Blue Ridge, GA

Complete Guide to Fishing the Blue Ridge Area

Georgia is known for its stunning parklands and the unparalleled beauty of its many lakes and rivers. Perhaps one of the gorgeous spots in all of Georgia, though, is the city of Blue Ridge, a mountain town in the northern part of the state. With a bustling cultural community, the city is a base for exploring Lake Blue Ridge and the Toccoa River.

Fishing in Blue Ridge Ga is an experience not to miss: the city is home to some of the most popular fishing spots in the state, notably Blue Ridge Lake for reservoir fishing and the Toccoa River for trout fishing. It’s known as the trout capital of Georgia! Here’s our guide.

Anglers Fishing Tips

Lake Blue Ridge supports Alabama bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, and bluegill. Smallmouth are a conservation concern here: Georgia DNR identifies competition from introduced Alabama bass as a threat. Check the current DNR fishing forecast rather than expecting abundant trophy smallmouth.

You’ll also find walleye, yellow perch, white bass, and largemouth bass in Blue Ridge Lake, where the magnificence of the Blue Ridge mountains around you will have you wishing you had been there sooner. There are more than a few options to entertain yourself and your family while at Blue Ridge Lake!

Popular Nearby Blue Ridge Fishing Locations

Blue Ridge Lake

Nottely Lake

Lake Chatuge

Carters Lake

Trout Fishing and Fly Fishing Near Lake Blue Ridge

As the region’s largest water body, Lake Blue Ridge is home to a healthy and thriving game fish population. But if it’s trout fishing you’re after, the rivers and creeks of this Georgia gem will probably serve your needs much better.

Dozens of river and stream access points in and around Lake Blue Ridge will satisfy any trout fishermen interested in trout fishing in Blue Ridge, Ga. The Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery produces approximately one million trout annually for public waters across northern Georgia, rather than for Lake Blue Ridge alone, making this a prime fishing destination.

Rainbow trout and brown trout are stocked in the Toccoa River below Blue Ridge Dam. Confirm the fishery you intend to visit rather than assuming the lake and river offer the same trout fishing. If you’re an experienced fly fisher, the wild trout swimming in these streams and rivers also make for an unforgettable fly fishing experience.

Although the Toccoa River tailwaters are the best spot for fishing near Lake Blue Ridge, there are other trout streams and hotspots here that anglers love, such as Blue Ridge Dam Canoe Access, Curtis Switch, Tammen Park, and Horseshoe Bend Park. Many of these places offer other activities, accommodation options, and picnic pavilions.

The Toccoa River

While we’re on trout fishing, it would be criminal to leave out the Toccoa River, considered one of the best fishing spots by many.

Ask any North Georgia angler to point you to the best fishing spots near Blue Ridge, and they will most likely include the Toccoa River in that list. Below Blue Ridge Dam, the Toccoa River is home to a strong and large population of heavy, big trout fish, including the brown trout and even the brook trout sometimes.

While most trout in the Toccoa River are between 10” and 14” long, some are as long as 26”. So anglers into trophy fishing might find what their heart seeks at the Toccoa, especially in the lower Toccoa River.

Lake Nottely

Lake Nottely is a TVA reservoir near Blairsville. TVA’s land-management plan lists 3,970 acres of water surface and 102 miles of shoreline. Use designated ramps and check TVA’s reservoir information when planning access.

The Poteete Creek Park, which Union County maintains, has boating ramps, a gorgeous white sand beach where you can go swimming, access to a lake, and a campground. Check current park access and plan the drive from your starting point.

Lake Nottely is a fertile waterbody, supporting many bass species. Many other game fish species are also found here, such as catfish, rainbow trout, crappie, striped bass, sunfish, and hybrid stripers. No wonder northern Georgia fly anglers consider this a fly fishing haven!

Lake Chatuge

Another TVA reservoir for great fishing close to the Blue Ridge is Lake Chatuge, created during the Chatuge Dam construction, completed in 1942. If you enjoy bass fishing, you absolutely must visit Lake Chatuge.

Georgia DNR’s Chatuge forecast lists Alabama bass, largemouth bass, and hybrid bass, along with bluegill, catfish, walleye, and carp. Consult the current lake forecast for fishery-specific guidance. You’ll also have fun catching bream, catfish, and crappie outside of bass.

Lake Trahlyta

Another reservoir in Union County, Lake Trahlyta, is located in Vogel State Park near Blairsville, Georgia, a separate mountain-lake outing from Blue Ridge. The lake, named after Princess Trahlyta of the Eastern Band of Cherokees, offers trout, largemouth bass, bluegill/bream, and catfish. Check Vogel State Park’s fishing guidance for access and current requirements.

