2010 Summer Fishing

The summer fishing season for Lake Lanier Stripers is soon to start. As the month of May winds down and the school year comes to an end, the waters of Lake Lanier will warm in the summer heat. We're currently marking 75-78 on the lower end of Lanier and up the lake the water temps are fast rising into the 80's.

This time of year fish can be caught but in general I don't like to run to the water where they're most active. Instead I opt to wait them out and will try to catch them as they forage down lake. I'll typically take trips heading up the lake in search of pockets and places where fish are beginning to amass. I usually don't start this search till June but this year decided to try in May. Suffice to say it's still way too early…

Rick and I hit the lake Wednesday the 26th and fished this exact pattern with nothing positive to show for our efforts. We ran the channel from Aqualand up to Gainesville Creek and really didn't cross paths with any Stripers the whole day. This time last year the lake was filled with bait and the water was very low. Not so this year. Currently there are very few bait pods to be found and the few you do find are around humps and long points. No doubt they're sticking around the warmer water and as you move up the lake, there are more bait pods to be seen on the fish finders.

Sticking to the patterns I like means a lot of empty screen space but at some point they will show up. When the water gets warm enough, fish will be forced to the channel and when they arrive, I hope to take advantage via the troll and deep water jig. Check back weekly as I expect to be on the pond at least once a week now till the fishing gets going.