8 State Parks Perfect for a Weekend Fishing Trip

Bordering Georgia's largest lake, Lake Lanier, Don Carter State Park is a popular fishing destination for anglers, who take to its almost 700 miles of shoreline to catch crappie and bass. You can fish on the shoreline everywhere except for the beach area, and you have access to docks and piers. On-site overnight lodging is available in either cottages or the campground, and several boat slips are available.

Visit Don Carter State Park

Located near Atlanta, Red Top Mountain State Park is a convenient fishing spot if you want to get out of the city for a weekend. You can fish from banks, docks and boats in your search for a trophy bass, catfish, crappie or blue gill from Lake Allatoona. (Tip: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manage brush piles along the Bethany Bridge Fishing Jetty to provide excellent cover, and within easy casting distance of the jetty are 200 sunken Christmas trees that attract fish.)

Visit Red Top Mountain State Park

Located on Clarks Hill Lake, Elijah Clark State Park and Mistletoe State Park provide excellent fishing opportunities for Largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish and crappie. Both parks have boat ramps, service piers, fishing piers and tons of bank space for anglers.

Visit Elijah Clark State Park

Visit Mistletoe State Park

Owned and operated by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Richard B. Russell Lake boasts 540 miles of shoreline and nine boating access areas. Anglers at Richard B. Russell State Park say the best fishing happens in the Beaverdam, Coldwater and Van Creek areas. Book a campsite, and plan on making your fishing trip a long weekend. Before heading out, anglers should check current fishing regulations for size and daily creel limits for Georgia-South Carolina Border Waters.

Visit Richard B. Russell State Park

If you're looking for a new boat angling spot, George T. Bagby State Park & Lodge is your place. There are numerous boat ramps located throughout, and you can get by with even kayaks or canoes. This lake has great Largemouth bass and crappie fishing opportunities. Area biologists also say catfish and hybrid fishing can be extremely good throughout the area. Hybrids school and are located at different areas and times. People often catch them by trolling baits until they find them and then cast or use live bait from there.

Visit George T. Bagby State Park

Also located near Atlanta, High Falls State Park provides a unique river and lake environment, so you can experiment with tactics from fly-fishing to baiting catfish in essentially the same location. An old powerhouse below the dam and falls has some quiet coves and hiding places for bass. (Note, fishing from the shore and docks is limited to those locations on park property as all private resident docks are off limits.)

Visit High Falls State Park

Day or night, Florence Marina State Park is a great place to fish for the favorites: bass, catfish and crappie. This state park features a lighted fishing pier, a camper's dock and one of the only deep water marinas on the Chattahoochee River. You can fish anywhere on the shoreline except for the marina itself or on the lake by boat. The park offers Jon Boats for rent and full hook-up campsites with power, water, sewage and cable. You can also rent cabins in the park.

Visit Florence Marina State Park