Thermocline on Oconee?
Capt. Doug Nelms
August 21, 2008
Lake Oconee - Freshwater Fishing Report
Water Temp is 90 degrees
Water is slightly stained in the middle of the lake, but clear toward the lower half of the lake.
The hybrids and stripers seem to have gone on their annual summer vacation. They do this for about 4 weeks each year, due to the water getting so warm and the oxygen content thinning out on Oconee. However a new phenomenon has occurred this year that I first noticed at the end of the summer in 2007. And if I am correct, we may have found the Rivera where the fish are going.
While boating pass the River Bend area I thought I was seeing things when I noticed on my graph what appeared to be a thermocline. Now I know what a lot of seasoned anglers are going to say about this. "Lake Oconee doesn't get a thermocline because of the pump-back". Well up until that moment I would have to agree with you, but when you really think about it, River Bend is far enough away so the pump-back really wouldn't effect it. Due to my fishing efforts on the Gulf in the last few weeks I haven't fished Oconee, but some people in my network have. Yesterday one of our members went to River Bend and being an experienced Lake Lanier thermocline fisherman, he agreed that it is in fact a thermocline and that it was loaded up with fish.
Now the reason this makes a lot of sense to me is as soon as the line-sides come off vacation, the VERY FIRST place they show up in the the River Bend Subdivision Cove, which is only about 1000 yards from where the thermocline is. And they will show up en mass!
So, if you have to get out in the hot sun shine, take a tank of bait and go to the middle of the lake in River bend. Drop your bait down to the fish you will spot on your graph and hang on, you may be pleasantly surprised.
On a happier note, anglers are wearing out the crappie down close to the dam during night fishing expeditions. I have heard about some monstrous catches being reported from guys in our network, fishing over the tree tops at night.
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