Welcome to our annual roller coaster ride know as March weather. Be prepared to fish deep and slow in cold water and much shallower on those warmer days. The unseasonably warm weather had lots of fish on the move, but the last couple of colder days slowed them down. At least the weekend weather looks very good - -before another arctic blast hits us early next week.
Region trout waters remain pitifully low and clear. They’re chilly one day and then hitting prime or even warm temperatures the next.
The main factor is low water and spooky fish, so stealth and light leaders are the ticket. A few more GA DH streams received some fresh stockers this week, so pack your eggs and buggers, too.
Lake bass and stripers are warming up with each degree rise in water temps.the next 6-8 weeks will be the best time of the year to pursue those species in shallow water.
Our latest intel is detailed in our full weekly fishing report, which you can find on our new and improved website, thanks to Wes.
Just go to our home page and click on “report.”
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16avG7Rots/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
www.unicoioutfitters.com
Sautee: 706-878-3083. Open 8-5 daily. (2454 GA Hwy 17, Sautee-Nacoochee.)
Clarkesville: 706-754-0203. Open 8-5 from Monday thru Saturday.
Wes’ Hot Fly List:
(Wes said last week’s list is still solid)
Dries:
Tiny Black elk hair caddis, grey elk hair caddis, BWO, Parachute Adams, Quill Gordon, Drymerger march brown, and buoyant indicator flies for dry/dropper rigs (micro chubby, stimulator)
Nymphs & Wets:
Mops, sexy Walts, red tag jig, micro girdle bug, soft hackle pheasant tail, soft hackle hares ear, psycho prince.
Mountain streams: Pheasant tail, killer may, prince nymph, soft hackle partridge.
Streamers:
UV polar jig, jiggy fry, sparkle minnow, bank robber sculpin.
Reservoir Bass & Stripers:
Cowen’s somethin else, low fat minnow.
River bass:
Dead Ned, crittermite, clouser minnows, thrashers.
Headwaters:
They are skinny and clear. Recent rains run off in a matter of just a few hours. Water temps are good, especially in the afternoons, so throw your favorite dry/dropper combos and hope you can cut the dropper off quickly to enjoy the risers.
Delayed Harvest:
They’re fishing decently, thanks mainly to sone recent agency stockings. Just find the drought refuges and fish then in the shade for your best action. Go esrky or late on hot, sunny days, and in the afternoons on chilly days. Check the USGS stream gauges (Hooch, Tooga) and let those water temps guide you.
UO buddy JeffS : I hit Smith creek on Tuesday. Caught a couple on San Juan worms but they just weren’t that interested in junk flies. Tied on a mop fly with a pheasant tail dropper and it was on. Caught 6-7 with that setup and decided to take the mop fly off and add a prince instead. This combination caught NOTHING. I took the prince off and put the tan mop fly back on with the pheasant tail dropper and, first cast, caught another fish. Something about the mop fly that got the fish’s attention to bite the bottom fly. Even went to the heavy fished culvert hole and caught fish on this combo. I didn’t realize the top fly was that important.”
Rabunites Rick and Dredger hit Nantahala DH on Monday. Flows were real low and clear. It was a slow but steady pick through the day. They had to cover a lot of water and found willing fish in about half of the good pools and pockets. Best bugs for recent stockers were sexy Walts and mops, while a small frenchie dropper enticed the wild bows. One doubleheader showed their respective preferences. Rick took off at 3PM, but Dredger stayed in hopes of sunset topwater action. It was sparse, as the hatching bugs (caddis, stones, BWO’s, and Hendricksons) were also sparse. He picked off a few risers on a parachute Adams, but caught twice as many on that frenchie dropper below his dry. We are still a week or two away from heavier hatches and more risers.
Rabunites Dredger and Bluejay hit the Chattooga DH on Wednesday afternoon. Water temp rose to a balmy 64F and the water was skinny and clear. They had to skip long reaches of shallows to find deeper water and a few willing trout. They picked off a few trout and a bunch of redbreast during an early hatch of tiny caddis.
The sun came out at midafternoon, the caddis disappeared into the trees, and the fish hunkered down. Jay finally managed a nice handful of recent stockers on an apricot egg. They were buzzed by a big, immature bald eagle that crushed down the river channel. The duo had to leave early at 6PM and missed the better action at sunset, when the caddis would return. Moral of the story: fish the early and late shadows right now while these waters are darn low and clear. Fish like it’s May instead of March on hot, sunny days when trout are taking their midday siesta.
Stockers:
Stockers remain slim, but we’re only a week or so away from the start of stocker season.
Trout Fishing | Department Of Natural Resources Division
Your best bets remain the two tailwaters for summer/fall holdovers and just outside the DH stream boundaries to find the wash-downs. Fishing public waters above or below private trophy waters might fetch you a straying brute or two.
Private Waters:
Water temps are good, but low flows are making our trips a bit challenging. We need rain, lots of it!
UO-Helen manager Wes: “We had a good 1/2 day this morning on the Soque. The fish were slightly sluggish early with the cool morning, but by 9:30 the activity really picked up. Size 12 Girdle bugs were the star of the show this morning!”
