Delayed Harvest trout carry the mountains from November 1, stocked every month through the winter, and the big lakes turn to spotted bass, striped bass and crappie as they cool. On the coast red drum and speckled trout stay open all winter, and the red drum limit changes on January 1. Below the fall line the lower Flint and Chattahoochee open to striped bass on November 1, and the blackwater rivers fish between fronts.
What to fish for in early November
Georgia splits at the fall line. Above it the big Corps lakes turn slow and deep and the Delayed Harvest streams get stocked every month of the winter; below it the blackwater rivers carry redbreast, bream and crappie whenever their levels drop, and on the coast the marsh fishes between fronts, redfish and speckled trout in the creeks and sheepshead on the pilings.
Spotted Bass
The Lanier and Allatoona fish of the cold months, chasing blueback herring and threadfin shad through clear water and rising toward the surface on bright, calm afternoons.
Where. Steep points, standing timber and the swings of the old river channel on Lanier, Allatoona and Carters.
The spotted bass waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Lake Lanier about 66F Today's forecast Striped Bass
Follows the herring and shad into the backs of the creeks as the lakes cool, and on the coast runs up the brackish rivers.
Where. The backs of the creeks on Lanier and the Savannah lakes, the brackish reaches of the Ogeechee and the Savannah, and the lower Flint below the Albany dams.
Rainbow Trout
Stocked every month of the winter in the Delayed Harvest stretches and released again, so the fishing holds up from the first cold to spring, best in the days after each stocking.
Where. Amicalola Creek, Smith Creek below Unicoi, the Toccoa, the Chattooga and the Chattahoochee below Buford Dam through Atlanta.
The rainbow trout waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam about 54F Best Sun, Nov 15, C+Today's forecast Crappie
Schools tight and keeps feeding in the cold, over brush and timber in the lakes and in the slack bends of the coastal rivers when their water falls.
Where. Brush and standing timber on Oconee, Sinclair and Clarks Hill, Lake Seminole's timber, and the oxbows and bends of the Altamaha.
The crappie waters we forecast Water Usual water now Forecast Lake Oconee about 66F Best Fri, Nov 6, A+Today's forecast Redfish (Red Drum)
Packs into schools along the marsh edge in the clear, cold water and feeds hardest on the low tide, when the creeks drain and push it into their mouths.
Where. Oyster banks, docks and the mouths of tidal creeks behind the Golden Isles and around Brunswick, and the creeks of Wassaw and Ossabaw sounds.
The redfish (red drum) waters we forecast Water Forecast Savannah River entrance Today's forecast
Usual water now is that water's normal for this point in the season: a lake's modeled seasonal curve or a river gauge's long-run average, not this year's reading. The forecast link reads this week's.
What changes soon
Nothing on this report's calendar for Georgia in the next six weeks.
In the last two weeks
- Sun November 1Georgia opens striped bass and spearfishing on the lower Flint, the Chattahoochee below Columbia Lock and Dam and Spring Creek, and the marked spring areas of Lake Seminole, until April 30.
- Sun November 1Delayed Harvest streams turn catch and release in Georgia, South Carolina and West Virginia, and on Big Soddy Creek in Tennessee; those in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky have been catch and release since October 1.
Every date for Georgia from November to February (4)
- Sun November 1Delayed Harvest streams turn catch and release in Georgia, South Carolina and West Virginia, and on Big Soddy Creek in Tennessee; those in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Kentucky have been catch and release since October 1.
- Sun November 1Georgia opens striped bass and spearfishing on the lower Flint, the Chattahoochee below Columbia Lock and Dam and Spring Creek, and the marked spring areas of Lake Seminole, until April 30.
- Fri January 1Georgia's red drum limit becomes three a day from 15 to 24 inches.
- Sun February 28Last day of North Carolina's Hatchery Supported trout season, closed from March 1 to the first Saturday in April, and of Georgia's bluefish season.
This week's fishing reports
This report covers the season. For what was caught this week, read the people who report on this water.
Georgia is reported every week by its own agency: Wildlife Resources' Georgia Fishing Report ran 14 times last winter, from November 7 to February 27, with north Georgia and the southeast in every issue. Unicoi Outfitters in Helen reported the trout water every week, and GON's monthly saltwater report covers Savannah to the Ogeechee. The thinnest part of the state is the southwest, where Seminole and the lower Flint were in the weekly report only now and then.
