FB
First Bite Guide Service
Acworth, GA
Fishes Carters Lake, Lake Allatoona
Reservoir · Northwest Georgia · Georgia
Lake Allatoona Fishing Guides and Conditions, Georgia
Steep, clear and structure-driven Etowah River water northwest of Atlanta, with a reputation for being difficult and a spotted bass population that rewards fishing open water.
Gauge location. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Guides on the Lake Allatoona
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
About the Lake Allatoona
Allatoona is the older, smaller and steeper of the two big Atlanta-area Corps lakes, impounding the Etowah River northwest of the city. It has a long-standing reputation for being difficult, which is mostly a way of saying it is deep, clear and structure-driven, with fish that relate to rock and to bait rather than to anything you can see from the bank.
Spotted bass dominate. They are abundant, they run smaller on average than the fish in Lanier, and they will feed in open water over depths that look implausible to anglers used to shallow lakes. Striped and hybrid striped bass are stocked and make up the other half of the fishery, running shad along the main-lake channel and pushing up into the creek arms as the water cools. White bass and crappie are both better here than the lake gets credit for.
The shape of the lake matters more than usual. Allatoona is narrow with steep walls and long creek arms, and wind funnels down it in a way that leaves one arm fishable and another unworkable on the same afternoon. Knowing which arm to be in on a given wind direction is most of what local knowledge means here.
The reading below is the lake elevation. Allatoona is drawn down in winter for flood storage and refilled in spring, and the swing is large enough to change which brush piles, rock ledges and points are in play. If your plan for the day is a list of waypoints, it is worth checking that number before you drive.
Pool right now
838.44ft
- 24 hours-0.10 ft → steady
- For the dateAbout normal for the date
Reading taken 1h ago at USGS 02393500, ALLATOONA LAKE NEAR CARTERSVILLE, GA. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Corps of Engineers ramps: numerous launches spread around the lake.
Red Top Mountain State Park: ramps, camping and bank access on the south shore.
Galts Ferry and Victoria Landing: mid-lake access with good parking.
Cooper Branch and Riverside: ramps near Cartersville and the Etowah arm.
Little River arm: the eastern arm, often more protected in a west wind.
Allatoona Dam area: the deepest water and winter striper fishing.
Note: weekend traffic within easy reach of Atlanta is heavy in warm months.
Seasons
Winter: stripers and hybrids in the creek arms, spotted bass deep and slow.
Spring: the spawn in the pockets, and the easiest fishing of the year for visitors.
Summer: deep spots on offshore structure, heavy boat traffic after mid-morning.
Fall: schooling on the main lake, the most enjoyable weeks of the year.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Lake Allatoona?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Striped Bass, White Bass on the Lake Allatoona in Georgia.
Are there fishing guides on the Lake Allatoona?
GuidedFloats lists 1 guide and outfitters on the Lake Allatoona. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the Lake Allatoona?
Corps of Engineers ramps: numerous launches spread around the lake. Red Top Mountain State Park: ramps, camping and bank access on the south shore. Galts Ferry and Victoria Landing: mid-lake access with good parking. Cooper Branch and Riverside: ramps near Cartersville and the Etowah arm. Little River arm: the eastern arm, often more protected in a west wind. Allatoona Dam area: the deepest water and winter striper fishing. Note: weekend traffic within easy reach of Atlanta is heavy in warm months.
When is the best time to fish the Lake Allatoona?
Winter: stripers and hybrids in the creek arms, spotted bass deep and slow. Spring: the spawn in the pockets, and the easiest fishing of the year for visitors. Summer: deep spots on offshore structure, heavy boat traffic after mid-morning. Fall: schooling on the main lake, the most enjoyable weeks of the year.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lake Allatoona?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Georgia agency site: https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing-regulations