UO guide Syd: “We saw some hatching bugs on Smith DH yesterday , so I started with some dries. The topwater action was slow, however, so we switched to streamers (sparkle minnow) and got fish to chase them.
My Soque clients today did well by dredging a squirmy/girdle bug combo.”
Tailwaters:
No recent reports.
Warm Rivers:
Target walleye and whites and you might find a few early-run male stripers up there, too.
https://georgiawildlife.blog/2026/03/13/georgia-fishing-report-march-13-2026/
UO buddy RSquared: “White Bass & Crappie are still spread out through NW Georgia’s Coosa River drainage. However, reports of random schooling fish are starting to circulate. It should be on like “Donkey Kong” in a couple of weeks”
Ponds:
Jimmy’s grandson, Crosby, has started lighting up the largemouths in the warming shallows of his Alpharetta subdivision lake.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m2epqQglY6s
UO buddy Athens MD: “It’s been a pretty fishy week in and around Athens. My wife and I hit the road early in the week with our new Hiker camping trailer in tow and set up camp on the shore of a big GA lake. 20 yards from our campsite 10 inch shellcracker on a 3wt made for a great evening. On Monday Oconee River Chapter of TU had our monthly (since 2021!) fly tying table at Athentic Brewing in Athens—tying up some chironomid patterns with some of our regular participants. Finally, the time change now allows more time for an after work “re-set”, and shallow bass were eager for small streamers—in this case a gray composite loop zonker pattern that Athens-area fish go crazy for this time of year.”
Lakes:
The lake striper and spot bite is improving with warming water.
UO guide Israel: “Bass were chewing on glide baits shallow on Tuesday.”
UO guide Joseph’s Lanier report: Fishing on the pond was steady last week. We’ve had some abnormally high water temps for this time of year that have had the stripers scattered. We’re seeing small groups over open water and some around main lake points. The best way to target these fish would be with an intermediate line with a 3-4 inch baitfish pattern. Somethin else’s, clousers, game changers, and a new pattern I’ve been working on dubbed the “somethin better” by Henry Cowen have all been players.
Bass fishing has also remained good with warmer temperatures and we’re still catching some great fish up shallow, holding tight to structure.
Spring fishing is in full swing and we only have a few more weeks of striper fishing on the pond. If you’re wanting to get in on the action call UO Sautee at (706)-878-3083 or visit my website at www.josephclarkflyfishing.com !”
Let’s root for UO manager/guide Jake, who is competing in the Cabelas Big Bass Classic on Clark Hill Lake this weekend!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3968856540082240
UO buddy and striper book author HenryC’s latest Lanier video intel: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVwch2TmeZh/?igsh=MWpwcDVjeHhncXR4Ng==
Afar:
UO buddy Myles: “I was able to sneak away for a few days to a salty coast. We went out for a deep sea trip and after years of targeting them, I caught my first red grouper! On the inshore quests, I caught a handful of redfish and one very nice sheepshead! Between the inshore and offshore action, we had a heck of a time!”
Outreach Kudos:
RSquared said: “This past week, Georgia Trout Unlimited, Georgia Wildlife Federation, & Georgia DNR hosted 17 of our state legislators to a fly-fishing excursion & fish Fry. Trout Unlimited members served as guides for our lawmakers.Georgia Wildlife Federation organized all of our lawmakers, & Wildlife Resources Division - Georgia DNR provided stocked trout, and the fish Fry. Retired Director of Wildlife Resources, Ted Will, served as head cook! It was the second year that we held this event. GATU has had a long & beneficial relationship with GWF & Ga. DNR for many years as we work to conserve and protect trout waters.”
Events:
March 21:
Register early and give UO owner Jimmy a hand with his Hooch-Helen sweep. Then he’ll feed you a free burger at our afternoon open house:
March 21:
Join us for the UO- Sautee fly shop’s housewarming party! Don’t miss your shot at some mighty fine raffle prizes. Details in our flyer and here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVYgjY0AIO8/?igsh=a2gzOWVqOGUycnli
April 8.
Dredger takes his “Spring Dries and Droppers” program on the road for one more stop this spring: the Atlanta Flyfishing Club on April 8. AFFC welcomes all guests,so metro ATL folks, mark your calendars to net some fine Rabunite intel at an Atlanta Classic, Manuel’s Tavern.
https://atlantaflyfishingclub.org/
April 11:
Folks interested in flyfishing can try “Rabunite 101, a morning introduction to the sport at the Rabun County Recreation Center gym. It’s a real bargain at $25. Details:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CyqVTpMY6/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://tu.myeventscenter.com/event/Rabunite-101-Fly-Fishing-Seminar-122568
That’s the latest from our own rollercoaster rides up here. Bring both your cold and warmwater games up here and strap in for your own March action. Stop in either of our UO shops and we’ll give you the breaking intel for each day. Come see us in Sautee next Saturday (21st) and you just might be the lucky guest waking home with that new Recon!
Unicoi Outfitters: Friendly. Local. Experts.
