Fishing Lake Harding

AKA: Bartlett's Ferry Lake

Popular Fish Species
Lake Harding Fishing Video
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Lake Harding, GA

Popular Fish Species Lake Harding, GA

Lake Harding Popular Fish - Spotted Bass

Spotted Bass Fishing

Spotted bass are often found in small schools on steep banks, around rocky or sandy shorelines, points and ledges. They often prefer hanging out in slightly deeper water than largemouths. Here at Lake Harding, they are a favorite of many local anglers, as they are plentiful and put up a good tussle when hooked. Fishing for spotted bass can be good anytime you can locate them. Their diet consists mainly of crayfish and insects, but they also eat small baitfish, small sunfish and small bluegill. Most of the time, spots prefer to stage on steep rocky or gravel banks, and may move up and down the water column throughout the day. When shallow, use topwater or shallow crankbaits around rip rap. When they are deep, use drop-shot worms and jigs. Throughout winter, spend your time on deeper structure with small worms, jigs and spoons. Shoal bass and largemouth bass also reside here in decent numbers.

Crappie Fishing

Crappie anglers can fish for both black crappie and white crappie at Lake Harding. These two species tend to school separately. However, once located around cover, you may catch both species, as they often use the same cover. For best results when fishing for crappie, light line and small hooks are key, especially when fishing live or prepared baits. Crappie jigs are also productive her in a wide variety of colors. This is a good place to catch quantities of nice, fat slabs. Crappie fishing can be found in varying size schools, hanging around brush, vegetation, wood or other cover. Using a fish finder any time of year can help locate these crappie schools, which tend to stack vertically around cover. Live bait and small jigs are the most common method for crappie here. In spring and fall focus on the 8 to 12 foot range. As the crappie move deep in summer and winter, follow points out deep, as well as find ledges near channels, especially areas with brush or timber in deeper water. The best time to catch crappie tends to be at dawn and dusk.

Lake Harding Popular Fish - Striped Bass

Striped Bass Fishing

Due to their large size, striped bass are a favorite of many locals and fishing guides at Lake Harding. They are plentiful, run in schools and can grow to bragging size. In Spring and Fall work the upper end of the lake where water is flowing into the lake. Look for deeper water in the river channel, as a holding place for stripers. In Summer and Winter, stripers hang out in deeper water during the day Morning often draws the stripers to much shallower water, look for them from the surface down to around the 20-foot range as they feed on shallow-running schools of bait. The lake is filled with plenty of baitfish and sunfish to to keep the fishery thriving. Being successful at fishing for stripers is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers which are likely to be nearby. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Live bait is very effective here, and stripers can be caught year round.

Lake Harding Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, spotted bass, shoal bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, longear sunfish, redear sunfish, white bass, yellow perch, striped bass and hybrid striped bass at Bartlett's Ferry Lake in Georgia.

Stretching along more than 25 miles of the AL/GA border, Lake Harding, AKA Bartlett’s Ferry Reservoir is a great place for boating and fishing. Covering 5,800 surface acres, the reservoir is located just west of Blanton Creek Park, GA, and provides nice options for boating and fishing.

There is more than 150 miles of shoreline, much of which is dotted with brush and boat docks, both are favorite hangouts for fish and baitfish. Several boat launch ramps are available in both states for launching all types of boats. Kayaks, canoes and other small craft can be launched from areas with access for shoreline fishing. Bass, striped bass, hybrid stripers, perch, catfish, crappie, white bass and sunfish reside here awaiting anglers. In Spring and Fall most fish move shallow, then deeper in summer and winter. Schooling fish like stripers and white bass will roam, following schools of baitfish. It is not unusual to see them rise to the surface in warm water then go very deep in colder months.

Primary fish species residing in Lake Harding

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Bartlett's Ferry Lake Amenities

Marina: YES
Boat Rental: YES
Boat Launch Ramp: YES
Campgrounds: YES
RV Hookups: YES
Lodging: NEARBY
Convenience Store: YES
Bait & Tackle: NO
Restaurant: YES

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Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Blanton Creek Park Boat Launch Ramp
Located in the northeast corner of the lake, off Blanton Creek Park Road, this is a two-lane, concrete ramp with a dock and paved parking.

Idle Hour Boat Launch Ramp
Located mid lake, east side, off Mountain Drive, this is a two-lane, concrete ramp with docks and paved parking.