Fishing in Lake Lanier, Georgia
Lake Lanier provides fishermen with a plethora of fishing opportunities throughout the year. Georgians and visitors alike can not only enjoy the beauty of lake Lanier's vista's, but can also find excellent fishing choices for both hobbyists and professionals. The history surrounding this lake gives perspective of its uses and functions today.
Other People Are Reading
-
History of Lake Lanier, Georgia
-
Lake Lanier is a man made lake that was constructed in the late 1950s. It was created after the building of the Buford dam and is fed by the Chattahoochee river. It is a large lake, covering 26 miles and is included in the Corps of Engineers land of 58,000 acres.
Lake Lanier is a popular place for a host of activities that includes boating, camping, hiking and of course, fishing. The lake is stocked with striped bass with hatcheries owned by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Lake Lanier Fishing Lincense Requirements
-
Individuals between the ages of 16 and 65 are required to obtain a fishing license to fish on Lake Lanier. There are a few different license options. Lifetime, seasonal or combination hunting and fishing licenses are among a host of options for residents and non residents alike. Many local bait shops, hardware stores and sporting goods stores in the Lake Lanier area are license dealers, or a fisherman may obtain one by visiting the Georgia Department of Natural Resources website.
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
2070 U.S. Highway, SE
Social Circle, Georgia 30025
1-800-366-2661
http://www.georgiawildlife.com/
-
Popular Fish Species in Lake Lanier, Georgia
-
There are a large variety of fish swimming in the waters of Lake Lanier. The bass family, a fish popularly sought after, include four different species, two of which swim in Lake Lanier. Those species are the striped bass and the white bass. Seven species in the Sunfish family include the large mouth bass, the spotted bass, the bluegill, black crappie, green sunfish, the warmouth and the red breasted sunfish also reside in Lake Lanier.
The three catfish species swimming in this lake are: the channel, brown bullhead and the white catfish. The two fish within the Perch family also swimming in Lanier are the walleye and the yellow perch. These fish make up the most sought after and edible fish in Lake Lanier.
Bait Fish in Lake Lanier
-
There is a good amount of other, less popular fish that are used commonly for bait or avoided by fishermen because of their in-edibleness or their small size.
The Cyprinidae and the Atherinidae families include four small fish species that are found in Lanier's waters. They include the brook silverside, the common carp and the golden and spottail shiner. These fish species make excellent choices for bait.
Three other fish, the spotted sucker and the golden redhorse in the Catostomidae family, and the longnose gar of the Lepisosteidae family are among the "lower class" of fish not edible and not keenly sought after by fishermen. While there is a large quantity of these fish, they are most effective in keeping the water of Lake Lanier clean.
Lake Lanier Fishing Regulations
-
There are a few fishing regulations fishermen are obligated to follow when fishing in Lake Lanier or any other fresh water lake in Georgia. Depending on the type of fish caught, there is a limit of how many an individual is allowed to keep in a day. Trout, for example, is limited to 8 per day, per person. While there is no length limit for trout in Lake Lanier, fishermen are required to release bass that are under 14 inches in length.
-
References
- Photo Credit fly fishing image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
