Targeting striped bass in the brine around the Peach State’s oldest city is an overlooked fishery.

On The Fly Saltwater

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October 2025

Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs

When it comes to striped bass fishing, Georgia is noted for having some very good options. In the case of chasing these line-sided fish with the fly, most notable is the action on Lake Sidney Lanier, just north of Atlanta. Also, several other large reservoirs, such as Allatoona, Hartwell and Clarks Hill have good numbers of stripers.

Additionally, you can add to those the naturally reproducing population in the fish in the Coosa River system of west Georgia. Spawning runs of stripers upstream from Weiss Lake at the Alabama/Georgia border support that fishery in the Coosa, Etowah and Oostanaula Rivers.

Lesser known and utilized are the striped bass options available in the salt and brackish waters along the Peach State coast. The fish may not reach the mega-sizes of their cousins on the East Coast farther north, but there is a viable fishery. A major difference between the fish on the North Carolina to New England coast and Georgia’s stripers has to do with the ocean.

On the Georgia coast the striper never actually go to sea. Rather they inhabit the lower reaches of the rivers in the area where fresh and saltwater mix, while venturing into total salt areas at some seasons. Those fish can be mainly found in the Altamaha, Satilla, Ogeechee and Savannah Rivers. Among those, the Savannah and its feeder streams provide the strongest number and sizes of striped bass.

The Savannah River and its headwaters form the border between Georgia and South Carolina. Along its course it passes through the city of Augusta, prior to emptying in the Atlantic Ocean at the historic port city of Savannah. It is the vicinity of that later city that the targeting of salty stripers occurs.

The vicinity of Savannah is a prime destination for producing striped bass in the 20-pound range from Georgia saltwater. However, this is a recovering population. Though natural reproduction occurs, Peach State fisheries biologists have also done some stocking of stripers to help jump start that recovery.

Also, near the Peach State’s oldest city, the Ogeechee River provides some striper options. Here the fish generally run smaller. Most will be under 10 pounds.

Angling for Georgia coastal stripers is basically a winter game. That’s because the stripers move up the rivers looking for cooler water in spring through fall, returning to the salt as the water temperature falls in the winter.

One adage if targeting stripers on the coast is to concentrate on “concrete and current.” These fish also are referred to in some locales as rockfish. That’s because they favor habitat around rocks. In the case of the Georgia coast that translates to concrete bridge pilings. The fish often stack up in the eddies on the down current side of such structures.

On the Savannah River this also applies to the pier pilings along the river in the Port Wentworth area of the cities port facilities. Just be aware when targeting this area that this is a major, busy port, so avoid getting into the shipping channel. Also, upriver the pilings of the Houlihan Bridge on State Route 25 are worth checking out.

Houlihan Bridge on GA Highway 25.

On the Ogeechee River, either the U.S. Highway 17 bridge or the I-95 span over the river are worth targeting.

Around the bridges on either of these rivers, rigging up an intermediate or sinking line on at least a 9-weight rod is advisable. Deeper holes tend to wash out on either side of the pilings and currents can be strong. You need to get the fly down in the current to the stripers as quickly as possible.

As to flies, large-sized Clouser Deep Minnows or Lefty’s Deceivers are good choices. The best colors are solid white or white-and-red patterns.

The bridges are not the only sites that produce stripers. On the Ogeechee River, along the portion of the saltwater that hold stripers, the mouths of abandoned rice irrigation ditches can be hotspots. These small canals date from the start of the 1800s, with most of the water control gates now having rotted away. On falling tides when the water is draining from them, the stripers congregate to ambush forage being washed out. Any of these with any wood debris at their mouths are the best bets. Floating lines with smaller flies can work here.

Kings Ferry Park on the Ogeechee River.

The best landings for reaching the striper area on the Ogeechee are at the King Ferry Park at the U.S. 17 bridge, or downstream at Fort McAllister State Park at the end of State Route 144.

Another option in the drainage of the Savannah River can be found on the Wilmington River. This flow branches off the Savannah on its north end and empties into Wassaw Sound at its southern end. Along the way it passes through the fishing village of Thunderbolt.

Along the way, the mouths – from north to south – of Habersham Creek, Williamson Creek, Herb River and Skidaway River are all known to attract striper in December to March annually. These spots should be targeted on the outgoing tide.

Additionally, the flat on the west side of the river as it passes the historic Bonaventure Cemetery also attracts the fish. The cemetery was made famous by its connection to the 1994 book and 1997 movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. On this flat you want to be fishing right along the grass line on the high tide.