Areas directly below dams normally are hotspots for a large numbers of fish species. Recruitment of both game and forage species from the lake above the tailrace in combination with good quality water in the tailrace can produce an excellent almost untapped sport fishery below some dams.

Unfortunately the tailrace area immediately below the Wallace Dam that forms Lake Oconee is off limits to anglers due to safety concerns by Georgia Power. Some anglers do disobey the off limits signs posted some distance below the tailrace to get to the excellent fishing waters below the dam. Conservation Rangers from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (GWRD) patrol that area and have written tickets for anglers venturing into the restricted area.

I understand the temptation to venture into the Wallace Dam tailrace area but it is not worth the cost of a ticket or any accident that might occur when water is released thru the dam. For some time after the dam was constructed, boaters and anglers could venture into the tailrace area and I can personally vouch for the excellent fishing that occurred at that time.

The tailrace area below the Sinclair Dam is not restricted and offers excellent fishing. Access to the tailrace area was limited prior to 2007. Prior to that time, fishing was limited to an overlook fishing area or by launching a small boat at the unimproved Georgia Power ramp in the tailrace area. A new boat ramp was constructed and opened in 2007 which provides easy access to the tailrace area and to areas immediately downstream of the new ramp.

Threadfin shad, bluegill, largemouth bass, hybrid/striped bass, channel catfish and black crappie are much more abundant in the Sinclair Dam tailrace area than in downriver areas of the Oconee River. GWRD fisheries biologists performed sampling studies of the tailrace area in 1991 and 1992 in conjunction with the relicensing of the Sinclair Dam.

Those studies determined that there were large populations of numerous species of fish below the dam. Game fish represented 16% of the number and 59% of the weight in the samples taken. In non-tailrace riverine areas of the study, game fish represented 19% of the number and only 17% of the weight. Largemouth bass and crappie in the tailrace area are much larger compared to largemouth bass and crappie found in areas of the river further downstream.

Species like largemouth bass, crappie, hybrid bass and striped bass found in the tailrace grow larger due to the abundance of threadfin shad. The threadfin shad stack up below the dam in huge numbers providing a ready and easy meal for those species. Threadfin shad are continuously replenished from Lake Sinclair as they escape through the dam.

Other game fish like redbreast and bluegill do not do as well since they do not typically feed on shad. The numbers of redbreast and bluegill are very high in the tailrace area and in immediate areas downstream but they tend to be on the small size.

The Sinclair Dam acts as an upstream barrier to migratory species like hybrid bass, striped bass and American Shad. A small abandoned powerhouse that was built in 1914 at the site of a nineteenth century grist mill near Buzzard Island is still in place but is not thought to block the migration of those species.

Since those fish studies were performed in 1991 and 1992, Georgia Power in conjunction with the relicensing agreement for the Sinclair Dam has instituted minimum flow releases from the dam. GWRD Wildlife Biologists think that implementing those minimum flows has further improved the already excellent tailrace fishery. Previously the tailrace area suffered from little water flow especially during dry summers.

One untapped species of fish in the tailrace area is the American Shad. The American Shad has an annual spawning migration in the spring from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the base of the Sinclair Dam and is considered a great sport fish in many parts of the United States. The American Shad is a member of the herring family and grows to 12-14 pounds. The best lure for catching the American Shad is a silver spoon.

In the most recent electroshocking sampling for American shad broods in the tailrace and downstream areas near the tailrace by GWRD, it turned up good size largemouth bass, channel catfish, blue catfish and striped/hybrid bass. According to the GWRD, the largest numbers of fish seem to show up best in late March and early April but that area should provide good fishing throughout the year.

So if you are looking for a different type of fishing adventure, you might want to try the Sinclair Dam tailrace area. The water can rise and fall in the area and there are numerous shoals present so always wear a life preserver and keep safety in mind at all times. As for the Wallace Dam tailrace, you would best avoid the temptation to venture into that area due to restrictions on boating and fishing. Good fishing and see you next week.