Bartlett’s Ferry, also called Lake Harding, is a 5,850-acre Georgia Power lake on the Chattahoochee River along the Alabama line, just upstream from Goat Rock Lake and north of Columbus. Its shoreline is lined with docks and piers that hold fish, and it is known for good catfishing, a growing crop of hybrids and some of the thickest crappie in west Georgia.
- Size5,850 acres
- OperatorGeorgia Power
- Best betsLargemouth and spotted bass, hybrids, stripers, crappie, catfish
- Georgia rampsIdle Hour Park; Blanton Creek Park (seasonal)
Getting on the Water
On the Georgia side there are two public boat ramps: Idle Hour Park and Georgia Power’s Blanton Creek Park, which also has camping but closes in winter. Blanton Creek WMA borders much of the upper Georgia shore. Low flows make the upper lake hazardous, so follow the marker buoys. For generation schedules and lake levels, call Georgia Power at 888-472-5253.
2026 Fishing Outlook
Summarized from Georgia DNR fisheries biologists’ 2026 forecast for Bartlett’s Ferry Lake, based on their sampling.
| Species | Outlook | Where and how |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Steady numbers, mostly 12 to 15 inches (1 to 2 pounds), with some bigger. You are as likely to catch a largemouth as a spot. | Docks, rocky points and humps. Best early March through May with water in the 60s; in fall, fish above Blanton Creek Park, where largemouth outnumber spots. Shallow cranks, worms, buzzbaits and chatterbaits in spring, deeper cranks in summer, dark jigs and shaky heads in winter. |
| Spotted bass | Underfished. Over half run 7 to 12 inches and under half a pound. No minimum size; DNR encourages keeping a limit. | Deeper rocky points in spring, docks in summer, blowdowns year-round, mostly down the lake where the docks are. Jigs, worms, small plugs and spinnerbaits; nightcrawlers, crayfish or minnows for bigger fish. |
| Hybrid bass | Stocked four years running through 2025. Expect about 18 inches and 2 to 3 pounds; a great fish for young anglers. | Below Riverview Dam (Crow Hop) in early spring at normal flows; lake-wide and deep water near the dam in summer and winter; troll live shad where the Halawakee Creek arm meets the main lake. White spinners, spoons, curly-tail jigs, live shad or cut bait. |
| Striped bass | Numbers dipped because of hatchery shortfalls, but 2024 stockings may help. Most run about 18 inches and 3 to 4 pounds, with a few over 20 pounds. | The dam area in winter, Riverview Dam during spring runs and during West Point generation, and schools chasing shad lake-wide in summer and fall; troll wind-blown banks. Live bait, spoons, popping corks with jigs, bucktails and big shad cranks. |
| Catfish | Good to excellent year-round. Channels usually 3 to 4 pounds (60% are 16 to 24 inches), with 7- to 10-pounders possible, plus big blues and flatheads. | Lake-wide on the bottom; near the dam during releases, shady docks in summer, muddy tributary mouths after rain, and at night in hot months. Stink bait, livers, cut bait, nightcrawlers and minnows. |
| Crappie | Numbers were below average in 2025, but size was 16% above normal: 76% of fish were 10 to 15 inches, and heavy-bodied. | Structure and the upper lake below Riverview Dam from February through April; later, the lower lake near the dam and the main channel at the mouth of the Halawakee arm. Troll bright jigs, or fish jigs or minnows under a float. |
| Bream and others | Bluegill are small (4 to 5 inches); redear reach a quarter to half a pound. A few white crappie and 1-pound white bass. | Beds in protected coves from mid-May; docks, piers and brush in summer; deep water in winter. Red wigglers, crickets and small jigs. |
Bartlett's Ferry Lake
Bartlett's Ferry LakeContact: Georgia Power lake levels and generation, 888-472-5253. Georgia DNR fisheries, Armuchee, 706-295-6102.
More on the Chattahoochee chain: West Point Lake, Goat Rock Lake, Lake Oliver and all Georgia lakes.
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked against the agencies and operators that run these places:
Spot something out of date? Email Contact@n-georgia.com and we’ll check it against the official source. Read how we research our guides.
Common Questions
How big is Lake Harding?
Lake Harding, also called Bartlett’s Ferry Lake, covers about 5,850 acres. It is a Georgia Power lake on the Chattahoochee River along the Alabama line, north of Columbus.