During the last two weeks, I spent considerable time dealing with water temperature and oxygen levels to help readers of this column better understand the impact that high water temperatures and low oxygenated water have on fish in Lakes Oconee and Sinclair.

The impact is felt by all species of fish that reside in both lakes. However, different fish species react differently to the high water temperatures and low oxygen levels. Some fish species can tolerate bad water quality better than other species. The species most impacted by the high water temperatures and low oxygen is the striped bass that inhabit both lakes.

The striped bass becomes stressed at water temperatures much below the water temperatures we are now seeing on both lakes. The striped bass search for water that might be somewhat cooler than the rest of the lake water. That cooler water might be in the headwaters where creeks and rivers feed into the lake and have water slightly cooler and with more oxygen.

The striped bass also search out any freshwater springs that might be feeding into the lake. Due to the high water temperatures in both lakes during the summer months, there has always been a question as to how the striped bass would survive, and in fact the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) stopped stocking striped bass in Lake Sinclair several years ago due to water quality issues.

The striped bass have not done as well in terms of survivability in either lake, and that is why hybrid bass were stocked for many years until 2005 when the GDNR stopped stocking hybrid bass in Lake Sinclair and cut back the stocking of hybrid bass in Lake Oconee.

Beginning in 2005, the GDNR once again began stocking striped bass to protect the Oconee River striped bass that were being crowded out by hybrid bass that escaped through the Sinclair Dam.

If an angler wants to catch striped bass during the summer months, they need to find cooler water. In Lake Sinclair that might mean fishing below the Wallace Dam where oxygen levels are somewhat higher due to the release of water through the dam or in the upper reaches of Little River where inflow is slightly cooler and has better oxygen content. In Lake Oconee, many anglers targeting striped bass go up the main rivers looking for cooler water that might hold fish.

Hybrid bass can tolerate higher water temperatures, so they can be found in the main lake in Lake Oconee. There remain some hybrid bass in Lake Sinclair but their numbers have declined significantly. Both species when found can be caught on live shad or bream but will also fall for artificial lures like spoons, crankbaits, popping cork rigs (for surface feeders) and trolled umbrella rigs. Hybrid bass and striped bass are usually targeted in deeper (10 to 25 feet) water where they stay for most of the summer.

However, they will move to the surface to feed on schools of shad, and often an angler with a popping cork rig can catch a mixed bag of hybrid, white and even striped bass from the surface feeding that occurs throughout the summer (early and late in the day). All three species surface feed better on Lake Oconee than they do on Lake Sinclair.

Catfish species in both lakes include channel, flathead and blue catfish, and are primarily bottom feeders and they seek deeper water (10 to 25 feet) during the summer months. The blues and flatheads can be caught on live shad and bream, and along with the channel catfish they can be caught on cut bait with bream heads being the preferable bait. The best time of the day for fishing for catfish is two hours before daylight until two hours after daybreak, and anglers should fish locations including ledges, creek/river channels and around humps.

Crappie are known to be very finicky feeders during the colder months and even early spring, but they are very predictable in the summer months, especially on Lake Oconee. On Lake O1conee the crappie tend to hang out in underwater brushpiles and trees and will seemingly always be 10 to 16 feet deep regardless of the water’s depth.

Find fish around an underwater tree that is 30 feet tall and they will be at the same depth (10 to 16 feet) as fish found around a 60 foot tall underwater tree.

In Lake Sinclair, anglers need to locate the crappie in man-made brushpiles or near bottom structure like stumps along creek or river channels in water as deep as 20 to 30 feet. When located in both lakes, the crappie will hit both jigs and minnows and can provide anglers with some great action even on the hottest days of summer.

Largemouth bass can be found in shade or low light conditions in shallow water but when the bright sun is out the best bet is to find them in deeper water (eight to 24 foot). Sometimes the largemouth will school up in large numbers in deeper water so often times an angler can catch several fish from one location. Some anglers target largemouth in the upper tributaries of both lakes where you might find some slightly cooler water.

Best lures for largemouth bass during the hot days of summer are deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged plastics and jigging spoons. The largemouth will be in shallow shady areas early in the day, but most action will occur in deeper water (10 to 24 feet) for the remainder of the day. Since there is no thermocline in the water they will also suspend around schools of shad at various depths and can be very difficult to catch.

Hopefully the discussion on water temperature and oxygen levels will give you a better understanding about how they impact various fish species on both Lakes Oconee and Sinclair, and that in turn will help you better locate and catch the fish if you are so inclined to give summer fishing a try.

Good fishing and see you next week.

Outdoor Columnist Bobby Peoples can be contacted via e-mail at

brpeoples@windstream.net.