Where to fish in Georgia, area by area
Each water links to its live forecast. The engine outlook in these areas was generated November 3, 2026, for the 14 days from that date; good hours are the hours at or above a B+.
North Georgia
Lake Lanier · Lake Allatoona · Lake Hartwell · Carters Lake · Blue Ridge Lake
The Blue Ridge and its foothills: trout streams on national forest land, the cold Chattahoochee below Buford Dam running down through Atlanta, and the big Corps reservoirs, Lanier, Allatoona, Carters and Hartwell, where spotted bass and striped bass hold in deep, clear water.
Who reports here. Wildlife Resources' weekly report carried north Georgia in every issue last winter, with named guides on Lanier and Allatoona each week and Georgia Wild Trout's Tad Murdock on the trout water in most. Unicoi Outfitters in Helen posts a full trout report every Friday. In winter only the Delayed Harvest streams are stocked, once a month.
Engine outlook
- Best: Sun, Nov 15, C+0 good hours56F measured Nov 3 at CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT BUFORD DAM, NEAR BUFORD, GA4330 cfsat CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT BUFORD DAM, NEAR BUFORD, GAon this water
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
The central Georgia lakes
Clarks Hill Lake · Lake Russell · Lake Oconee · Lake Sinclair · Jackson Lake
The Piedmont reservoirs between Atlanta and Augusta: Oconee and Sinclair, linked by the pumpback at Wallace Dam, Jackson at the head of the Ocmulgee, and Clarks Hill and Russell on the Savannah, shared with South Carolina. State public fishing areas with small managed lakes fill in around them.
Who reports here. Wildlife Resources' weekly report had a central section in 13 of last winter's 14 issues, missing only January 9, with named guides on most of these lakes and a report from the state's managed ponds.
Engine outlook
- Best: Fri, Nov 6, A+14 good hours68F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 14h
Southwest Georgia
Lake Blackshear · Lake Seminole · Flint River · Walter F. George Lake · Chattahoochee River
The Flint and the lower Chattahoochee across the coastal plain, with Blackshear on the Flint and Lake Seminole where the two meet at the Florida line, a lake of grass beds, stumps and spring holes. The Flint below the dams is limestone-fed shoal water, home to shoal bass.
Who reports here. The thinnest part of Georgia in winter. The weekly report had no southwest section in four winter weeks and named Seminole in five issues and the Flint in only two, so the lower Flint and Chattahoochee striped bass season that opens on November 1 goes almost unreported.
Engine outlook
- Best: Mon, Nov 9, A12 good hours71F modeled from this lake's own seasonal curvebest run 12h
The southeast Georgia rivers
Altamaha River · Ocmulgee River · Satilla River · St. Marys River · Alapaha River
Rivers running across the coastal plain to the Atlantic: the Altamaha and its Ocmulgee and Oconee forks, the tea-dark Satilla and St. Marys, and the Okefenokee Swamp at the head of the St. Marys and the Suwannee. Redbreast, bream, catfish and crappie fill the bends and sloughs, and the river level decides most trips.
Who reports here. The weekly report covered these waters in nearly every winter issue, with gauge heights for eight of them, and its January 16 issue carried a new river-record crappie from the Altamaha.
Brunswick and the Golden Isles
Brunswick · St. Simons Island · Jekyll Island · St. Andrew Sound · Crooked River
Brunswick, the Golden Isles and the sounds south to the St. Marys, a coast of salt marsh, tidal creeks and barrier islands where the tide drains whole creeks at low water. Redfish, speckled trout, sheepshead and black drum work the creek mouths, docks and shell banks.
Who reports here. The weekly report's saltwater part covered Brunswick and St. Simons in every winter issue, Jekyll and Crooked River now and then, and offshore in five.
Savannah to the Ogeechee
Savannah · Tybee Island · Wassaw Sound · Ossabaw Sound · Ogeechee River
Savannah and the sounds south to the Ogeechee, Tybee, Wassaw and Ossabaw, marsh islands and tidal rivers where fresh water meets salt. Striped bass come up the brackish reaches of the Ogeechee and the Savannah, and redfish and trout hold in the creeks.
Who reports here. GON's monthly saltwater report is the one voice from Savannah to the Ogeechee, posted at the end of the month before. Capt. David Newlin's section is a live report; Capt. Judy Helmey's is seasonal advice. The DNR weekly's Savannah lines are a river gauge, not the coast.
Engine outlook
- Its best day in this outlook has passed.
The rules from November to February
What changed this time
- Red drum change on January 1, 2027: from five a day from 14 to 23 inches to three a day from 15 to 24 inches, total length.
- Wildlife Resources stocks the five Delayed Harvest streams every month through the winter, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and, on the Chattooga, South Carolina DNR. The release announcing this season had not been posted by October 19.
- Bluefish close after February 28 for March and April, and cobia reopen on March 1.
Read on October 19, 2026, from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources: the Wildlife Resources Division's rules (Chapter 391-4-3), license, trout and stocking pages and news releases, and the Coastal Resources Division's saltwater limits.
Licenses, and which state's rules apply
- Residents 16 to 64 need a Georgia fishing license for fresh and salt water, $15 for a year or $5 for a day and $1 for each day added, and residents 65 and older buy a discounted senior license. Visitors 16 and older pay $50 for a year or $10 for a day and $3.50 for each day added. Mountain trout take a separate paid Trout License, and anglers 15 and under need no license.
- Anyone 16 or older fishing salt water also needs the free Saltwater Information Program (SIP) permit, even with a license that covers everything or none needed at all, and renews it every year.
- A Georgia or South Carolina freshwater license is good on the Savannah River up to where the Tugaloo and Seneca meet, on the Chattooga to the North Carolina line, and on Thurmond, Russell, Hartwell, Yonah, Tugaloo and Stevens Creek lakes, though not up their tributaries. A Georgia license is good on the St. Marys River and Lake Seminole, though not up Florida's tributary creeks. Georgia and Alabama licenses are both good on the Chattahoochee where it is the state line and on its impoundments, except West Point Lake above the Georgia 109 bridge.
Bait, gear and fish you cannot keep
- Live blueback herring may not be used as bait, or even possessed, anywhere in Georgia's fresh water except on the waters the rule lists, among them Bartlett's Ferry, the Altamaha system below the Juliette, Tobesofkee and Sinclair dams, and the streams that run straight to the Atlantic.
- An angler may catch bait with one minnow seine no longer than 20 feet and up to two tagged minnow traps, and keep up to 50 nongame fish a day, only to use as bait or to put back where they came from. Seines and traps are not allowed in trout streams.
Lakes, ponds and rivers
- Georgia's designated trout waters are open all year, with a limit of eight trout. Five stretches are delayed-harvest water until May 15, where every trout goes back, none may be held from November 1 to May 14, and only artificial lures with single hooks are allowed: Amicalola Creek below Steele Bridge Road, the Chattahoochee from Sope Creek to US 41, the Chattooga above Georgia 28, Smith Creek below Unicoi Dam and the Toccoa near Shallowford Bridge.
- Dukes Creek on the Smithgall Woods Conservation Area is catch and release all year, with barbless artificial lures only. The Conasauga River above the Tennessee line is artificial lures only until the last Saturday in March, and it, Smith Creek at Unicoi and the Chattahoochee below Lake Lanier are open only from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
- Striped bass may be taken, and spearfishing done, only from November 1 to April 30 on the Flint below the Albany dams, the Chattahoochee below Columbia Lock and Dam, and Spring Creek, and the marked areas around five springs in Lake Seminole are open to any fishing only in the same months.
- Black bass, largemouth and spotted among them, are 10 a day in combination. The largemouth minimum is 12 inches, 14 inches on Lanier, Oconee, West Point, Walter F. George, Blackshear and the public fishing areas; spotted bass on Lanier must be at least 14 inches too. Shoal bass must be at least 15 inches, except on the Flint below Warwick Dam, where every shoal bass from 15 to 20 inches goes back.
- Shad running up the coastal rivers are 8 a day of American and hickory shad together. A recreational shad angler may use two poles and lines, and a bow net with at least 3 1/2-inch stretched mesh.
