Bartenfield Lake in Dooly County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bartenfield Lake is one of the Dooly County listings for Georgia. It sits at 315 feet above sea level. The water covers some 56 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. It is the biggest water on our Dooly County list. Head to Vienna, 4.7 miles away, for anything you forgot. Cordele lies 8.6 miles off, Unadilla another 16 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Bartenfield Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include bluegill, green sunfish and redbreast sunfish. The list reflects reported sightings and surveys rather than what is stocked. Bartenfield Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 81°F and January near 47°F. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. That is the shape of the year on Bartenfield Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Jones Lake, 5.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Bartenfield Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.