Fishing Lake Burton

The headline: a record spotted bass fishery

Lake Burton is best known among anglers for spotted bass, and for good reason: it produced the Georgia state-record spotted bass, an 8-pound, 2-ounce fish caught in February 2005. While most spots you catch will run in the 1-to-2-pound range, the population is stable and healthy, and fish up to around 6 pounds turn up regularly, with the occasional true giant. February and March are prime months for the biggest bass, when pig-and-jig combinations, drop-shot finesse worms, and live herring or trout worked around downed trees, rocky points, and the face of the dam produce the heaviest fish of the year. April and May bring the highest numbers as spots move to spawn around dock corners and downed timber.

Largemouth bass and the herring connection

Largemouth bass share the lake and are most numerous at the lower end, in coves such as Murray, Perrin, and Cherokee. They are structure-oriented: in spring they hold tight to visible cover with overhead protection for spawning, in summer they drop to 20-to-30-foot points and creek channels, and in fall they chase bait on the surface of open cove water. The common thread on Burton is blueback herring, the primary forage. Live herring is the top bait, and soft-bodied jerk baits in pearl or herring patterns — a Zoom Super Fluke is a local favorite — have a real advantage because they mimic that forage. Finesse worms along points, humps, and creek channels take fish when the bite is tougher.

A genuine trophy trout fishery

What sets Burton apart from most Georgia bass lakes is its cold, clear water and a real trout fishery. The Georgia DNR stocks the lake heavily — roughly 20,000 ten-inch brown trout each fall, with rainbow trout stocked through the cooler October-to-March months — and browns grow into genuine trophies here. This is no accident: the Lake Burton Trout Hatchery sits on Moccasin Creek on the lake's edge, raising rainbow and brown trout and supporting the fishery next door. Brown trout fishing peaks July through September; anglers troll live bait, spoons, or shad-imitating crankbaits at 30-to-60-foot depths between the dam face and the first upstream safety marker, and target Moccasin, Dicks, and Timpson creek mouths in fall as browns move toward spawning streams.

The rest of the catch

Beyond bass and trout, Burton holds a diverse mix. Yellow perch fishing has improved in recent years, with trophy-sized perch showing up in early spring. Anglers also catch black crappie, white bass, bluegill and other sunfish, white catfish, and the occasional walleye that turns up in a live well. There are even trophy-sized chain pickerel for anglers who target woody debris with white spinnerbaits or troll perch-colored crankbaits along creek-channel weed lines. It is a genuinely varied fishery for a mountain reservoir, which is part of why more than a dozen species are commonly reported here.

Access, ramps, and licenses

Public boat launching is available at Moccasin Creek, next to the Lake Burton Trout Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park on Highway 197 North, and at Georgia Power's Murray Cove Boat Ramp on Murray Cove Road. Moccasin Creek State Park makes a convenient base for visiting anglers, with camping and lake access. Remember that all anglers need a valid Georgia fishing license, and anyone fishing for trout must also carry a trout license; nonresident licenses and short-term options are available from the Georgia DNR. Because Burton is a Georgia Power lake, standard Georgia freshwater regulations and creel limits apply — check the current Georgia fishing regulations before you go, since limits and seasons can change.

A season-by-season plan

Burton fishes differently through the year, and knowing the rhythm shortens the learning curve. In February and March, the water is cold and the biggest bass of the year are catchable — work pig-and-jigs, drop-shot finesse worms, and live herring or trout around downed timber, rocky points, and the dam face. April and May bring the spawn and the highest spotted-bass numbers, with jerk baits in herring patterns, floating worms, and spinnerbaits around dock corners and shallow cover. Summer pushes bass to 20-to-30-foot points and creek channels while the trout bite peaks; troll deep for browns between the dam and the first safety marker. Fall sees bass chasing herring on the surface at cove mouths, and browns moving toward Moccasin, Dicks, and Timpson creeks. Winter returns the pattern to deep, slow presentations near the dam. Match the season and you will spend less time searching and more time catching.

Guides, charters, and getting started

If you are new to Burton, a half-day with a local guide is the fastest way to learn its coves, forage, and depth patterns. Several North Georgia charter operations run trips on the lake, typically supplying rods, tackle, bait, and life jackets, with day trips commonly built around several hours on the water for a small group. A guide will show you where the herring school, which points hold spotted bass, and how to troll for the stocked browns — knowledge that would otherwise take a season of trial and error to accumulate on your own. For a new lake-home owner, it is a modest investment that pays off in every trip afterward, and it is a good way to decide which part of the lake you most want to fish from your own dock.

How to fish it as a new owner

If you are buying on Burton and new to the lake, start by learning its forage and its coves. The blueback herring drive the bass bite, so matching that bait pays off across seasons. Learn the lower-lake coves — Murray, Perrin, Cherokee, Moccasin, Dicks, and Timpson — and the dam area, which fishes well for both bass and stocked trout at different times of year. Time your trophy hunting to the calendar: February and March for the biggest spotted and largemouth bass, July through September for trophy browns, and early spring for the improving perch. With clear water, a record-class bass reputation, and a hatchery-fed trout fishery on its shore, Burton offers a genuinely rich fishery right off your own dock.