Thread: Lake Chatuge

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  1. #1
    Member BOW4UM's Avatar
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    Lake Chatuge

    I'm headed to Lake Chatuge on Saturday (Lanier kicking my Butt) and wondering if anyone has some input. Its my first trip ever and wondering about ramps, general areas, patterns or hot spots... I have an open seat if someone is interested (No cost). PM me if needed.
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    #2
    The wife and I bought a condo over there 3 years ago and I take my boat and fish there a couple of times a month. I've yet to figure it out other than topwater schoolers in the fall. We live in Dalton, so Chick is my home lake. If Lanier kicks your butt, Chatuge won't be much better. It's deep, clear, and full of herring just like Lanier only lots, lots smaller. There are 2 decent ramps (with docks). One is through Hiawassee on the right side of the main highway across from the high school. It's up the river but only takes 10 minutes to get under the bridge and back to the main lake. The other is on the NC side. It is the best on the lake, but legally you need a NC fishing license to use it as you launched from the NC side. Go Hayesville, NC, turn right and go past the Ingles and watch for signs on the right side of the road after 2 or 3 miles at a church. I can't remember the road name. As far as patterns go topwater in the morning and then look for brushpiles on points or shoal markers and in front of docks. It's like Lanier, you've got to find the bait and active fish around it. If you have a GON (Georgia Outdoor News), Eric Welch posts a good review of current conditions. Good luck.

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    #3
    The Chatuge is one overlooked lake, and Hiawassee would be a great place to live.

    Beware that the Georgia Mountain Fair starts 7/20/18, and that brings a bunch of people into the area. We plan to be there next week for the fair if the temperatures moderate a little.

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    #4
    NC/GA reciprocates so you need either a Georgia or North Carolina not both. It will be tough and the boat traffic on that lake is unreal.

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    #5
    me and my family will also be there starting Saturday for a week. It’s a family vacation but my son an I will be fishing a decent amount. From what I have read and researched, this is a clear water somehat deep fishery that in the summer you’ll have to find/chase offshore schools of bass in order to catch them. Is that about right? We are staying in NC on he lake. The house owner mentioned the state fair going on thru this Sunday.
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    #6
    Clear - Yes,
    Deep - Yes,
    Usually a good amount of schooling activity if you are lucky to be around them when they come up. If you are on the NC side, launch from the Ledford Chapel ramp (best on the lake), turn left, there are several areas with deeper docks, check in front of these for brushpiles and fish them. If you want to fish shallower, go under the bridge and up the river, the further up you go, the shallower it gets. Enjoy your week.

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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by printman71 View Post
    Clear - Yes,
    Deep - Yes,
    Usually a good amount of schooling activity if you are lucky to be around them when they come up. If you are on the NC side, launch from the Ledford Chapel ramp (best on the lake), turn left, there are several areas with deeper docks, check in front of these for brushpiles and fish them. If you want to fish shallower, go under the bridge and up the river, the further up you go, the shallower it gets. Enjoy your week.
    our rental house is only 1.5 miles from Jackrabbit launch. Any issues with that one? The owner regularly launches his larger boat there.

    any recommendations on catching hybrid this time of year? Same as the spots (find the bait)? Is there a fishable population of them in the lake? Would love to get in to some of those with my son and daughter.
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    #8
    If I remember correctly, Jackrabbit has an OK ramp, but the road to get there and the parking is marginal. If you want stripers or hybrids, drive 15 miles east of Hiawassee to Blairsville, GA and go to Lake Nottley. It's more of a Striper/Hybrid Lake than Chatuge. There's a good little pizza place (doesn't look like much) called Giovanni's in Hayesville. If you want a really nice meal, go to the Copper Door in Hayesville. It's pricey, but a good place to take the wife. The road from Hayesville, NC back to Hiawassee, GA has a great breakfast place, Mary's Southern Grill. It's in a little strip mall on the right, just before the traffic light. For a really good steak, go to Deer Lodge in Hiawassee. You can google for location, cash only, they open at 5:00, but get there at 4:30 or it's a monster wait. For Bar B Q, Hog Wild in Hiawassee is OK. I know I have told you much more than you asked, but we have a condo over there (live in Dalton, GA) and try to come over a couple of weekends a month. It's a great area, and hope you enjoy your stay. I'm looking forward to spending the week with the Bassmaster Elites in September on Chatuge for the AOY championship.

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    #9
    Awesome! Thank you! Probably going to stick with Chatuge for fishing but maybe we’ll run into a couple of those hybrids. Hoping to find some action on spots primary.
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    #10

    Trip report

    Well my trip went well. Anytime you can limit on a new lake in July Is good in my book. Caught 7-LM and 2-Hybrids. Best 5 went 11.5-12. This is a beautiful lake and looks like a killer spawn lake. Ill be back! Top water and 8' deep Shakeys worked for me. It was a bit cloudy in the am and bite came early afternoon. Hybrids in center of deep cuts as they schooled up.



    Thanks to all! I'm always looking to fish and just moved to GA you need a ride :) I'm from DC area. Potomac, James, Chick, Anna, Kerr.
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    Last edited by BOW4UM; 07-31-2018 at 03:13 PM.
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    #11
    There are both LM and Spots in that lake. Those sure look like nice spots to me.

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    #12
    Struggling big time today and yesterday on Chatuge. Did get two nice spots on the first day in only a few hours fishing. Sure have seen some nice fish though busting herring. Thing is, they are doing so in 40-90 fow, LOL! I have tried chasing them but have had no luck so far doing so. Probably just going to fish the early morning (which I haven’t done yet) and evenings for the rest of the week. Pretty lake though. Bet it’s loads of fun in the spring.
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  13. Member BOW4UM's Avatar
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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by 06 SB View Post
    There are both LM and Spots in that lake. Those sure look like nice spots to me.
    Haha Yea I'm new to spots still call the LM
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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by bman5150 View Post
    Struggling big time today and yesterday on Chatuge. Did get two nice spots on the first day in only a few hours fishing. Sure have seen some nice fish though busting herring. Thing is, they are doing so in 40-90 fow, LOL! I have tried chasing them but have had no luck so far doing so. Probably just going to fish the early morning (which I haven’t done yet) and evenings for the rest of the week. Pretty lake though. Bet it’s loads of fun in the spring.
    I tossed a pearl stick bait at them to hook up.
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    #15
    Finally figured out the bite. Fished for 4 hours in the morning yesterday then another 3 in the evening in all the rain and ended up with 21 spots. Most were 12-16” but got several 18-19”. Two were 3lbs +. Really fun! Most were caught on topwater chasing busting fish which was loads of fun but the best ones came on spinnerbaits and plastic.

    replicated the same deal this morning as well with 7 spots in 3 hours. Fun lake. It seems like it should be a fun numbers Lake in the spring. Agree?
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