The lake bottom was scraped fairly clean before the dam was constructed, so there isn’t a lot of natural cover. As a result, the fishery can be hard to figure out, and the lake has had a lot derogatory things said about it over the years. The truth is that Allatoona has an excellent crappie fishery. Jim Hakala, who also manages Allatoona for the Georgia WRD, said that substantial numbers of crappie swim this reservoir. “The average Allatoona crappie is about 10 inches, according to our gill-netting surveys conducted each fall,” he noted.

But unlike Weiss, this venue sees few real trophy-sized fish taken each year. In order to promote the crappie and bass fisheries in Allatoona, the WRD has been working in conjunction with local anglers and the Corps to place cover in the lake. There are several programs underway including placement of PVC fish attractors; so far 45 of them have been placed all over the lake in areas that are likely to hold fish.

Hakala helped develop and run that program. “The PVC attractors last longer than brush,” he pointed out, “and since they are smooth, anglers tend to hang up less often when fishing around them.”

Angler reports from recent WRD surveys indicate that the attractors are working, with a high percentage of fishermen targeting them having caught at least one fish. The location of each of these attractors, complete with GPS coordinates, is shown on a map of the lake on the Georgia DNR Web site at www.georgiawildlife. com; follow the “Fishing” link to the Georgia reservoir fishing information section and click on “Allatoona Fish Attractors.”

In addition to the PVC attractors, there are parallel programs for sinking old Christmas trees at easily accessible locations on the lake. Also, controlled felling of shoreline trees to create shallow structure takes place. All of these programs are done under the guidance of the Corps. (Note that it’s illegal to cut trees along the shore of the lake without COE permission.)

One of Georgia’s most prolific fish, the crappie offers the added benefit of being relatively easy to catch, especially in the spring. And it’s not bad in the table-fare department, either.

Here as at Weiss, the fish are in the spawning mood in the early spring. Some of the better places to try for crappie in the spring are Kellogg Creek, which has a large Christmas tree pile near the boat ramp. Also, Illinois Creek or Sweetwater Creek on the Little River arm should be good.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN
PUBLIC FISHING AREA
If some smaller waters are more to your liking, you might enjoy the Rocky Mountain Recreation and Public Fishing Area. This recreation area near Rome has two fishing lakes. Antioch Lake covers 350 acres and Heath Lake takes in just over 200 acres. Both have well-established crappie populations and both provide easy access for fishing. There is plenty of bank access, and several fishing jetties allow those working without a boat to reach more water.

There are no horsepower restrictions on outboards, but idle speed only is the rule for both lakes. Antioch is open every day of the month; Heath is restricted to fishing on the 1st through the 10th of each month.

The best thing about Rocky Mountain PFA is accessibility: plenty of fishing room, campsites and picnic areas. It all adds up to a great family outing or weekend. The fish are small on average but there are loads of them in the lake so it is a great place to introduce a kid to fishing. They won’t have to work hard and they are almost certain to catch a fish, especially in the spring.

A $3.00-per-vehicle daily entrance fee gets you access to the park. Bring your minnows, bobbers, and licenses, since none are available on site.