Fishing on Lake Allatoona

Lake Allatoona is my "go to" for most of the warm months of the year. I grew up fishing this lake and I know it well. Being close to Atlanta, there are a number of tournaments throughout the year with significant numbers of participants. So if you're in the area, and like to fish tournaments, this a great lake to be on. For you high-schoolers out there looking for a proving ground to hone your skills, this is a great tournament lake.

The primary bass species on Allatoona is spotted bass, but there are also largemouth, striper, hybrids, and some white bass. We fish mostly for spotted bass and only occasionally turn up a largemouth. At certain times of the year, the crappie fishing can be quite good.. The primary forage is threadfin shad and there really isn't a blueback population to speak of. This means that we will gear our patterns a little differently than we might on Lanier, Blue Ridge, or some other lake that is stronger with bluebacks. Many of these patterns do not require much experience, and we can have a lot of fun on Allatoona.

The Gatewood Ramp on Allatoona is the ramp I most often use. It is a popular launching site for fishing tournaments. There is plenty of parking here and the ramp is open year-round. Parking is $5.00 and annual passes are available.