Fishing at Gross Lake, Dade County, Georgia

• Overview

  Gross Lake lies within the bounds of Dade County, Georgia. Elevation runs to 1,893 feet. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Georgia listings. Start from Trenton, 2.9 miles down the road. Then Chattanooga Valley, 11 miles, and Chickamauga, 12 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Gross Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Reported across Dade County: redline darter, snubnose darter and bluegill. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Gross Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 75°F and January at 37°F. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Plan around that when you fish Gross Lake. Consistent weather beats warm weather for steady sport.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lookout Lake, 2.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Gross Lake.