs.

Target: The shoreline of Lake Yonah is dotted with fallen trees, which provide a haven for largemouth bass. The upstream headwater areas on both river arms are the best places to fish for bass in the summer.

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An Anglers Guide to Walleye Fishing in Georgia is available to download at no cost on our website by clicking  here .

The road, campground, and boat ramp located on the upper end of the lake will be closed indefinitely while Georgia Power makes upgrades to the generators in Tugalo Dam. The only boating access to the lake during this time will be on Yonah Dam Road in Stephens County. More information about Lake Yonah can be found on the Georgia Power website at  http://georgiapowerlakes.com .

 Contact Information:

Georgia DNR (770) 535-5498

Georgia Power Company (706) 746-1450

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