Lake Seminole
Jackson and Gadsden counties
Lake Seminole is a 37,500-acre reservoir located at the juncture of the Florida, Georgia, and Alabama state lines. It was formed by closure of Jim Woodruff Dam at the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers near the town of Chattahoochee, FL. The lake and its facilities are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is used for navigation, hydroelectric production, and recreation. Much of the reservoir is flooded timber, and since the early 1990's hydrilla has expanded to nearly 70% coverage of the lake area. Approximately 80% of Lake Seminole is located in Georgia, although by agreement licensed Florida anglers can fish south and west of an imaginary line from Chattahoochee Park, on the east bank, through Navigation Mile Marker 3.0 on the Flint River, south of Lake Seminole WMA, to Navigation Mile Marker 6.4 on the Chattahoochee River. East of Hwy. 271 (River Road). Lake Seminole is annually stocked with Striped Bass and Sunshine Bass (striped bass x white bass hybrids) by Florida, Georgia, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A Lake Seminole brochure with more information is available.
Attention Florida Anglers: Jim Woodruff Reservoir, Lake Seminole: Length and bag limits for black bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass (sunshine bass), white bass, crappie and panfish in Lake Seminole follow those established by Georgia DNR: 10 black bass, each must be at least 12 inches or greater in total length; 15 striped bass, white bass and sunshine bass (individually or in total), of which no more than two may be 22 inches or longer in total length; 30 crappie (speckled perch), in total; 50 panfish (does not include crappie); 15 pickerel (chain, grass and redfin). Possession limit is 50 fish total, regardless of species.
For more information contact Seminole Lodge (850-593-6886) or Wingate’s Lunker Lodge (229-246-0658), or log on to Georgia DNR or Georgia Outdoor News.
Striper and Hybrid Striped Bass fishing in the lower lake should be good in January through March. Both species will be feeding on schooling shad and skipjack herring during the winter months. Watch for diving birds to locate these schooling fish and use trolling plugs or casting spoons as bait. White Bass will begin concentrating near gravel and sand bars and should begin spawning by late February. In the backwater areas and along the channels, fish for Largemouth Bass vertically along the edges of the vegetation using drop-shot rigs, jigs or spoons, or fish crank baits parallel to the vegetation edge and along the points. On warmer afternoons, don’t overlook the flats and the coves that face to the south. These coves get more sunlight through the day and will tend to warm earlier in the day, increasing fish activity. Fish the humps in deep water and old creek channels with jigs when water temperatures are cold. Crappie fishing should continue to be strong entering the spring as fish move from the channels into the shallows. Fish the channel and submerged timber in the Fort Scott (Flint River) and the Cornfield or Fairchild Park (Chattahoochee River) areas.
Attention anglers: Consult Georgia’s regulations for bag and size limits on Lake Seminole, except in the areas west of Highway 271, where Florida’s new statewide regulations apply.
Popular Species
Fish graphics by Duane Raver, Jr.
More species information is available for:
Largemouth bass, Bluegill, Redear sunfish, Black crappie, Sunshine bass, Striped bass
TrophyCatch Tracker
TrophyCatch is FWC's citizen-science program that rewards anglers for documenting and releasing trophy bass 8 pounds or larger. The following TrophyCatch bass have been submitted from Lake Seminole:
Lunker Club (8 – 9.9 pounds): 4