February Lake Lanier Fishing Report
February can be an interesting month on Lake Lanier. The weather has been mild, so we are still in the upper 40’s for water temperatures all over the lake. The rain we have gotten over the past few weeks have been great for the lake level (currently 6.79 feet down), but has made the fishing tricky. One day the backs of the creeks, where all the bait is, have really good water clarity and then the next day it is “blown out” and muddy.
Good electronics are the key right now. The fish are keying on the large bait schools that are moving with the “good” water as it moves back and forth from the backs to the mids of the main creeks. Find the bait with your electronics and find the fish. Flat lines and planer boards in 25-35′ of water have been best first thing in the morning and then downlines in 35-55′ of water as the day progresses.
As the month moves along be prepared for the big fish bite to get better and better. They will be keying on big baits in shallow water in the afternoons after the sun has warmed the water a few degrees. The bait will move to the flats, off of main creek channels, looking for warmer water and the big fish will take advantage as they look to beef up for the spawn. These fish are looking to bulk up fast so make sure you use big baits. Oakwood Bait & Tackle has a great stock of big trout and gizzard shad this time of year.
Crappie fishing has also been up and down over the last few weeks. As the weather stabilizes so will the crappie bite. We’ve had some good days shooting docks but then they will move back to the deep brush piles the next day.
Give me a call to set up a trip soon. The full moon at the end of the month will start getting the female stripers to produce eggs and get fired up. I am looking forward to the next 8 weeks. Hope to see you soon!