Lake Allatoona Fishing Report

July 17

Lake Allatoona is in its typical summer pattern. Water temperatures are warm, boat traffic is heavy by late morning, and the best fishing is happening early and late in the day. If you can be on the water before sunrise or stay until sunset, you’ll usually have your best chance at putting fish in the boat.

Bass

The spotted bass bite has been the most consistent lately. Early in the morning, keep an eye out for schooling fish chasing bait around main lake points, humps, and long rocky points. A walking topwater, fluke, or small swimbait can get some explosive bites while they’re feeding on the surface.

As the sun gets higher, the better fish move deeper and set up around brush piles, rock piles, and ledges in 20 to 30 feet of water. Finesse techniques have been producing well once the topwater bite slows down.

Bass Tips

• Start your morning with a topwater bait, fluke, or small swimbait around schooling fish.

• After the sun gets up, target offshore brush with a shaky head, drop shot, or finesse worm.

• Don’t overlook shaded docks and laydowns. A quality largemouth can still be caught around shallow cover during the hottest part of the day.

 

Crappie

Crappie have settled into their summer pattern and are holding around deep brush piles, standing timber, and bridge structure in 15 to 25 feet of water. They’re grouping up, so once you find one school, there’s a good chance you’ll catch several before moving.

Live minnows continue to be hard to beat, but small soft plastic jigs in natural colors are producing plenty of fish as well.

Crappie Tips

• Spend more time looking than fishing. Use your electronics to locate brush before dropping a bait.

• Fish vertically and keep your bait just above the fish.

• If a brush pile isn’t producing after a few minutes, move to the next one until you locate an active school.

 

Striper

Stripers are following schools of threadfin shad and blueback herring across the lake. Your best opportunity is early in the morning before the sun gets high. Keep an eye out for birds working, surface activity, and bait schools on your electronics.

As the day warms up, most fish move deeper over creek channels and the river channel where bait is suspended. Live bait continues to be the top producer, but anglers throwing spoons, bucktails, and paddletail swimbaits into active schools are catching fish as well. Don’t be surprised if you hook into a hybrid while targeting stripers.

Striper Tips

• Be on the water before daylight and stay around the bait. If you don’t find bait, keep moving.

• Watch your electronics for suspended fish and fish at the depth they’re holding.

• Keep a spoon or swimbait ready. Summer schooling fish may only stay on the surface for a few seconds before disappearing.

 

Overall Outlook

Fishing should remain consistent through the rest of July as long as you adjust to the summer pattern. The anglers having the most success are getting an early start, staying mobile, and letting their electronics lead the way. Focus on finding bait, fish deeper once the sun gets high, and don’t be afraid to move until you locate active fish.

Good luck on the water, and keep those lines tight.

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