Fishing at County Lake, Ben Hill County, Georgia

• Overview

  The Ben Hill County end of Georgia holds County Lake. Land around it is warm bottomland. Some 2.2 miles away sits Fitzgerald, the nearest settlement. Ocilla is 6.3 miles and Enigma 19 miles. Nearby alternatives: Fitzgerald West Lake within 1.1 miles, Fitzgerald City Lake at 1.6 miles, Simms Lake within 2.1 miles, Stewart Lake at 2.1 miles and Lake Beatrice within 2.2 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on County Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Work County Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it. Keep your shadow off the water when the bank is high.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 81°F at the top of summer and 48°F at the bottom of winter. The whole calendar is open, with dawn and dusk the productive hours in summer. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. On County Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A car park sits roughly 130 yards away. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Fitzgerald West Lake, 1.1 miles away. Treat County Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.