Georgia gained what seems like everlasting fame in the freshwater fishing world when George Perry landed a 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass in Lake Montgomery, an oxbow of the Ocmulgee River, in 1932. That fish became the most coveted of all world records and also one of the longest-standing ones.

Catching a fish like that today in Georgia is unlikely, but this in no way overshadows the abundant and high-quality resources existing in the Peach State. In fact, anglers still go to rivers like the Ocmulgee, where fishing is as good or better than ever, especially in the southern half of the state, where lakes are scarce.

Georgia’s fishery has changed markedly in many respects. Today anglers can choose from nine huge U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs, totaling some 500,000 acres, that teem with native largemouth bass, catfish, and bream, plus such popular additions as pure-strain striped bass, spotted bass, and hybrid stripers. A superb trout management program thrives in north Georgia, taking in some 4,000 miles of mountain streams, as well as the Chattahoochee River down to Atlanta.

Not to be overlooked is Georgia’s biggest secret asset: saltwater fishing. The 100-mile-long Georgia coast has the largest saltwater marsh in the eastern United States. This fertile estuary sustains a vast resource of inshore species, especially large populations of seatrout, redfish, and flounder, plus big tarpon.

Freshwater

The largest state east of the Mississippi River, Georgia has a varied landscape that is reflected in its resources and freshwater fishing opportunities. Rolling hills, coastal plains, the Appalachian Mountains, the Okefenokee Swamp, and the rivers that flow to the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico provide divergence. Although it has no large natural lakes, as the result of river impoundments Georgia does have big waters, some of which it shares with neighboring states. Several of these are among the most heavily used recreation sites in North America.