The amounts of bass and bream are limited, but don’t be surprised if you bag an impressive bluegill or largemouth bass when you catch fish here.

Check current access and fishing rules at Lake Trahlyta and each other lake before visiting. Paddle boating and swimming facilities are also available. Similar to Lake Allatoona at certain times of the year.

Local Blue Ridge Fishing Guides

Meet the team of Blue Ridge Fishing Guides. We know the best spots, baits, and techniques to give you the most incredible fishing experience in the Blue Ridge area.

Fishing License Requirements on Fishing Charters

Blue Ridge trips use Georgia freshwater rules. Anglers age 16 and older generally need a fishing license, with trout privileges also required when fishing for mountain trout unless covered by an applicable license or exemption. Georgia offers senior license options; turning 65 does not automatically remove every license requirement. Confirm your privileges and any water-specific rules using Georgia DNR’s license guidance and trout fishing information.

Lake Winfield Scott

Lake Winfield Scott, around which the Lake Winfield Scott Campground is centered, offers year-round recreation opportunities, including boating, fishing, swimming, camping, picnicking, and hiking. The lake, which measures 18 acres, is divided into a south loop and a north loop and contains trout, catfish, bream, perch, and bass for an unforgettable fishing adventure.

Although you can go fishing at Lake Winfield Scott any time of the year, swimming and camping access depends on the current operating schedule. Check Lake Winfield Scott’s official recreation listing before visiting. Only electric motors are allowed on this lake.

Allatoona Lake

No serious angler in Georgia has missed out on fishing in the Allatoona Lake, and neither should you! A separate regional outing from Blue Ridge, Red Top Mountain State Park provides access to Lake Allatoona; the reservoir extends well beyond the park. This 12,000-acre lake boasts a beautiful shoreline that stretches 270 miles, including Acworth Beach.

You’ll quickly find crappie, catfish, trophy bass, and bluegill at Allatoona. The picnic facilities here are also quite impressive, attracting many visitors year-round, whether they like fishing or not.

Lake Burton

Lake Burton is a Georgia Power Co. reservoir offering a separate regional trip from Blue Ridge. If you’re a bass angler, you’ll love this place; you’ll have access to many excellent reservoir trout, spotted bass, largemouth bass, redear sunfish, bluegill, grass carp, and white bass.

Carters Lake

Located in the Murray and Gilmer Counties of north Georgia, the 3,200-acre Carters Lake is the deepest of all of Georgia’s reservoirs, at an average depth of 200 feet, going down to 450 feet in some places.

Any bass angler worth his salt knows about the spotted bass at Carters Lake, but you’ll also find trophy striped bass and trophy walleye while fishing here. Carters is a Corps of Engineers reservoir, but that does not make every shoreline location an accessible fishing spot. The Corps notes that steep terrain limits shoreline fishing; use designated access points and check official fishing and ramp information.

Conasauga River

A regional river outing from Blue Ridge, the Conasauga River is 93 miles long and houses 90 species of fish and 25 freshwater mussel species. Here, you’ll find smallmouth buffalo, carp, channel catfish, redhorse suckers, bluegill, longear sunfish, redear sunfish, spotted bass, redeye bass, black crappie, largemouth bass, and freshwater drum.

Common fish species in this river include carp, redeye bass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill, redhorse suckers, spotted bass, channel catfish, longear sunfish, redear sunfish, largemouth bass, black crappie, smallmouth buffalo, and freshwater drum.

Hiking enthusiasts are also bound to love the Conasauga, so if that sounds like you, remember to bring your hiking shoes, too, because you don’t want to miss out on the river trail!

Noontootla Creek

Noontootla Creek includes public and private reaches. Identify your intended access point and obtain permission for private property before fishing.

At Noontootla Creek, your angler’s heart will be filled with joy to find wild brown and rainbow trout. On Noontootla Creek and its tributaries within Blue Ridge WMA, only artificial lures are permitted and trout shorter than 16 inches must be released immediately. The 16-inch rule is a minimum, not a maximum size. Private waters may have separate access requirements; confirm the reach and current Georgia DNR special-stream rules before fishing.

Final Words

Wherever you go fishing in Blue Ridge, GA, the great fishing options are bound to enthrall you, but fishing in Blue Ridge is undoubtedly a standout experience. Before you set out to fish in Blue Ridge, Ga., ensure you have a Georgia fishing license for Blue Ridge. Research and find the best fishing spots near you. Good luck and have fun!

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