Lake Weiss
The lower Coosa River from near Rome to the Georgia-Alabama state line is Georgias portion of the Lake Weiss, an Alabama Power Company project. Georgia's portion of the reservoir encompasses approximately 2,000 acres of river and shallow backwater habitats.
Contact Information
Alabama Power Company: ph. 1-800-LAKES 11
Prospects and Fishing Tips
| Best Bets |
| CRAPPIE, WHITE BASS, STRIPED BASS, LARGEMOUTH BASS & CATFISH |
| Largemouth bass |
| Prospect | The relatively shallow, nutrient-rich waters of Lake Weiss produce good numbers of largemouth bass each year. The average fish will run a little larger than a pound, but there are plenty of quality size fish in these waters. Anglers can again expect 7 to 8-pound fish to be considered trophy size for the Georgia portion of this reservoir. |  |
| Technique | During the colder months, use black or blue finesse jigs, big spinner baits, Rat-L-Traps, deep diving crankbaits, carolina rigged plastic worms or shaky head jigs. In the warmer months, when the fish move shallow and are feeding more actively, try buzz baits, small spinner baits, floating plastic worm rigs or frog imitations. This also is a good time when "flipping" jigs can prove very effective. |
| Target | The Brushy Branch area is the most popular area for largemouth, but the backwater tributaries off the main Coosa River channel also are productive. Stump-laden slack-water areas like Kings Creek and Mt. Hope Creek hold plenty of largemouth. Dock fishing also is a productive pattern for these areas as well as the main lake portion in Alabama (be sure to obtain an Alabama fishing license before crossing into Alabama waters). |
| White bass |
| Prospect | Anglers can expect good catches of white bass this spring. Larger females will run 2 pounds, while most males will average 3/4-pound in size. |  |
| Technique | Casting small, white, chartreuse or grey jigs, or 1/4 to 1/2-ounce shad-patterned crankbaits such as Rat-L-Traps, Rapala deep diving baits or other medium sized crankbaits should be an anglers top choice for these mini-linesides. Offerings of live minnows can also be effective on these spawn-run fish. |
| Target | March and April is when anglers should target river-run white bass. A prime river stretch for hunting spawn-run white bass is from the Old River Road boat ramp upstream to Mayo's Lock and Dam Park. Concentrate on fishing the inside bends of the river, where water flows are typically faster. White bass will also concentrate in the tributary creek mouths entering the main stem of the Coosa River. |
| Striped Bass |
| Prospect | Most stripers are 5-6 pounds in size, but fish over 30 pounds are available. Extended drought conditions in 2007 and 2008 have resulted in a short-term reduction in the the number of 20-plus pound linesides in the population. Despite this, smaller stripers are numerous and these fish will eventually grow to replenish "big" striped bass numbers in the coming years. |  |
| Technique | Fishing live or cut shad is both a popular and highly effective approach for river striper fishing. Anglers may also fool linesides with artificial lures such as bucktail jigs, shad-colored crankbaits and large jerkbaits fished in swift water near fallen trees. |
| Target | Catch spring-run stripers from Mayo Lock and Dam Park upriver to the city of Rome. After the spawn, target cool waters in the larger tributary rivers of the Coosa, such as the Etowah and Chattooga, or the smaller Big Cedar Creek upstream of Brushy Branch. When cooler temperatures arrive, stripers will again move towards the main body of Lake Weiss to feed on shad. Target the area between Brushy Branch and the main body of the lake from late fall through winter. |
| Catfish |
| Prospect | Catfish abundance is fairly consistent from year to year in Georgia's portion of Lake Weiss. Channels, blues and flatheads all call this river home. Channel cats usually are 1-2 pounds in size, with 5 to 8-pound fish being fairly common. Blue catfish are just as abundant, but much larger fish are present. A few blues greater than 50 pounds are pulled from these waters each year. Flatheads are the least abundant of the three species and bigger fish usually top out in the 15 to 20-pound range. |  |
| Technique | Chicken livers, home brewed or manufactured stink baits or catalpa worms are reliable approaches for catching good numbers of catfish, but most "pole bender" trophy cats will hold out for live offerings of shad or bream. |
| Target | Focus on the numerous undercut banks and log jams found on the main Coosa River channel for blue and flathead catfish. The smaller, yet abundant channel catfish will be found in these same areas, but will also frequent backwater locations off the main river. |
| Crappie |
| Prospect | Known as the "crappie capital of the world," this reservoir's excellent forage base supports a robust crappie population year-after-year. Angler catch this year should be very good for both numbers and sizes. Slab crappie greater than 2 pounds are routinely caught, and the chance at a "wall-hanger" crappie over 3 pounds is a real possibility in these waters. |  |
| Technique | Trolling small jigs or live minnows on multiple rods (spider rigging) is a favorite technique for locating schools of actively feeding fish. The same baits fished under a bobber around downed trees or sunken brush piles is another tried and true tactic for this species. |
| Target | Troll for schooling fish in mid to late-winter near old tributary channels. Key-in on downed shoreline trees and logs during the spawn and post-spawn period. Summer time will push crappie to river ledges and other structure in deeper waters. |
| Other Species |
| Prospect | Freshwater drum and gar are abundant inhabitants in the main Coosa River channel of Weiss. Expect the average drum to run slightly larger than 12 inches, but a fair number of "bull drum," will top 17 inches in lenght. Longnose and spotted gar generally will run 3 feet from nose to tail, but 4 to 5-foot longnose gar are not out of the question. |
| Technique | For drum, small white jigs fished along the bottom, crayfish, cut mussels and shrimp are good techniques. Gar will hit a number of hook type lures, but good hook penetration on this tough-mouthed species is rare. A unique but effective technique is the use of 6 to 8-inch hookless minnow imitations made from frayed rope. Such lures entangle the numerous needle-like teeth of gar, allowing them to be more consistently boated. Be sure to wear gloves when removing this type of lure from the pointed jaws of a gar. |
| Target | For drum, concentrate on river areas with increased flow and turbulence, such as around bridges or log jams. Sight fishing is recommended for gar - look for them hovering just under the waters' surface near structure on the main river channel or backwater areas. |
| Additional Information |
River level, water temperature and flow conditions on the Coosa River near the GA/AL state line can be found at the following U.S. Geological Survey Web site: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?02397530
Information about the two county-operated boat access points and parks in this area of the lake can be found at the following two web sites:
Brushy Branch Park: http://www.rfpra.com/Park%20Guide.html
Mayo's Lock and Dam Park: http://www.rfpra.com/park-lockndam.htm
The Georgia DNR lake sturgeon reintroduction program began in 2002. Since then, more than 130,000 sturgeon fingerlings have been released in the Coosa River basin above Lake Weiss. Anglers that accidentally catch a lake sturgeon should immediately release the fish unharmed. Fish hooked deep often will survive if anglers cut the line near the hook and release the fish with the hook. Anglers that catch a sturgeon, should contact the Calhoun WRD office (ph. (706-624-1161) to report the location from which the sturgeon was caught. Such information is valuable to biologists assessing the survival and dispersal of these magnificent fish. |
| Best Fishing Times Key |
Excellent:  Good:  Fair:  |
