Chattooga River Fishing Spot

• Elevation: 580'
• Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/08/09 12:43 PM
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The Chattooga River is a tributary of Weiss Lake. The river originates just south of Lafayette and meanders approximately 51 miles southwest through Walker and Chattooga counties. A narrow river channel with numerous navigational hazards makes most of the Chattooga River floatable only by canoe or small boat. Access to the river is limited to bridge crossings and an undeveloped ramp near Gaylesville, Alabama. Larger prop and/or jet boats can navigate the lower portion of the river below Hwy 27, but extreme caution should be exercised. The upper portion of the river is wadeable. Bream dominate the fishery. Bluegill, redbreast, and redear sunfish are found throughout the river. Bream 5-8 inches are common, with some slabs topping 10 inches. Low fishing pressure has likely contributed to an abundance of these larger sunfish. Skilled anglers will target deep pools, log-jams, and undercut banks in search of these pan fryers. During the summer these fish will bed in slack areas along the shore, behind debris, and on the downstream side of sandbars. When it comes to artificial baits small is the key. Small spinners and natural crawfish imitations, along with crickets and worms, will produce. In contrast to bream, the black bass fishery is relatively poor. Redeye, largemouth, and spotted bass can be found throughout the river, with redeye being more common in the upper reaches of the system. Spotted bass are the most dominant black bass species. Largemouth are present, but are much less common. Most bass will be small and generally well under a pound. The largest individuals will be nearest to where the river enters Weiss Lake. The catfish population is modest. Flatheads and blues are present, but they are greatly outnumbered by channel catfish. These speckled cats are generally under a pound, with few fish tipping the scales at 2 lbs. Channel cats are most often located in moderately deep flowing habitats, especially those found in the outside river bends. With the approach of spring, white bass will migrate into the lower Chattooga. Migrating fish may be fewer in number this year due to the persisting drought. Regardless, spawning runs will peak in March and April as fish stack up around creek mouths. White bass anglers will likely find most of these spawn-run fish in the lower river section below the Lyerly Dam area. The white bass bite will slow into May and become non-existent as the fish return to Weiss Lake with the approach of summer. Small jigs and crankbaits are favored lure choices for these "mini-linesides". Like white bass, larger striped bass move into the Chattooga during the spring months. However, unlike white bass, stripers often stay the summer searching for cool water refuges. Linesides from 1-25 lbs can be caught, though the average fish will be near 6-7 lbs. Live gizzard shad are an angler's best bet, but stripers will hit shad imitations and top water plugs. More important than bait choice is fishing the right locality. Stripers congregate in large numbers in deep flowing water, especially around tree canopies and log jams on the outside river bends. Flowing water near cover is key to catching one of these skinny water monsters. WRD is currently conducting a striped bass tagging study in the Chattooga River. Anglers catching tagged stripers are encouraged to call the phone number printed on the tag to report the location of all tagged fish captured. Carp, drum, suckers, and a number of redhorse species can be found in the river. Freshwater drum average slightly better than 12 inches in length, and a fair number of larger (17+ inches) humpbacks are present. The largest drum are concentrated in the "runs" of the river. These runs are generally 2-3 feet in depth at normal flows and can be characterized as having relatively swift flows. Runs along undercut banks and fallen trees are ideal places to catch drum. Small jigs fished along the bottom, crayfish, cut mussels, and shrimp are all good bets for boating these unique fish.

The Chattooga River (also spelled Chatooga, Chatuga, and Chautaga, variant name Guinekelokee River) is the main tributary of the Tugaloo River. Its headwaters are located southwest of Cashiers, North Carolina, and it stretches 57 miles (92 km) or 92 km to where it has its confluence with the Tallulah River within Lake Tugalo, held back by the Tugalo Dam. Both Rivers combine to make the Tugaloo River starting in Lake Yonah. It begins in southern Jackson County, North Carolina, and then it flows southwestward between northwestern Oconee County, South Carolina and eastern Rabun County, Georgia. The "Chattooga" spelling was approved by the USBGN in 1897.