Fishing Lake Nottely, Georgia

The Primary Species

Lake Nottely has a diverse game fish community supported by the lake's clear mountain water, abundant underwater structure from the submerged original river valley, and Georgia DNR stocking programs. The primary species anglers target:

• Largemouth bass — abundant throughout the lake in dock structure, coves, and shallow areas; solid average size with good numbers
• Spotted bass — present throughout; competitive with largemouth in the cleaner, harder-bottom sections of the main channel
• Hybrid striped bass (stripers) — an open-water species that is one of Nottely's signature fisheries; chase shad in the main channel and near the dam on summer mornings; topwater fishing at dawn for stripers is one of the most exciting early-morning experiences the lake offers
• Walleye — one of the more unusual North Georgia lake species; present in Nottely and targeted by experienced anglers near rocky points and in low-light conditions
• Rainbow trout — stocked regularly by Georgia DNR; Nottely and its tributary streams provide cold mountain water trout habitat that most Georgia lakes cannot replicate
• Crappie — dock structure and brush piles; good numbers particularly in spring around spawning areas
• Bluegill and bream — abundant panfish throughout the dock-heavy cove areas
• Channel catfish — present throughout, bottom-fishing near channels and points

Striped Bass: Nottely's Most Exciting Fishery

Lake Nottely's hybrid striped bass fishery is what surprises first-time visitors most. The stripers are a schooling open-water species that follow shad bait balls in the main channel and near the dam end of the lake. On summer mornings from dawn through mid-morning, stripers will surface-feed aggressively — the "blowup" that striper anglers chase, where large fish push shad to the surface and create visible explosive feeding activity. During these blowups, topwater lures, swimbaits, and live shad all produce. The morning striper activity on Nottely is the kind of fishing that brings anglers back to this lake specifically and that distinguishes it from pure bass lakes.

In the deeper sections of the lake near the dam, vertical jigging and deep trolling for stripers in the summer thermocline produces fish throughout the day when the morning surface bite has ended. The combination of the clear mountain water and the relatively deep channel near the dam creates good striper habitat in a North Georgia lake where that species is not always expected.

Lake Winfield Scott: A Dedicated Trout Fishery Nearby

Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area in the Chattahoochee National Forest, approximately 15 to 20 minutes from the lake via GA-60 South, includes Lake Winfield Scott — a small put-and-take trout fishery managed by the US Forest Service with approximately 9,000 catchable rainbow trout stocked annually by the Georgia Game and Fish Division. The lake allows only electric-motor and self-propelled watercraft. It provides a dedicated trout fishing option for Nottely area residents that supplements the stocked trout in the Nottely reservoir itself and the stocked trout in the various streams and creeks of the Chattahoochee National Forest surrounding the lake. For families with young anglers who want a near-guaranteed trout experience, Winfield Scott's stocked lake is a local resource worth knowing about.

Scuba Diving: The Drowned Town Below

Lake Nottely is one of the few Georgia reservoirs with an established scuba diving community. The draw is the submerged landscape of the original Nottely River valley — the foundations, roads, farm structures, and community evidence from the 91 families relocated when TVA built the dam in 1942. Divers report encountering remnants of the pre-dam human landscape at depth, creating an underwater archaeological experience not available at younger or less historically significant reservoirs. The water quality in Nottely — relatively clear by mountain reservoir standards — makes visibility adequate for recreational diving in the main channel sections. The scuba diving activity at Nottely is a documented local recreation feature, not merely legend, and it adds a dimension to the lake experience that buyers with diving interests may find specifically appealing.

Georgia Fishing License

Lake Nottely is entirely within Georgia, so a valid Georgia freshwater fishing license is required for all anglers aged 16 and older. Unlike Lake Chatuge — where the state line bisects the lake and requires licenses in both Georgia and North Carolina for full lake access — Nottely is entirely within Georgia jurisdiction. One Georgia license covers the entire lake. Georgia fishing licenses are available at georgiawildlife.com or through license agents including most sporting goods retailers and hardware stores in Blairsville. Contact the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division at 478-825-6151 for current Lake Nottely-specific regulations, creel limits, and season dates.

Bass Fishing on the 32-Foot Drawdown Cycle

Lake Nottely's 32-foot annual drawdown cycle creates seasonally distinct bass fishing patterns that experienced Nottely anglers understand and exploit. In fall as TVA begins the drawdown, bass often stage on the last remaining structure in shallow areas before retreating to deeper water — creating a brief window of excellent shallow fishing on exposed shoreline structure. During winter drawdown when the lake is at its lowest, bass concentrate in the deep main channel sections near the dam where adequate depth remains. The concentrating effect of the drawdown on fish can actually improve fishing in these deeper zones: fish that were spread across the lake at full pool are pushed into a smaller area of fishable water. Winter deep-water bass fishing on Nottely — jigging vertically on the channel ledges near the dam end — is a consistently productive technique for anglers willing to fish in cold weather.

The spring refill is arguably the best bass fishing period of the year. As TVA releases water and the lake rises from late February through May, bass move from deep channel wintering areas toward the recovering shallows in a succession of feeding transitions. The repopulating shallows — newly flooded bank edges, submerged vegetation returning as the water rises, dock structures newly accessible as the water climbs back toward full pool — create prime bass feeding conditions. Pre-spawn staging as the water approaches spawn temperature in April produces aggressive feeding behavior on largemouth and spotted bass. Local anglers who track the drawdown refill cycle and understand how fish position during the rise consistently out-fish visitors who only fish Nottely at summer full pool.

Guided Fishing at Lake Nottely

The Blairsville and Union County area has a modest but functional guide community serving Lake Nottely and the surrounding North Georgia mountain lakes. Local guides familiar with Nottely can provide significant advantages over self-guided fishing — particularly for visitors who are unfamiliar with the lake's specific structure, the drawdown effect on fish positioning, and the subtle differences between the main channel, the arms, and the coves at different water levels. Guide services in Blairsville can be found through Georgia Outdoor News (gon.com), local sporting goods stores in Blairsville, and direct referral from LAPOA or Nottely area real estate agents who maintain vendor relationships with recreation providers in the community. A half-day guided trip on Nottely is one of the better investments a buyer can make before purchasing — it provides a lake-eye view of the sub-areas, the depth profiles, and the winter pool reality from someone who fishes it regularly.