Lake Oconee is a 19,050-acre Georgia Power lake, mostly in Greene County between Madison, Greensboro and Eatonton. Water is pumped back and forth between Oconee and Lake Sinclair below it to generate power, and in this long, narrow lake that creates real current. Fish feed harder when the water is moving, so smart anglers time their trips to generation and pump-back.
- Size19,050 acres
- OperatorGeorgia Power
- Bass limit14-inch minimum on largemouth
- ContactsGeorgia Power 706-485-8704; DNR 478-825-6151
Getting on the Water
Georgia Power runs several public parks and ramps around the lake, and there are private marinas and resorts. See our Lake Oconee recreation page for parks and campgrounds.
2026 Fishing Outlook
Summarized from Georgia DNR fisheries biologists’ 2026 forecast for Lake Oconee, based on their sampling.
| Species | Outlook | Where and how |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | A top tournament lake. 2025 sampling showed bass getting bigger and more numerous; expect plenty of 2- to 3-pound fish and several 4 to 5. | Winter: deeper rocky banks, points and docks, slowly. Spring: laydowns, stumps and docks with spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and plastics. Summer: deep cranks and plastics on points, river channels and deep bridges, or the Oconee and Apalachee rivers above I-20. Fall: spinnerbaits and shallow cranks in the backs of creeks. |
| Crappie | Catch rates and sizes both rose in 2025; another strong year. Best February to May and October to December. | Creek mouths in early February, moving shallower as it warms; standing timber and brush in Sugar Creek, the upper lake and upper Richland, Sandy and Lick creeks in spring; shallow cover in the low 60s; creek mouths, channels, timber and bridges in fall. Minnows and jigs. |
| Hybrid bass | Numbers well above the five-year average, just shy of 2025’s record. | Winter: the Oconee arm from Lick Creek to the dam near deep bait. Spring: runs up the Oconee and Apalachee rivers. Summer: the lower lake or upriver, watching for surface schools. Live bait, spoons and shad imitations. |
| White bass | Stable and dependable, best during schooling and spring runs. | March and April runs up the Oconee and Apalachee rivers. Little Georges, inline spinners, small cranks, crappie jigs and grubs. |
| Striped bass | Still stocked; slightly fewer but larger, averaging about 19 inches. | The Oconee arm from Lick Creek to the dam in winter; bridges and riprap mid and upper lake during the spring shad spawn, and up the rivers. Live bait, bucktails, spoons, umbrella rigs and trolled hard baits. |
| Catfish | Channel cat numbers at the five-year average, but average size the best ever; blues and flatheads too. | Summer, especially early morning and night. Nightcrawlers or cut bait on the bottom; live shad or bluegill for blues and flatheads. |
Lake Oconee
Lake OconeeContact: Georgia Power Lake Oconee, 706-485-8704. Georgia DNR fisheries, 478-825-6151.
More nearby: Lake Sinclair, Lake Oconee recreation, Oconee River and all Georgia lakes.
Not just fishing? See our guide to things to do at Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair.
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.