Lake Lanier Fishing Report - Spotted Bass Crush Topwaters, Crappie Crushing Minnows, Stripers Heading Deep

Hey there, anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Lake Lanier fishing report for this beautiful Monday morning, May 26, 2025.

Lake Lanier is sitting pretty at about 1.1 feet above full pool (1071), with water temperatures ranging from 71-73 degrees. Water clarity is looking good on the main lake, though you'll find it a bit stained as you head north into the river systems and creek backs.

The spotted bass have finished their spawn and are now aggressively feeding to recover. These big momma spots have moved from their spawning areas to key features at creek mouths and main-lake areas - look for them around long points, rocky shoals, and underwater humps. With the warm temperatures we're having, your best fishing will be early morning or late evening before sundown.

Topwater action is absolutely on fire right now! This is prime time for watching wolf packs of monster spotted bass chase your surface lures. Swimbaits are also producing excellent results. The post-spawn bite has been stronger than the pre-spawn this year.

For stripers, the spawn is winding down and fish are moving back south out of the river systems. They were hitting well off shallow points early in May, but with our increasing temperatures, they've shifted to mid-depths in the morning and will likely move deeper as the day heats up.

Crappie fishing remains good, with large groups hanging around structure under docks and on open water brush. They're holding at depths of 10-18 feet above 20-40 foot bottoms. Minnows under a bobber are working great on shallow brush, or try a 1/32 jig and let it fall right in front of them.

For hot spots, I'd recommend working the mouths of major creeks where they meet the main lake, especially areas with man-made cover that concentrates fish. The underwater islands and humps throughout the lake are also holding good numbers right now.

Best baits? For bass, you can't go wrong with topwater plugs, flukes, and swimbaits. Crappie are hitting minnows and small jigs. If you're after stripers, downrods are becoming more effective as the water warms.

The fishing has been excellent lately - as the local guides are saying, "if it swims, it's biting!" Just remember it's getting hot out there, so bring plenty of water, wear your sunscreen, and consider calling it a day before the afternoon heat really kicks in.

Tight lines, everyone! This is Artificial Lure signing off from Lake Lanier. Y'all catch a big one for me!

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI