White Bass In Georgia
On The Fly Freshwater
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April 2025
By Jimmy Jacobs
When the redbuds and the dogwoods are in bloom in the spring, two interconnected “runs” take place in the Peach State. First of all, white bass begin their mass migration up feeder streams and rivers from reservoirs to spawn. That also triggers a rush of anglers wanting to catch them to head for those same waters. Both of those begin in March and continue into April.
The white bass are focused on sustaining their species, while anglers are working in a communal atmosphere to gather the ingredients for some fish fries. White bass are profuse and successful procreators, with single females laying up to half a million eggs each. They can fulfill the expectation of both parties!
Getting ready for a fish fry! Photo by Polly Dean.
Once the water temperatures begin holding above 55 degrees, the white bass that have schooled up in reservoir arms begin running up the tributaries. The smaller males are the first fish to go, followed in a week or two by the larger females. And, this is a mass exodus – they move in large numbers.
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Obviously, these fish in the 1- to 3-pound size range become much easier targets for fly casters when they are in the shallower confines of the streams. Unlike some species, white bass do not quit eating during their spawning runs. When the run is fully on, catching double-digit numbers of the fish per day becomes a possibility.
Just how popular across the South are these fish with anglers? In Oklahoma, they are the official state fish. In most southern states, when the run begins, the stream banks can become lined with anglers, while fishermen in canoes, kayaks and johnboats are present as well.
In Peach State lakes the run can begin as early as the first week of March, depending on the weather. Usually, however, the mid to late part of the month sees more action. How can you know when the run is on? Just watch the water – when anglers start showing up in numbers, the white bass are moving.
On a more scientific level, in addition to the water temperature, the bass are triggered by the intensity of light in the early spring. The other, and least important factor, is current in the tributaries. Low, drought-condition flows can impede the spawn. Other factors that can disrupt the run are cold snaps, or high-water events that scatter the schools. The bass need the current, but not too much of it.
Another thing to watch is water levels in the reservoirs. As they are filled in the spring, the water encroaches upstream in the tributaries. The white bass are going to keep moving up to stay ahead of that and find better current.
Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.
Be aware, however, that for unknown reasons, the white bass run can be cyclical on a given stream. On what I consider my home water for these fish the run has been sporadic the last half decade. The springs of 2020, 2023 and 2024 saw the action fall off sharply. This year the white bass began showing up in mid-March.
I’m fortunate in that during the run this stream offers spots where one can cast from sand bars, from the shore or even wade fish for the whites. It also has a canoe/kayak launch and a rocky shoal.
That latter point is important, since the fish like to stack up just above and below riffles. The eggs laid stick to rocks or wood debris and need a constant flow of oxygenated water to hatch. Thus, the shoals become important areas. In larger tailwater rivers, expect to find the white bass stacked up very near the dams impeding their upstream movement.
Along the stream shore, spots to pay close attention to are any feeder creek mouths or debris piles that create eddies. White bass love to lay in these to ambush minnows.
As to what flies to throw, on my home water there is just one rule – make it a white minnow pattern. The only fly I have to use is a white bead-head Wooly Bugger. White bass are aggressive fish, they don’t nibble at their meals. Expect hard strikes. They usually hook themselves, negating the need to set the hook.
With all that covered, where should you be fishing in Georgia? You have three good options.
For anglers in the Metro Atlanta area, the run of white bass upstream of Allatoona Lake has been a convenient one. This reservoir is just 30 miles up Interstate 75 from Atlanta. However, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reports that white bass numbers are falling in Allatoona Lake and they expect a slow fishing season for them in 2025. That decline is attributed to the appearance of blueback herring and alewife in the lake. These non-native bait fish have disrupted the natural food chain the reservoir.
Fly-casting for white bass in Olde Rope Mill Park on the Little River. Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.
The runs up from Allatoona take place on the Etowah and Little rivers. For the Little River, there is shore access and a canoe/kayak launch at Olde Rope Mill Park in Woodstock.
Near the towns of Madison and Eatonton, Lake Oconee has a stable population of white bass that is comparable to recent years. These fish will make their runs up the Oconee and Apalachee rivers. The U.S. Forest Service boat ramp at the Oconee River Campground in the Oconee National Forest is the best access point for that stream. The Apalachee River skirts the western edge of hat forest, but the best access is from the Swords Boat Ramp on Lake Oconee.
The third good option for the white bass run is the Coosa River upstream of the Georgia-Alabama border. These white bass begin their run from Weiss Lake in the Cotton State.
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The old lock and dam at Mayo’s Bar on the Coosa River. Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.
The best access is to the main Coosa is from the boat ramp at Mayo’s Bar in Lock & Dam Park near Rome, Georgia. The white bass continue up from the Coosa into its feeder stream, the Oostanaula River, as well. A good jump off point for the upper Coosa and Oostanaula is the boat ramp near the river junction in Rome at Heritage Park. The Oostanaula also has ramps at the SR 140 and SR 156 bridge crossings.
