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Georgia

Fishing

Fishing

General Regulations

Freshwater Game Species Daily Limits

  • It is unlawful to take in one day or to possess at any one time, except at a residence or commercial storage facility, more than the daily limit for each species. It is unlawful to possess more than a total of 50 individuals of all the game fish listed in this section, except channel and flathead catfish. New: See Game Species Daily Limits for actual creel limits.
  • Once the daily limit for a particular species is taken, it is unlawful to continue to fish for that species.

Exception: Daily limits differ on certain waters shared by Georgia and South Carolina. See Agreements with Bordering States.

Seasons

There is no closed season for fishing in freshwater in Georgia except for the following:

  • Trout Seasons: All designated trout waters are now open year round.
  • Flint, Chattahoochee and Spring Creeks: The Flint River and its tributaries from the Georgia Power Co. dams at Albany to the US Hwy 84 bridge; the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries from the Columbia Lock and Dam to the GA Hwy 91 bridge; and Spring Creek and its tributaries downstream to GA Hwy 253 are CLOSED to striped bass fishing and spear fishing from May 1–October 31 each year.
  • Lakes Seminole: All fishing, including spear fishing, for any species in the marked areas around five fish refuges in Lake Seminole is prohibited from May 1–October 31 each year.
  • Coosa River: The season for taking lake sturgeon from the Coosa River and its tributaries is CLOSED. See GoFishGeorgia.com for more information on this closure and how to identify this fish.
  • Noodling or Grabbling: The season is open March 1–July 15 statewide in freshwater.

Length Limits

Note: There are no minimum length limits on freshwater game fish unless they are listed below, or on pages 19-23. All lengths are Total Length (see Finfish, Seasons, Limits and Sizes). You must release all fish shorter than the minimum length indicated for that species.

Largemouth Bass

12 inches statewide except:

  • Lake Blackshear: 14 inches
  • Lake Blue Ridge: no minimum (0 inches)
  • Lake Burton: no minimum (0 inches)
  • Lake Juliette: no minimum (0 inches)
  • Lake Lanier: 14 inches
  • Lake Oconee: 14 inches
  • Lake Lindsay Grace: bass between 15 and 22 inches must be released immediately. All others may be kept. In addition, only one bass may be greater than 22 inches.
  • Lake Walter F. George: 14 inches
  • West Point Reservoir: 14 inches
  • Public Fishing Area lakes operated by the Department of Natural Resources: 14 inches. This limit will not apply to lakes which have been posted as having a different length limit for largemouth bass.

Shoal Bass

  • Lake Lanier: 14 inches
  • Flint River and its tributaries (below Warwick Dam): 12 inches
  • Flint River and its tributaries (above Warwick Dam): 15 inches

Spotted Bass

  • Lake Lanier: 14 inches

Striped Bass, White Bass, & Hybrid White-Striped Bass

You may only keep two fish of the total limit that are 22 inches or longer, except:

  • See agreement with South Carolina Agreements with Bordering States
  • The minimum length for all fish is 22 inches on the North Newport River, Medway River including Mount Hope Creek, Little Ogeechee River, Ogeechee River; Oconee River downstream of GA Hwy 22 in Milledgeville; Ocmulgee River downstream of GA Hwy 96 bridge between Houston and Twiggs counties; Altamaha River, Saint Mary's River, Satilla River, and the tributaries to these river sections; and from saltwater.
  • The minimum length is 27 inches on the Savannah River and its tributaries downstream of J. Strom Thurmond Dam (2 fish limit).
  • See table on Game Species Daily Limits for full details

Fishing Gear Must Be Regularly Checked

  • Attend to gear such as limb lines and minnow traps. (Anglers are encouraged to check all gear within 24 hours).
  • Make every reasonable effort to retrieve lost gear (including hooks, line and lead sinkers).
  • Recycle used fishing line.

Creel and Possession Note to Anglers

Creel and possession limits are per person. For Game Wardens to correctly determine compliance with these limits, each individual should keep trout or other fish on separate stringers or in separate creels. It is unlawful for one individual to possess more than the legal limit of any fish species. For possession restrictions on Dukes Creek see pages 22-23.

Freshwater Turtles

Individuals may not possess more than 10 freshwater turtles (any combination of species) without a valid permit. There is no closed season for the harvest of freshwater turtles, however, taking of species protected by federal or state law is prohibited (for a list of species access: GeorgiaWildlife.com/species#reptiles). For more information on turtling regulations see GeorgiaWildlife.com/turtling.

Fishing on Wildlife Management Areas

Unless otherwise posted, fishing is allowed on WMAs according to statewide regulations. Alcohol use is prohibited on WMAs except in designated camping areas. Refer to the Hunting Regulations Guide for a complete list of WMA regulations.

Fishing Without Permission

It is unlawful to fish on someone else’s property without permission. Game Wardens and other law enforcement officers are charged with enforcing this law. Always ask permission before entering private land.

Permission is not required to fish in the Chattahoochee or Oconee National Forests, on Wildlife Resources Division Public Fishing Areas (PFAs) or Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs), or in Georgia State Parks (gastateparks.org) as long as all applicable state regulations are followed.