Salt water
- Red drum are a gamefish, fished for only with pole and line, under a daily limit and a slot. Spotted seatrout are 15 a day of at least 14 inches, flounder 15 of at least 12, black drum 15 of at least 14 and sheepshead 15 of at least 10 inches fork length.
- Bluefish are open through February 28, 15 a day of at least 12 inches fork length, then close for March and April. Cobia are closed until March 1. Striped bass in salt water are 2 a day of at least 22 inches, and in the Savannah River 2 of at least 27. Atlantic sturgeon may not be kept.
Read on these agency pages: Georgia DNR: What License Do I Need?, Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: Licenses and the SIP Permit, SCDNR: Recreational Fishing and Hunting License requirements, and the Georgia and South Carolina agreement, FWC: Do I Need a License? (exemptions), Ala. Admin. Code 220-2-.122: Georgia Reciprocal Fishing Agreement, Georgia Rules 391-4-3, Fishing Regulations (Wildlife Resources Division), Georgia Rules 391-2-4, Coastal Resources Division fishing rules, Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: Fishing Regulations (size and creel limits).
The season at a glance
What these months usually do
Each lake's own seasonal curve, the one the engine scores the lake on: what these dates usually do, modeled rather than measured, and not a forecast for this year.
| Water | Nov 1 | Dec 1 | Jan 1 | Feb 1 | Feb 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Lanier | 67F | 56F | 49F | 47F | 50F |
| Lake Oconee | 67F | 57F | 50F | 49F | 54F |
| Lake Seminole | 69F | 61F | 55F | 55F | 61F |
Each river's own gauge: its average for these dates across the years it has recorded, measured, and not a forecast for this year.
| Water | Nov 1 | Dec 1 | Jan 1 | Feb 1 | Feb 28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee River below Buford DamCHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT BUFORD DAM, NEAR BUFORD, GA, 1975 to 2026 | 54F | 54F | 51F | 47F | 47F |
The moon from November to February
| Month | New moon | Full moon |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Mon, Nov 9 | Tue, Nov 24 |
| December 2026 | Tue, Dec 8 | Wed, Dec 23 |
| January 2027 | Thu, Jan 7 | Fri, Jan 22 |
| February 2027 | Sat, Feb 6 | Sat, Feb 20 |
The U.S. Naval Observatory's dates, on local time.
Daylight in each area from November to February
Worked out for one place in each area, on its own clock.
| Area | Shortest day | Earliest sunset | Latest sunrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Georgiaat Lake Lanier | 9h 52m, Dec 21 | 5:27pm, around Dec 5 | 7:44am, around Jan 7 |
| The central Georgia lakesat Lake Oconee | 9h 56m, Dec 21 | 5:26pm, around Dec 5 | 7:39am, around Jan 8 |
| Southwest Georgiaat Lake Seminole | 10h 9m, Dec 21 | 5:39pm, around Dec 3 | 7:39am, around Jan 9 |
| The southeast Georgia riversat Jesup, near the Altamaha | 10h 5m, Dec 21 | 5:25pm, around Dec 4 | 7:29am, around Jan 9 |
| Brunswick and the Golden Islesat St. Simons Sound | 10h 7m, Dec 21 | 5:24pm, around Dec 3 | 7:26am, around Jan 9 |
| Savannah to the Ogeecheeat Savannah River entrance | 10h 3m, Dec 21 | 5:20pm, around Dec 4 | 7:26am, around Jan 9 |
The lowest tides from November to February
| Station | Lowest, Nov | Lowest, Dec | Lowest, Jan | Lowest, Feb | Biggest range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Simons Light | -0.7 ftThu, Nov 26, 3:00am | -1.4 ftFri, Dec 25, 2:49am | -1.8 ftSat, Jan 23, 2:39am | -1.6 ftSun, Feb 21, 2:26am | 9.7 ftJan 23 |
| Fort Pulaski, Savannah River Entrance | -0.7 ftThu, Nov 26, 2:49am | -1.3 ftFri, Dec 25, 2:36am | -1.8 ftSat, Jan 23, 2:22am | -1.7 ftSun, Feb 21, 2:07am | 10.1 ftJan 23 |
NOAA's predictions, in feet above the average of each day's lower low tide, so a minus tide falls below it. Wind and air pressure move the water off the prediction.