McDuffie Public Fishing Area is a 560-acre Georgia DNR fishing area near Dearing in McDuffie County, about 30 miles west of Augusta. It has seven fishing ponds of 5 to 37 acres, a campground, nature trails, an archery range, a state fish hatchery and an environmental education center. It is open year-round, 24 hours a day.
Official McDuffie PFA Website
McDuffie PFA is run by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division. Its official page is georgiawildlife.com/mcduffie-pfa, and campsites are booked on GoOutdoorsGeorgia. Main office: 706-595-1684. Fisheries Region 3 office: 478-825-6151.
- HoursOpen year-round, 24 hours a day
- EntryFishing or hunting license, or a Lands Pass (16 and older)
- FishLargemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, channel catfish
- Address4695 Fish Hatchery Rd. SE, Dearing, GA 30808
Ponds & Boat Ramps
All seven ponds have concrete boat ramps with courtesy docks, and most have good bank access. Boats may use electric motors or paddles only; a gas motor can be mounted but not run. Bass usually start biting in late January or early February and bed in late March. Bream spawn over the sandy, firm bottoms that many of the ponds have. Some ponds are stocked in the fall with channel catfish, and fish attractors have been placed near the edges of several lakes for bank anglers.
| Pond (DNR number) | Acres | Fish | Dock | Boat ramp GPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Willow (4E) | 37 | Bream, bass, catfish | Accessible dock | 33.3828, -82.416 |
| Bridge Lake (3W) | 30 | Bream, bass, catfish | Accessible dock | 33.38579, -82.42316 |
| Beaver Lodge (4W) | 13 | Bream, bass, catfish | Dock | 33.38739, -82.42039 |
| Clubhouse Lake (1W) | 11 | Bream, bass, catfish | Accessible dock | 33.37953, -82.42428 |
| Jones Lake (98E) | 9 | Bream, bass, catfish | Accessible dock | 33.38547, -82.41263 |
| Rod Bender Lake (3E) | 6 | Bream; bass catch and release only. Open days 1 to 7 of each month | Dock | 33.3801, -82.41811 |
| Bream Buster (2W) | 5 | Bream, bass, catfish | Dock | 33.38234, -82.42397 |
Fishing Rules
- Anglers 16 and older need a Georgia fishing license (one-day, honorary, Sportsman’s and lifetime licenses count). Everyone 16 and older needs a fishing or hunting license or a Lands Pass to enter.
- Rod Bender Lake (3E) is open only the first seven days of each month, and its largemouth bass are catch and release.
- Bass limit is 5 per day, 14-inch minimum unless posted otherwise.
- Grass carp are stocked to control weeds and must be released right away.
- Pole and line only, up to two poles per angler. No live fish as bait.
- Children under 14 must be with an adult. No swimming, no fishing in closed ponds, and no parking on dams.
Camping
The campground has 13 full-hookup RV sites (water, 50-amp power and sewer; 7 pull-through and 6 back-in) and 5 tent sites with electricity. Every site has a picnic table, fire pit and grill, and the bathhouse is fully accessible with showers. Sites are reserved through GoOutdoorsGeorgia; check-in is from 1 p.m. to sunset and check-out is 11 a.m. If you arrive after sunset, call ahead for entry. During droughts DNR may ban outdoor burning on the property, so check the official page before you plan a campfire.
Trails, Archery, Hunting & Education
Nature Trails
Trails through the longleaf pines and wetlands, including the Blackwater Swamp, Beaver Pond and Longleaf Pine trails. Look for white-tailed deer, fox squirrels and Canada geese.
Archery Range
A field course with a 14-foot elevated tower and six targets, plus a flat range with three targets for sighting in. Field points only, no broadheads; under 16 must be supervised.
Dove & Waterfowl Hunting
A public dove field opens on scheduled days during dove season, and several ponds open to waterfowl hunting in December and January. Check the kiosk at the entrance gate for open ponds, and follow the state hunting regulations.
Fish Hatchery
The state warmwater hatchery raises fish stocked in lakes and rivers across Georgia. Fishing in the hatchery ponds is not allowed.
Environmental Education Center
The McDuffie Environmental Education Center runs outdoor science programs for school and home-school groups, grades K to 12. See themeec.org.
Kids’ Fishing Events
DNR holds kids’ fishing events here in spring, summer and fall, with ponds stocked with channel catfish for young anglers.
Address & Directions
4695 Fish Hatchery Road SE, Dearing, GA 30808 (GPS 33.37779, -82.4246). From Thomson, drive east on US 278 for 5.6 miles. At the brown DNR sign, keep right onto Ellington Airline Road for 2.8 miles, then turn sharp right onto Fish Hatchery Road and continue to the PFA. A log-cabin check station just inside the gate has area maps and fishing regulations.
More fishing nearby: Classic South fishing lakes, Clarks Hill Lake and the full Georgia WMA and PFA map.
Sources we checked
Facts on this page were checked against the agency that runs McDuffie PFA:
- Georgia Wildlife Resources Division: McDuffie PFA – hours, contacts, campground, facilities
- DNR Guide to McDuffie PFA (PDF) – ponds, Rod Bender schedule, directions
- GoOutdoorsGeorgia – campground check-in and check-out
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