Lake Burton is located in northeast Georgia, about 25 miles northeast of Helen. Lake Burton is named after the town of Burton which now lies below the surface of the lake. On the west side of the lakes is Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park, which offers campsites for tents, trailers, and RVs, a boat ramp and dock, a chair-accessible fishing dock wheelchair and some hiking trails. The lake is used to generate hydroelectric power for the city of Atlanta during peak electricity usage periods. Lake Burton is owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company.

Lake Burton Fishing

There are some boat ramps for Lake Burton. The Murray Cover Boat Ramp is located off of Bridge Creek Road on the southeastern part 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 LaPrade’s Marina.

Fish species found in Lake Burton include: Bass, Spotted Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Sunfish, White Catfish, Walleye, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Yellow Perch.

Lake Burton Fishing Tips

for largemouth bass

Lake Burton bass love to feed on blueback herring, so the pearl-colored Zoom Super Flukes have a big advantage among artificial lures. When jerkbaits don’t take a bite, fine worms fished along the headlands, humps, and stream channels can be effective. During the fall and winter months, crayfish make up a large part of their diet, so pig and jig combinations are good baits for the colder months. Live bait fishing around fallen wood in February and March will offer a good opportunity to produce the largest trophy bass of the year.

In general, aim for downed trees, creek channels, and boat docks in coves and small pockets. During the spring, largemouths will stay near visible cover with overhead 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; Soft plastics manipulated by Carolina would be a great way to start. In the fall, fishing for largemouth bass is productive in the early morning and late afternoon near their spring and summer locations.

For speckled 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 hog and jig combinations, tube jigs, plastic worms, or imitation herring, like the Zoom Super Fluke, around wooden debris and rock 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 from the corners of docks and fallen trees near deep water. Carolina mounted finesse worms are good when getting high on rocky bottoms. When spawning season ends and around dusk and dawn, Spotted Bass will chase surface lures, such as the Zara Spook Lure or a Pointer 100, near points and humps in open water. Once fall has arrived, put a Super Fluke on a jig head and fish the mouths of streams where blueback herring congregate.

For Brown Trout

Burton Lake is stocked each fall with an estimated 20,000 ten-inch brown trout. By the time spring arrives, they will be about 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 trolling live bait, spoons, or tarpon-mimicking crankbaits over a bottom of 50 to 100 feet at depths ranging from 30 to 60 feet. During the summer, trout in Lake Burton feed at the surface about an hour or two before sunrise, surface plugs and live baits being effective at this time. In November, use line spinners around the dam, Murray’s Cove Boat Ramp, and Moccasin Creek Boat Ramp to fish for freshly stocked trout.