Lake Andrews is a narrow, 29-mile, 1,540-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pool on the Chattahoochee River in southwest Georgia, running from Walter F. George Lock and Dam near Fort Gaines down to George W. Andrews Lock and Dam near Blakely. It is a river-like lake, and it is all about catfish: two former Georgia record blue catfish, including an 80-pound, 4-ounce fish in 2010, came from here.
- Size1,540 acres, 29 miles long
- OperatorU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Best betsChannel and blue catfish, hybrid striped bass
- ContactsCorps 229-768-2516; DNR 229-430-4256
Getting on the Water
Most of the action is in the tailraces: right below Walter F. George Dam at the head of the lake and below the Andrews (Columbia) Lock and Dam. Long casting rods help reach fish holding on current seams when generators are running. See our Lake Andrews recreation page for parks and ramps.
2026 Fishing Outlook
Summarized from Georgia DNR fisheries biologists’ 2026 forecast for Lake Andrews, based on their sampling.
| Species | Outlook | Where and how |
|---|---|---|
| Blue and flathead catfish | Blues mostly 1 to 4 pounds, but 40-pound-plus fish are present and numbers are expanding. Fair numbers of flatheads over 10 pounds lake-wide. | Below Walter F. George and Andrews dams, especially in winter for blues. Cut gizzard or threadfin shad for big blues; live bream, suckers, crayfish or shad for flatheads. |
| Channel catfish | Average 1 to 4 pounds, with 4- to 8-pounders at night in summer. | Holes and shallow areas next to deep water. Worms and blood baits. |
| Hybrid bass | Good from late February to late May, averaging about 3 pounds, some 5 or more. | The Columbia tailrace and especially the Walter F. George tailrace. Live shad is best; crankbaits and topwater work too. |
| Striped bass | Not abundant, but fair numbers in spring, with an occasional 15- to 20-pounder. Escapees from Walter F. George stockings have improved fishing. | Below Columbia Dam mid-February to mid-April and the Walter F. George tailrace. Heavy tackle; bucktails, cranks, big topwater or live shad. |
| Largemouth bass | Low numbers because of limited habitat; most 1 to 3 pounds. | Laydowns, creek mouths and backwaters, March to June. Worms, jigs and spinnerbaits. |
| White bass, crappie and bream | All present. | White bass in the tailraces (watch for diving birds) and crappie on laydowns in 6 to 15 feet, March to May; bream on woody cover out of the current, May to September. |
Lake Andrews
Lake AndrewsContact: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 229-768-2516. Georgia DNR fisheries, Albany, 229-430-4256.
More nearby: Walter F. George Lake, Lake Seminole, Plantation Trace fishing lakes and all Georgia lakes.
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked in October 2026 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.