Lake Allatoona

Lake ALLATOONA

Lake Allatoona Fishing Report September 2026

Surface temperatures on Allatoona are running in the mid-80s. One reading around 10:30 yesterday morning was 84 degrees. The lake is about 1.5 to 2 feet low, and it is still fishing more like summer right now.

There are also some signs of baitfish starting to head toward the creeks. It is not a full fall pattern yet, but it is coming. Check the mouths of the creeks and work your way about halfway back. If you are not seeing bait, do not keep fishing empty water. Move somewhere else.

Bass

The bass are kind of split right now. Some are following bait toward the creeks, but there are still plenty of fish out on main lake points, humps and deeper brush.

Three things to try:

Topwater at daylight: Throw a small walking bait or swimbait across main lake points and around the mouths of creeks. If fish start breaking the surface, cast past them and bring your bait through the school.
Finesse worm after the sun gets up: Put a green-pumpkin finesse worm on a 1/8 ounce shaky head. Fish it slowly around brush and rock in 18 to 28 feet of water.
Spinnerbait after dark: About an hour after dark, slow roll a single colorado blade spinnerbait along rocky points and steep banks. Keep it close to the bottom.

Crappie

The crappie are still on their summer deal. Look for them around brush and other cover in roughly 8 to 18 feet. If the fish are sitting above the brush, they are usually more willing to bite. If they are buried down inside it, they may be harder to catch.

Three things to try:

Spider-rig minnows: Move slowly across the brush with live minnows set just above the fish. Crappie feed up, so do not put your bait below them.
Cast a small jig early: Use a 1/16 ounce jig with a small natural colored body. Cast past the brush, count it down to about 10 and reel it back slowly.
Fish at night: Put a green light around a bridge or deep structure and fish minnows or small jigs around the bait that gathers under the light.

Give a brush pile about 15 to 20 minutes. If nothing happens, go find another one.

Striper and Hybrids

Recent reports have the stripers and hybrids starting to work north. Fish can still be found anywhere from the dam up to the S-turns. The north end flats have been better for numbers, while the mid-lake flats have a better chance of holding larger fish.

Three things to try:

Downline live bait: Drop live shad around flats and channel edges. Watch your electronics and keep the bait a little above the fish.
Troll an umbrella rig: Focus on flats in 18 to 20 feet and let the rig bump along the bottom.
Keep a topwater ready: The afternoon schooling bite has been good from the dam through the mid-lake area. When they come up, cast past the fish without running the boat through the middle of them.

When the Cool Mornings Start Showing Up

One cool morning is not going to change the whole lake, but several cooler nights can get the bait moving. Once that starts happening, do not keep fishing the same places you fished all summer.

Start at the mouth of a creek and work your way back. Look for small baitfish flipping on top or packed together on your electronics. If you do not see bait, leave that creek and try another one.

For bass, start using small topwaters, flukes, swimbaits and shallow crankbaits that look like the baitfish. Check shallow rock, brush and blowdowns.

For crappie, stay around brush with minnows while the water is still hot. Once the water starts falling into the 70s, look for more crappie roaming around creek mouths and flats. That is when longline trolling small jigs should start getting better.

For stripers and hybrids, follow the biggest groups of bait toward the creek mouths and north end. Throw topwater while the fish are up. When they go back down, run an umbrella rig through the same area or drop live bait to them.

Keep It Simple

Get out there early and start around a main-lake point, hump or creek mouth. Watch for fish breaking the surface. Once the sun gets up, use your electronics to find bait and cover. If you are not seeing bait or catching fish, move. That is probably the most important thing you can do on Allatoona right now.