# Lanier



## KeithO (Feb 1, 2018)

MBDSkiff said:


> anyone here fish lake Lanier in a boat 13-15ft? Any advice for someone just starting in microskiffs?
> 
> Thanks


I have used a 1648 G3 Jon boat to fish it from October thru April. Boat traffic is minimized that time of year. During the summer I stay off the lake completely and transition to the river due to heavy boat traffic.


----------



## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

Stay off till October. The boat traffic is very bad. Invest in some trolling motor batteries and try Bear creek in Jackson county or Fort Yargo in Winder.


----------



## Rooster (Mar 13, 2011)

MBDSkiff said:


> anyone here fish lake Lanier in a boat 13-15ft? Any advice for someone just starting in microskiffs?
> 
> Thanks


Summer definitely not a good time to go - weekdays a bit better than weekends.. If you do, go early, stay close in one area, and get off by 10 a.m. or when you see the first jet ski.


----------



## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

We lived on Lanier for over 20 years and recently moved. I never got out on the water on weekends or holidays when the weather was warm, and I had a 21’ bass boat. Too many crazies. I would stay on the dock or spend time with my other hobbies. During the week and after the weather cooled off was the time I would have felt comfortable in a small boat, but even then would stick to the north end.


----------



## alex1988 (Nov 12, 2009)

Currently living on the northern end of lanier, in a small community off Thompson Creek. I found that from where I am, if heading north, traffic is not too bad. If heading south past Athens Boat club traffic is pretty bad. Most people winterize their boats, but right now is the perfect time to chase stripers up in the norther parts of the lake.


----------



## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

alex1988 said:


> Currently living on the northern end of lanier, in a small community off Thompson Creek. I found that from where I am, if heading north, traffic is not too bad. If heading south past Athens Boat club traffic is pretty bad. Most people winterize their boats, but right now is the perfect time to chase stripers up in the norther parts of the lake.


Do they get pretty shallow?


----------



## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

Don't go near that lake after it rains. Don't go in that lake unless you have a healthy immune system. Don't fish that lake during season. 

Rivers around that lake actually caught fire once upon a time.


----------



## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

Cam said:


> Don't go near that lake after it rains. Don't go in that lake unless you have a healthy immune system. Don't fish that lake during season.
> 
> Rivers around that lake actually caught fire once upon a time.


Sounds like NorthEast Ohio, not Lake Lanier just north of Atlanta...


----------



## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

MAK said:


> Sounds like NorthEast Ohio,


Other than the Cuyahoga in the 60's, where are you referring to???


----------



## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

eightwt said:


> Other than the Cuyahoga in the 60's, where are you referring to???


Yep, Cuyahoga River around 69 is what I’m familiar with. I lived on Lake Lanier for about 25 years and have no clue what he is talking about...


----------



## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

Even back in the '80s, with boat traffic and a little wind, Lanier's 'Whack A Mole' waves made it dangerous to get my ProCraft fish&ski back to the dock. Lanier can get some crazy confused waves.

Never saw any fire.


----------



## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

nautilott said:


> Even back in the '80s, with boat traffic and a little wind, Lanier's 'Whack A Mole' waves made it dangerous to get my ProCraft fish&ski back to the dock. Lanier can get some crazy confused waves.
> 
> Never saw any fire.


I bought my first new boat, an Ozark 16’, back in the early to mid 80s. We were living in Buford at the time and we took it out on its maiden voyage to Lanier on a nice warm Saturday morning. Somewhere down on the south end... Scary can’t describe it. We had idiots on jet skis going between the boat and the trailer. I thought we were going to flip before I could slowly make it to the nearest cove I could see across from the ramp. It was just as bad coming back to the ramp to leave. Huge boats were going in every direction and were larger than the saltwater boats we would see on a regular basis when living on the coast in Brunswick. 
That ramp was 10 minutes from the house but for the next several years until we bought a house on the north end of the lake, I would trailer nearly and hour out of the way to get to the less trafficked north end.
As far as rivers around Lanier catching fire, there are really only two. The Chattahoochee is pretty clean before it dumps into the lake, and the Chestatee probably more so. The relatively small water basin for that lake hasn’t been a high pollution area.


----------



## EdK13 (Oct 3, 2013)

Go to Chatuge. You can fish there in relative peace.


