Fishing Lake Tugalo

AKA: Tugalo Reservoir

Popular Fish Species
Lake Tugalo Fishing Video
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Lake Tugalo, GA

Popular Fish Species Lake Tugalo, GA

Lake Tugalo Popular Fish - Largemouth Bass

Largemouth Bass Fishing

Lake Tugalo is a popular bass tournament lake. Tugaloo State Park regularly host's some of the more prominent fishing tournaments in the area. Additionally, there is plenty of areas for fishing from the bank. Weekend and tournament anglers find the fishing to be slow at times, yet pretty good at other times. Fishing for bass can be quite rewarding, with an occasional bass over 4 pounds being caught. Anglers can also catch spotted bass, which reside here in decent numbers. Bass often move shallow and become aggressive when they are in a feeding mood. Use shallow crankbaits around rip rap. Around grass, use worms, jigs, topwater and spinnerbaits. In deeper water, drop shot rigs, big worms, jigs and spoons are good options. In winter, spend your time fishing deeper structure where the bass spend much of their time.

Lake Tugalo Popular Fish - Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish Fishing

To fish for catfish on Lake Tugalo, most any rod and reel will work, as long as the line is strong enough. For serious catfish enthusiasts, using the right equipment improves success. A medium action, to medium-heavy action rod is ideal, in the 6' to 7' range. Use a slip sinker or Carolina rig with popular catfish baits on at least 10-pound line. Use sharp hooks with bait holders on the shank, or circle hooks for live bait. Lake Tugalo has a decent population of channel catfish, and they are eager to bite. The typical fish are about 2 pounds, with larger ones caught frequently. The state record channel catfish is over 44 pounds. Night fishing for catfish often delivers better results than daytime fishing. Fishing for channel catfish is often most productive around any kind of structure in the area. In Spring channel catfish migrate toward incoming water, so stay up river away from the main lake. In early summer look for rocky banks, the bigger the rocks the better. In summer and winter deeper structure is where to look. The river end of the lake is often the area where the bigger catfish are caught. Road beds, creek channels and rocky points are all good places to begin.

Striped Bass Fishing

Due to their large size, striped bass are a favorite of many locals and fishing guides at Lake Tugalo. The state record striper weighed over 60 pounds. They are plentiful, run in schools and can grow to bragging size. In Spring and Fall work the upper end of the lake where water is flowing into the lake. Look for deeper water in the river channel, as a holding place for stripers. In Summer and Winter, stripers hang out in deeper water during the day Morning often draws the stripers to much shallower water, look for them from the surface down to around the 20-foot range as they feed on shallow-running schools of bait. The lake is filled with plenty of baitfish and sunfish to to keep the fishery thriving. Being successful at fishing for stripers is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers which are likely to be nearby. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Live bait is very effective here, and stripers can be caught year round.

Lake Tugalo Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, black crappie, walleye, bluegill, green sunfish, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, rock bass, spotted sunfish, warmouth, white bass and yellow perch at Lake Tugalo in Georgia.

Nestled downstream of the Tallulah Gorge, on the Chattooga River, Lake Tugalo is a 597-acre lake in the northeast corner of the state, just east of Tallulah Falls. While there are nearly 20 miles of fishy-looking shoreline, access to much of the Georgia shore is unavailable without hiking.

The Lake Tugalo Stone Place Boat Ramp allows for launch of boats with 25 horsepower or less. Popular fish species here are bass, walleye and sunfish. Also residing in the lake are catfish, crappie, yellow perch and white bass.

Primary fish species residing in Lake Tugalo

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Lake Tugalo Amenities

Marina: NO
Boat Rental: NO
Boat Launch Ramp: YES
Campgrounds: NEARBY
RV Hookups: NEARBY
Lodging: NEARBY
Convenience Store: NEARBY
Bait & Tackle: NEARBY
Restaurant: NEARBY

Today's Weather & Forecast

Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Stone Place Boat Launch Ramp
Located mid lake, on the north side of the lake, off Stoneplace Road, this is a one-lane, concrete ramp with a dock and gravel parking.