Apalachicola River

UPPER APALACHICOLA RIVER (Jackson, Gadsden, Calhoun, Liberty, Franklin, and Gulf counties):

Striped bass and Sunshine Bass fishing will taper off as larger fish seek cool water refuge during the heat of the summer. While springs and creeks in the river are not closed to fishing, the small fish you catch out during the summer will not be available as large, aggressive fish in the fall. The reservoirs above Lake Seminole are full, and normal rainfall in Georgia should provide release of some water through Jim Woodruff Dam all summer. This should help buffer the high water temperatures, allow access to refuges for stripers and hybrids, and discharge other gamefish into the river. Smaller hybrids and stripers will continue to school in the river throughout the summer, particularly along submerged sandbars in the early morning. Largemouth Bass and panfish will move to deeper channels as the water temperature continues to increase. Fish the deeper water for the best success. Flathead Catfish fishing should be excellent this quarter. Try live bream or shad in deep water structure during daylight hours and adjacent shallow sand bars at night.

LOWER APALACHICOLA RIVER (Gulf, Liberty, and Franklin counties):

Stripers and Sunshine Bass continued to school in the lower river through June, as far upstream as the Pinhook. Look for schooling to continue in this area, although numbers will decline through the summer as larger fish move out of the lower river in search of cooler water. If normal water flows continue, historical hotspots in the East, St. Marks, and Little St. Marks rivers will be productive. As water flow increases with the rainy season in July and August, the mixing zone will move further downstream, and fish will move to the river mouths and out into the channels in the bays. Weather forecasts for Florida and Georgia suggest streamflow will be normal or slightly above average, however if flows are not normal and we see dryer conditions instead, move upstream to find a better mix of fresh and saltwater. Fish the slack or outgoing tides for best results. If water levels drop enough, this may also impact Largemouth Bass and panfish fishing in the lower river as well. Both may move further back into creeks, especially in Lake Wimico, to avoid saltwater influence. Low flow in the river will cause the mixing zone to move further upstream, and trout, redfish and tarpon may move into the rivers and channels.