Photo: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Lake Rabun (834 acres) and Seed Lake (240 acres) are two of the six Georgia Power lakes on the Tallulah River chain near Clayton. Seed sits just below Lake Burton, and Rabun just below Seed. Rabun is long, narrow and lined with boathouses and summer homes; Seed is quieter. Both are known for bass and walleye, and Rabun produced the Georgia state-record walleye, 14 pounds, 2 ounces, in 2016.
- Lake Rabun834 acres
- Seed Lake240 acres
- OperatorGeorgia Power
- Best betsSpotted and largemouth bass, walleye, bream
Getting on the Water
On Rabun, the U.S. Forest Service boat ramp on the upper lake has two public fishing piers ($5 parking), and Hall’s Marina is on the lower lake. During the walleye run you can fish from shore at Georgia Power’s Nacoochee Park, at Low Gap Road and Seed Lake Road below Nacoochee Dam. Seed Lake has a small ramp off Lake Rabun Road. Georgia Power sank artificial reefs on deep points in lower Lake Rabun in 2018; DNR has the GPS coordinates.
2026 Fishing Outlook
Summarized from Georgia DNR fisheries biologists’ 2026 forecast for Lake Rabun and Seed Lake, based on their sampling.
| Species | Outlook | Where and how |
|---|---|---|
| Rabun: largemouth bass | Average numbers, mostly 8 to 16 inches and 1 to 3 pounds, with several 8-pounders sampled in recent years. | The “Big Basin” on the upper lake (docks, downed trees, cove pockets) and coves from Hall’s Marina to the dam; 20 to 30 feet on mid-lake points in summer; surface feeding from the Forest Service ramp down to the Big Basin in fall. Live herring; white spinnerbaits or fluke jigheads; drop shots; shiners or pig-and-jig below 55°F. |
| Rabun: spotted bass | Another great year: mostly 1 to 3 pounds, with 6-pounders possible. | Points and pockets in the Big Basin and near the dam in winter, plus the dam face on warm afternoons; rocky banks with cover, downed trees and boathouse corners in April and May; brush at 20 to 30 feet in summer; surface schools in the upper river section in fall. Live herring, jerkbaits, floating worms, drop shots, Alabama rigs. |
| Rabun: walleye | Numbers are low, but the fish can be huge. | March: shallow headwaters at dusk (start at the Low Gap Road bridge and work upstream) and deeper river stretches by day. June to September: about 30 feet near the dam and in coves, trolling from Hall’s Marina to the dam. October and November: shallow points at night. Stickbaits, grubs, cranks, nightcrawlers, herring. |
| Rabun: bream | Quality bluegill a quarter to half a pound; redear often over a pound. | Sandy flats at creek mouths during late May or early June full moons; docks, downed trees and rock walls, and the shady overhangs at Hall’s Marina, the rest of the year. Crickets for bluegill, red wigglers deep for redear. |
| Seed: walleye | Stocked yearly; survival has been unusually high lately, so there are many 1- to 4-pound eating-size fish. | March: the shallow headwaters from the Mountain Patrol station to Burton Dam, at dusk, slowly, on the rocks. The rest of the year: near bottom from the public beach to the dam, around fallen trees, at dawn, dusk or night. Floating stickbaits, jig-and-crawler, trolled herring or nightcrawlers, medium minnows. |
| Seed: bass | The lake-record largemouth is 14 lb 4 oz; most are 10 to 20 inches and 1 to 3 pounds. Spotted bass of 1 to 2 pounds are common. | Largemouth on shoreline blowdowns in the middle and upper lake; spots on points and rocky banks mid and lower lake. Herring, yellow perch and bream imitations. |
Tallulah Falls Lake
Just downstream, 63-acre Tallulah Falls Lake sits at the head of Tallulah Gorge. It has fair fishing for bass, sunfish, yellow perch and catfish, no ramp (small boats can be hand-launched), and levels that change quickly with generation. See our Northeast Georgia fishing lakes guide.
Lake Rabun and Seed Lake
Lake Rabun and Seed LakeContact: Georgia Power, 706-746-1450. Georgia DNR fisheries, Gainesville, 770-535-5498.
More nearby: Lake Burton, Lake Tugalo, Lake Yonah and Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area.
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked against the agencies and operators that run these places:
- Georgia DNR fishing forecast: Lake Rabun (2026)
- Georgia DNR fishing forecast: Lake Seed (2026)
- Georgia Power: North Georgia lakes
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.