Lake Harding

Any angler in West Georgia loves the lakes managed by Georgia Power, such as Goat Rock Lake, West Point Lake, Lake Oliver, and Lake Harding. These locations offer great hiking, picnicking, boating, and fishing facilities for a fun day out.

Lake Harding stands out, particularly as a popular fishing destination for West Georgians. Loved by residents, this lake is home to a beautiful stock of bass, catfish, and more. Lake Harding fishing is not something you should miss while in West Georgia or Alabama.

Besides Lake Harding, we’ve also looked into a few other great angling locations nearby to help give you the best angling experience.

Lake Harding (Bartlett’s Ferry Lake)

Formed by the Bartlett’s Ferry Dam, Lake Harding lies in Georgia’s Harris County, with a portion extending into Alabama. The lake is now owned by Georgia Power, which initially built it to generate hydroelectric power.

Measuring 5,860 acres, Lake Harding features a stock of lucrative game fish, namely: shoal bass, white bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, hybrid striped bass, channel catfish, white crappie, black crappie, redear sunfish, longear sunfish, bluegill, and yellow perch. Lake Harding is also called Bartlett’s Ferry Lake, and one of its major tributaries is Halawakee Creek.

Bartlett’s Ferry Lake is one of the few impoundments where you can catch shoal bass in the region. To catch these fish, local anglers around Lake Harding know to take specialized jet boats to reach the creeks off the main lake, where most fish are caught quickly.

At Bartlett’s Ferry Lake, you will have access to several public boat ramps, including but not limited to the Blanton Creek boat ramp, Blands Landing, Chattahoochee Valley Recreational Park, and Idle Hour Park.

Additionally, you can launch canoes and kayaks from areas with shoreline fishing access. This can be done along the more than 150 miles of well-developed shoreline, where you will find boat docks and brush, both favorite spots for baitfish and fish to hang out. Small craft can be launched from shoreline access fishing areas, including canoes, Kayaks, and other small craft.

If you like exploring, you can visit Huston’s Island, where the ruins of an old lake house sit. And if you feel like camping after a long day of fishing at Bartlett’s Ferry Lake, there are enough grounds in both Georgia and Alabama!

You will need a Georgia fishing license to fish at Lake Harding, but an AL fishing license is also accepted.

West Point Lake

Located 35.5 miles away from Lake Harding, West Point Lake covers a 35-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River between West Point, GA, and Franklin, GA. This is a popular recreational area, a great spot to fish, bike, boat, and even camp.

This manufactured reservoir spans 26,000 acres, offering various fishing options from the dock or a boat. Despite being just 21m deep, this lake is brimming with fish: largemouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, white bass, and crappie. It’s enough to make any angler happy. Here, boats can be launched from several places, including the Dewberry Ramp, the Clark Recreation Area Boat Ramp, Earl Cook, Long Cane, Glass Bridge, Ringer Access, White Water Access, etc.

There are numerous facilities available at West Point Lake; contact us here.

Goat Rock Lake

Spanning 940 acres, the Goat Rock Lake is located on the Chattahoochee River, 10 miles above Columbus. Stretching across the Georgia-Alabama border, this lake contains several popular species like the striped bass, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, crappie, blue catfish, flathead catfish, channel catfish, and bluegill. Due to its relatively small size and its hydroelectric dams, Goat Rock Lake is known to have a constant current, which many anglers believe gives their spotted and largemouth bass a bigger fight than others of their species.

Goat Rock Marina is the best place to access Goat Rock Lake, offering free public access. However, you will have to pay a small parking fee to park your vehicle there. As for licenses, both Georgia and Alabama fishing licenses can be used, as mentioned before, here.

Lake Harding Charters

To see a complete list of excellent Ga Fishing Guides, please click here!

Lake Oliver

Lake Oliver is formed by a dam that produces enough hydroelectric power to serve over 22,000 homes in Georgia annually. Only half an hour away from Lake Harding and sandwiched between Phenix City, AL, and Columbus, GA. This 2,150-acre lake is a popular destination for boaters and anglers. Especially during the summer, the lake attracts many recreational boaters.

The most popular catches at Lake Oliver are crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, channel catfish, and redear sunfish. The Lake Oliver Marina, which offers anglers easy access to this treasure, can be found at 5501 River Road, Columbus.

Final Words

Don’t miss out on Lake Harding fishing in West Georgia because you’ll regret it. Remember to have your GA or AL fishing license handy, and you’ll be good to go on Lake Harding!

We also have great deals available on the following lakes, including fishing on Lake Lanier & Lake Allatoona, that match your search criteria.