Georgia Trout and Striper Fishing Report For May

May has finally arrived but the cool weather is not quite behind us as the weather looks to be mild for the coming weeks. Luckily there is some rain in the forecast to ease the ache of the painfully low trout streams at the moment. Though air temperatures have still been on the cusp of chilly in the mornings, water temps have been somewhat stable in our lakes and streams for the past few weeks. The lack of rain hasn't been too rough on the fish at the moment. Whether you are targeting trout or striper in the rivers or lake, these fish should be hungry and on the move. Covering a large amount of water is the key to running into fish. Anglers spending too much time in one area run a much higher risk of going home empty handed.

Georgia’s Stocked Trout Streams

Georgia's heavily stocked trout streams were rough throughout April, the heavy Spring Break traffic and nice weather brought many people to the streams, cleaning out much of our stocked trout streams. If you happen to be the first person to run into these freshly stocked trout, you can be assured they will bite ANYTHING. As we move into the weekends the large crowds will take over these streams making opportunity a bit more bleak, especially for new anglers. There is still opportunity if you are willing to move around and use more finesse when targeting the trout that have been caught or harassed. Another great alternative to fishing the heavily stocked streams is to fish the trout streams that are stocked less frequently. This may pay off with a more enjoyable time on the water.

Georgia’s Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing

Georgia's delayed harvest trout fishing is wrapping up, fish may last a bit longer this year as recent rains have allowed them to spread out a bit more before the end of the season. These trout have been picked through and heavily pressured for the past several weeks so they still won't be as easy to catch as the freshly stocked trout. The finesse presentations will be best if you are unwilling to look for trout streams that may offer better opportunities. We would still guess that these streams should be just about completely cleared out by the weekend following the 15th. The additional pressure in the Delayed Harvest during this week may mean less pressure on the other stocked trout streams across the state.

Georgia’s Wild Trout Streams

The wild trout activity has picked up considerably in recent weeks. Whether your targeting brown trout, native brook trout, or wild rainbows, the fish have been slower in the mornings and get more active as the day progresses. I have seen several sizable (for Georgia) hatches in recent weeks. Yellow Sallies, golden stoneflies, grannom caddis, Sulphurs, and PMDs have been the bugs I have seen the most in recent weeks. Dry Flies continue to produce well on these streams and should continue until December. However, small patterns have still been outshining the large patterns and its not quite time to put away the nymph boxes on chilly mornings. This should stay the same until later in month or June when the trout will begin favoring the big bugs more. Though we typically don't promote colors with any of our flies, yellow is a good producer from mid April through May.

Chattahoochee River Tailwater Trout Fishing

Chattahoochee River Midge Patterns

The trout fishing below the dam on Lake Lanier has been excellent for the past couple months. There is something for just about everybody. Small midges will always be the best way to attract bites from nearly every trout around. If you’re throwing bigger than a size 20 you can be sure you’re leaving trout behind, especially the wild browns. The river has been crowded on some afternoons during the week and around the clock on weekends. A ten to fifteen minute walk will put plenty of distance between you and 80-90% of other anglers. A great challenge for experienced anglers is the dry fly bite. The midge hatches have been excellent in the mornings and following generation. The wild browns are very selective but can be fooled with a slow approach and good presentation. This video will demonstrate how I approach these fish eating on the surface. The number of trout to hand is far less than what you may see fishing seams with a euro rig or indicator setup, but can be far more exciting. Steer clear of the the dry flies on windy days. It's a brutal process and typically more frustrating than anything else.

Lanier Striper Fishing

The spring striper fishing has been patchy so far, but with Striper already beginning to file down lake, it could make a turn for the better. Points fished early and late and of course dock lights at night are the most consistent ways to find fish. The shad/herring spawn is wrapping up throughout the lake, making the first couple hours of daylight critical for being on the water. Look for points, preferably with rock, to congregate larger shoals of bait. The striper, and spotted bass, will not be far behind. I would recommend bringing some topwater setups along as well for the days the fish are moving too fast and don’t seam to want to get close to the boat. This bite is still slow but should explode in the coming weeks. If you are covering new water and don’t know the typical places the shad/herring typically spawn, keep and eye out for herons. They will behave like seagulls during the shad spawn and clue you in on where the activity is happening.

North Georgia Striper Fishing Rivers

Striper runs are a bit down on the Chestatee, Upper and Lower Chattahoochee, and Etowah Rivers this year due to the low water levels and rainfall. A float down any of these will allow anglers to cross a few fish but the numbers of previous years aren't quite there. Smaller baitfish imitations are best for getting bites, but don’t be afraid to go big if you’re looking for a trophy. Runs on the Coosawatee River and Nottely River, should begin soon as the water temps continue to rise. These runs will pick up as we get closer to June.

Best of luck in your May fishing. If you need more help finding North Georgia trout our articles on North Georgia Trout Fishing will help your along the process. Our new Fly Fishing Lessons teach some basic and some in depth methods on how to find, target, and catch trout that our guides here at Georgia Wild Trout learned the hard way. Also look forward to our new destinations articles on Trout Species of Mexico, Fly Fishing in Morocco, Trout of the World, and the Trout Species of North America.