Lake Seminole, GA

Seminole Since its impoundment in 1957, this 37,500 acre COE reservoir, formed at the junction of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers in the southwestern corner of Georgia, has earned the reputation for producing fantastic fishing. During 2008, Lake Seminole should provide excellent fishing for largemouth bass, redear sunfish (shellcracker) and channel catfish and good fishing for crappie and bluegill. Anglers can expect to catch largemouth bass averaging around 2 pounds , with good numbers of 5 6 pounds bass available. Seminole has a reputation of producing big bass, and consistently ranks near the top of large Georgia reservoirs for catches of bass greater than 5 pounds Because of the abundance of aquatic plants in Seminole, the key to consistently catching bass is learning to fish these plant beds. Your best bet will be to throw a lipless crank bait, plastic worm, spinner bait or top water lure along the edges of these plants. February through May are the best months for catching bass.The average size redear in Lake Seminole is less than 8 inches. However, fish over 1 lb. are not uncommon. The key to consistently catch bream is to locate shallow water spawning beds during spring and early summer. The numerous backwater areas off the Chattahoochee River arm can produce good catches. Best baits are red wrigglers and crickets. Although not as abundant, some bluegill that are up to 7 inches in length, are available in Lake Seminole. Channel catfish numbers continue to be good, and catfish anglers should be rewarded with excellent fishing. The average catfish 16 caught will weigh around 2 3 pounds , but there are good chances of catching a 10 pounds or larger catfish. Main lake areas in the Flint and Chattahoochee River arms should provide the best fishing. According to local anglers, prepared blood and cheese baits fished on small artificial worms are a year round favorite.Seminole is not usually noted for good hybrid bass fishing and the reservoir has not been stocked with hybrids since 2003 due to efforts to boost striped bass numbers in the Apalachicola Chattahoochee Flint system. However, hybrids do escape from Walter F. George and Blackshear reservoirs and can be caught in Seminole. Anglers who put in the time to locate these hybrids can expect to catch fish ranging from 2 4 pounds , with some individuals weighing over 5 pounds Despite stocking efforts, overall striped bass abundance remains fairly low and the average weight of these fish will be around 3 pounds The best bet for catching hybrids and stripers will be in the areas near the dam where the Spring Creek channel enters the Flint River or up the Flint or Chattahoochee rivers in spring and winter. Due to ongoing efforts to rebuild striped bass populations, fishing is closed in five springs located in Lake Seminole from May through October. For more information on these restrictions, please see the current Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations. Although not usually noted for crappie fishing, Seminole can produce some good catches, especially for larger size crappie in the winter and spring months. Anglers can expect numbers to be fair, with the average fish weighing ¾ lb., but with some fish over 2 pounds available. Best bets are using minnows and jigs and concentrating on shallow backwater areas while the fish are spawning in February and March, and target the old Flint and Chattahoochee river channels during the winter and summer. The exotic plant Hydrilla continues to restrict boating and fishing access in Lake Seminole. This is most notable in late summer and fall when Hydrilla reaches the surface. At this time, the most accessible areas of the lake are along the river channels. The COE is currently using sterile grass carp to help control Hydrilla in the Fish Pond Drain and Cypress Pond areas. Grass carp were stocked behind barriers in these two areas. The barriers are designed to contain the grass carp and allow for boat passage. Boaters should use caution when navigating through these areas and report any damage to the COE as soon as possible.