Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Lumber City to Jesup. Georgia's Little Amazon: giant flatheads in the outside bends. The river tops out around 15 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.
Traced from the shoreline, Altamaha River runs 4,612 acres with 133.9 miles of edge, with a single island in the mix. A development index of 14.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. End to end it runs roughly 47.3 mi, about 7.8 mi across. The water lies in Appling County. For a second option, Sapelo Sound lies 59 mi east.
Start shallow in spring: flathead catfish sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 4 to 15 ft covers summer, 5 to 15 ft covers winter. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 54.4), an eddy pocket in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) |
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 2.5) (8 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring puts crappie in skinny water — 2 to 8 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Fall crappie concentrate at Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a prime-rated creek channel around 11 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | open water | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 5 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the standout, a creek channel at roughly 11 ft, rated prime for summer channel catfish. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: longnose gar sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 1 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6), a creek channel in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for longnose gar in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around midday and the evening. Throw a rope lure or a small white spinner until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday | Cherokee Lakes Dam West tailrace (13 ft) | Rope lure (hookless nylon), Inline spinner (slow) |
| Summer | 1 to 12 ft | midday & dusk | Cherokee Lakes Dam West tailrace (13 ft) | Rope lure, Small white spinner |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | Rope lure, Small jerkbait (pause-heavy) |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: common carp in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 3 to 15 ft before dropping to 5 to 15 ft for winter. The spot to know is Tailout eddy (mile 54.4), an eddy pocket in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for common carp in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) | |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Cherokee Lakes Dam West tailrace (13 ft) | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday | Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tailout eddy (mile 54.4) (8 ft) |
Count 38 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Cherokee Lakes Dam West tailrace, sits near 13 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Georgia waters are set by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources — and special regulations can apply to Altamaha River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Georgia fishing regulations →
Altamaha River is about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target flathead catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, longnose gar, common carp on Altamaha River.
Outside-bend hole (mile 0.6) is the top-rated area: a creek channel in about 11 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in fall. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For flathead catfish, the summer bite is best in after dark and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Altamaha River is regulated by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources. Check the official Georgia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Sapelo Sound 59 mi · Doboy Sound 60 mi · Dodge County PFA Lake 61 mi · Brunswick River 65 mi · Saint Simons Sound 65 mi · Saint Andrew Sound 72 mi · Wright River 75 mi, SC/GA · Calibogue Sound 79 mi, SC · Ocmulgee PFA Kids' Fishing Lake 86 mi · Ocmulgee PFA Lake 86 mi · Amelia River 89 mi, GA/FL · Lake Blackshear 103 mi
See how Altamaha River stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Georgia · best crappie lakes in Georgia · best channel catfish lakes in Georgia · best flathead catfish lakes in Georgia
Browse all Georgia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.