----------



## jonterr (Mar 24, 2013)

MAK said:


> I bought my first new boat, an Ozark 16’, back in the early to mid 80s. We were living in Buford at the time and we took it out on its maiden voyage to Lanier on a nice warm Saturday morning. Somewhere down on the south end... Scary can’t describe it. We had idiots on jet skis going between the boat and the trailer. I thought we were going to flip before I could slowly make it to the nearest cove I could see across from the ramp. It was just as bad coming back to the ramp to leave. Huge boats were going in every direction and were larger than the saltwater boats we would see on a regular basis when living on the coast in Brunswick.
> That ramp was 10 minutes from the house but for the next several years until we bought a house on the north end of the lake, I would trailer nearly and hour out of the way to get to the less trafficked north end.
> As far as rivers around Lanier catching fire, there are really only two. The Chattahoochee is pretty clean before it dumps into the lake, and the Chestatee probably more so. The relatively small water basin for that lake hasn’t been a high pollution area.


I can tell you this
If you have surgery at Gainesville, the Doctor will tell you not to get in Lanier!


----------



## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

MAK said:


> Yep, Cuyahoga River around 69 is what I’m familiar with. I lived on Lake Lanier for about 25 years and have no clue what he is talking about...


Speaking of Northeastern Ohio, the "do not touch the water" warning for the Mahoning River has finay been lifted. 30 years after all the industry left town, we can fish again.


----------



## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

Geez, what happened to Lake Lanier?...it used to be the first lake from Atlanta that had any nice clear water. 

I didn't catch too many fish from Lanier...never worked so hard to catch a fish. I do remember figuring I was down around $77.00 per pound when I sold the boat. Back then, if it was legal we ate it.


----------



## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

trekker said:


> Mahoning River[/QUOTE
> 
> Y Town is my town... Well at least close enough.


----------



## trekker (Sep 19, 2015)

Turning into a fine musky stream.


----------



## flysalt060 (Aug 5, 2012)

Nothing wrong with lanier. Water quality ok. The chicken plants don’t dump in it anymore. But, too many septic tanks and more houses on north end. No muskie but plenty of walleye now.


----------



## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

^^^Yeah, used to hear all the rumors about huge catfish feeding off the chicken nuggets being dumped. Lanier was not without it's local catfish lore. Still, it was my favorite lake on off peak days.


----------



## alex1988 (Nov 12, 2009)

They can. They usually move into the smaller coves and up river around winter. 


trekker said:


> Do they get pretty shallow?


----------



## DickieDoo (Jan 28, 2019)

We have a home there, and I grew up on that lake. It's a wonderful place, but like most wonderful places it gets crowded. Like others have said... hit the water on off-peak times and you're golden. Even on weekends you can find calm water and great fishing up in any of the fingers. 

There's more no-wake spots now than there have ever been, so it's getting more skiff friendly in some areas. You'll still need to avoid the big water with anything too small.


----------



## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

Older gentleman near me fishes a 30” wide 10’ aluminum boat w sm trolling motor. Has section of bleacher seat aluminum ( maybe 6’ long ) with roughly 24” x8” pvc pipe w caps ,on ends of bleacher seat He uses it as outriggers while fishing ,lays it across gunnels and sits on it.boat wakes arent near as tuff on him. Puts across seats ,inside, while running. Stay safe


----------



## nautilott (Oct 29, 2017)

^^^LOL! Like they say..."Different strokes...".


----------



## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

One of those lakes supposedly has stocked stripers that come when called. Raised up being fed after beating on side of holding tank. Supposedly you can beat on the side of your boat and have them rise. Ga or sc ,cant remember , salt deficiency !


----------



## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

nautilott said:


> ^^^LOL! Like they say..."Different strokes...".


Inner *******. Let ‘er rip !!


----------



## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

State fish rob said:


> One of those lakes supposedly has stocked stripers that come when called. Raised up being fed after beating on side of holding tank. Supposedly you can beat on the side of your boat and have them rise. Ga or sc ,cant remember , salt deficiency !


This happened on Hartwell Lake. Coworker was downlining to a school of striper about 30 feet deep. A guide boat with three anglers anchors about 20 yards away. The guide takes a piece of chain and "drums" the bottom of his boat. He (my coworker) said he watched his depth finder gradually clear as fish left. Shortly they started boating fish on the guide's boat.


----------



## Indoman (Jul 25, 2013)

fishnpreacher said:


> This happened on Hartwell Lake. Coworker was downlining to a school of striper about 30 feet deep. A guide boat with three anglers anchors about 20 yards away. The guide takes a piece of chain and "drums" the bottom of his boat. He (my coworker) said he watched his depth finder gradually clear as fish left. Shortly they started boating fish on the guide's boat.



It works. The guides on Murray do it all the time. They’ll take a broom stick and steadily thump the deck. You can hear it a half mile away.


----------



## Hopper (May 22, 2019)

I fish it in an OldTown flat back during the week. Not to bad, but gotta be careful. I catch alot spots outta that lake. Weekend No Way!!! Even when we had a ski boat we stayed off of it on the weekend.


----------

