Lake Lanier Fishing Report – September 2026

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Lake Lanier is around 5½ to 6 feet low. The surface temperature is still in the mid 80s, and most of the main lake is clear. It is still fishing like summer, but September can put fish all over the place. Some are shallow, some are deep, and some are hanging out in the middle. The biggest thing right now is finding bait before you start fishing.

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Bass

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The bass are spread out, so don’t get stuck fishing one depth all day.

Three Ways to Catch Them

1. Topwater early: At daylight, throw a walking bait, small Fluke or wake bait over long points, humps and brush in 25 to 40 feet. A little wind helps.

2. Drop shot after the sun gets up: Fish a small natural-colored worm around brush, points and ledges in 25 to 40 feet. Keep it close to the bottom and slow it down.

3. Spoon or small underspin: If the fish are suspended or sitting deep near timber, drop a spoon or count a small underspin down to them. Watch the graph and keep the bait at the same depth as the fish.

There can also be a few bass shallow in the backs of creeks and around rocky banks. A buzzbait or Texas-rigged worm is worth trying early, but the deeper bite is still the safer bet.

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Crappie

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The latest crappie reports have most of the better fish around deep brush in about 20 to 30 feet. The bigger fish may be just outside the main school, so don’t always drop right into the biggest pile you see.

Three Ways to Catch Them

1. Small jig over brush: Use a small natural, chartreuse or shad-colored jig on 4- to 6-pound line. Keep it just above the fish and work it slowly.

2. Minnow straight down: Hook a small minnow and drop it over deep brush. Set it a foot or two above the depth where the fish are showing.

3. Shoot deeper docks: Look for docks near deep water, especially ones with brush under them. Shoot a small jig underneath and let it fall slowly.

If the brush or dock is empty on the graph, keep moving. Sitting over a place with no fish won’t make them show up.

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Striper

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Most of the stripers are still deep. Look on the south end and in the bigger creek channels such as Big Creek, Two Mile, Young Deer and Bald Ridge. They may be anywhere from 60 to more than 100 feet of water, so find them on the graph before dropping a bait.

Three Ways to Catch Them

1. Downline blueback herring: Drop fresh herring to the depth where the fish are showing. Keep the bait a little above the fish and stagger a few rods at different depths.

2. Troll lead core: Pull a 1½-ounce bucktail or jig about 7 to 9 colors back at 2½ to 3 mph. White and chartreuse are good simple colors.

3. Power-reel a spoon: When you mark a school deep, drop a spoon below them and reel it back up through the fish. If they don’t react after a few drops, move on.

 

Hot water is hard on herring, so carry plenty of bait and change out any bait that gets weak. Don’t be afraid to spend time looking. Finding the fish is most of the job right now.

When the Cool Mornings Start Sticking Around

One cool morning won’t change the whole lake, but several cooler nights can get the bait moving toward the creeks. When that starts happening, check creek mouths, secondary points and the backs of the larger creeks.

• Bass: Keep a topwater, Fluke, jerkbait or small swimbait ready. The topwater bite over brush, humps and points should get better as the water cools.

• Crappie: Start checking brush and docks closer to the creek mouths. They may stay deep at first, so let the graph tell you where to fish.

• Striper: The fish can start leaving the deep south-end summer pattern and spread into the creeks or move farther north. Watch for surface feeding early and late, but keep the downlines ready for fish that stay deep.

 

The fall turnover can make some creeks look stained and scatter the fish. If an area has no bait or the water looks bad, don’t waste the morning there. Move until you find better water and bait.

 

Simple Game Plan

Start early and check topwater places for bass. Once the sun comes up, use the graph and fish deeper. For crappie, look for brush in 20 to 30 feet. For stripers, spend your time finding a school before you put lines down. If you aren’t seeing bait or fish, move.