Lake Burton is in northeast Georgia, about 25 miles northeast of Helen. Lake Burton got its name from the town of Burton which now lies below the lake’s surface. On the west side of the lakes is the Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park, which offers camping for tents, trailers and RVs, a boat ramp and dock, a wheelchair accessible fishing pier and some hiking trails. The lake is used to generate hydroelectric power for the city of Atlanta during periods of peak electricity consumption. Lake Burton is owned and operated by Georgia Power Company.
Fishing on Lake Burton
There are some boat ramps for Burton Lake. The Murray Cover boat ramp is located on Bridge Creek Road in the southeast portion of the lake. The Tallulah River boat ramp is located north of the lake on the Tallulah River. Moccasin Creek State Park has a boat ramp, as does the LaPrade Marina.
Fish species found in Lake Burton include: largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, sunfish, white catfish, walleye, brown trout, rainbow trout, and yellow perch.
Fishing Tips on Lake Burton
For largemouth bass
Lake Burton largemouth bass love to feed on blue-backed herring, which is why the pearl-colored Zoom Super Fluke have a huge advantage among artificial lures. When jerkbaits aren’t biting you, fine worms that fish from stream tips, humps, and channels can be effective. During the fall and winter months, crayfish make up a large part of their diet, so pig and jig combinations make good baits for the colder months. Live bait fishing around fallen wood in February and March will offer a good chance to produce the biggest trophy bass of the year.
In general, aim for downed trees, stream channels, and boat docks in inlets and small areas. During the spring, largemouths will stay close to visible cover with superior protection to build their spawning beds. In the summer, you should target largemouths in 20 to 30 feet of water along the main points of the lake and in stream channels; Carolina rigged soft plastics would be a great way to start. In the fall, largemouth fishing is productive in the early morning and evening in the vicinity of their spring and summer locations.
For spotted bass
Lake Burton is known for its trophy spotted bass and is the location of the state record for the 8-pound, 2-ounce spotted bass. In February and March, fish with pig and jig combinations, tube jigs, plastic worms, or herring imitations, like the Zoom Super Fluke, around woody debris and rocky tips. Fishing near the dam can also be good when spotted bass feed on herring at the surface. In the spring, pearl-colored Super Flukes and soft plastic worms are effective when fished in the corners of boat docks and downed trees near deep water. Carolina fine worms are good when high through rocky bottoms. When the spawning season is over and around dusk and dawn, the spotted bass will chase surface lures, such as the Zara Spook Lure or a Pointer 100, near spots and humps in open water. Once fall has arrived, hit a Super Fluke on a reed head and the fish at the mouths of the streams flocked to the blue-backed herring.
For the brown trout
Lake Burton is stocked each fall with around 20,000 ten-inch brown trout. By spring, they’ll be around 15 inches long and weigh about a pound. At the same time, the following year, the trout will be about 20 inches long and weigh about four pounds. The best time to fish for brown trout is from July to September. From August to October, trout can usually be found from the dam to the first safety marker upstream. It can be productive to drag live baits, spoons, or crankbait that mimic shad over a 50 to 100 foot bottom at depths ranging from 30 to 60 feet. During the summer, the trout in Lake Burton feed on the surface about an hour or two before sunrise, surface plugs and live baits are effective at this time. In November, use line spinners around the dam, Murray’s Cove boat ramp, and Moccasin Creek boat ramp to catch freshly stocked trout.
