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38,000-acre reservoir near Gainesville. Clear highland reservoir north of Atlanta; deep brush piles and offshore timber. The lake tops out around 158 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 38,472 acres wrapped in 677.1 miles of bank, broken up by 113 islands. A development index of 24.6 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 24% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. Call it 29 mi long by 14.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. Hall County claims this one. If the bite dies, Chattahoochee River is 24 mi to the southwest.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (18 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (29 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Lake Lanier hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 4 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (22 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (18 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (18 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Early season channel catfish use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Put Creek inflow first on the milk run — an inflow / creek mouth near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Creek inflow (25 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (11 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (29 ft) |
Spring bluegill on Lake Lanier hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Weed flat (22 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts striped bass in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 25 to 60 ft, wintering in 20 to 50 ft. Fall striped bass concentrate at Secondary point, a prime-rated point around 26 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Creek inflow (4 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (29 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (26 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Old creek channel (51 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
Start shallow in spring: spotted bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 40 ft; cold water stacks them in 25 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Shoreline point, a point in the 18 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (18 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (18 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (26 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (29 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Count 50 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 129 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 Lake Lanier specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Georgia fishing regulations →
Lake Lanier is about 158 ft (48 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, striped bass, spotted bass on Lake Lanier.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning 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 Lake Lanier 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.
Chattahoochee River 24 mi · Lake Rabun 41 mi · Lake Burton 43 mi · Lake Allatoona 43 mi · Blue Ridge Lake 43 mi · Lake Nottely 43 mi · Carters Lake 47 mi · Lake Chatuge 48 mi, GA/NC · Lake Hartwell 56 mi, GA/SC · Chattooga River 57 mi, GA/SC · Lake Conasauga 58 mi · Hiwassee Lake 58 mi, NC
See how Lake Lanier stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Georgia · best crappie lakes in Georgia · best bluegill lakes in Georgia · best channel catfish lakes in Georgia
Browse all Georgia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. 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.