Carroll Lake near Manchester: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Meriwether County in Georgia is where Carroll Lake sits. The surface lies 787 feet up. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Meriwether County. Nearest town is Manchester, 8.1 miles off. The nearest city of size is Columbus, 42 miles away. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Carroll Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include shoal bass, redbreast sunfish, speckled madtom, blackbanded darter and bluegill. Records show what people reported, so treat the list as a guide to what lives in the area. Carroll Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 79°F at the top of summer and 44°F at the bottom of winter. The surface stays open the year round. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Carroll Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. If the gate is shut, Cane Creek Structure Number Two Lake at 1.6 miles is the nearest alternative. For Carroll Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.