Jenkins Lake in Burke County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Jenkins Lake in Burke County, Georgia. The water sits 243 feet up. It covers about 24 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Some 9.7 miles away sits Waynesboro, the nearest settlement. For a city, Savannah is 79 miles off. Round about: Magnolia View Lake at 3.2 miles, Carswell Lake about 3.5 miles, Wood Pond at 4.2 miles, Magnolia Springs State Park Lake about 4.8 miles and Millen View Lake at 6.8 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Jenkins Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. 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. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include spotted sunfish and bluegill. Local agencies hold the definitive list for this water. The shape of Jenkins Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 81°F in July and bottoms out near 46°F in January. Summer heat is the limit here, not winter cold. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Jenkins Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bluegill and other panfish take small jigs or worms under a float near any cover. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Magnolia View Lake at 3.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Jenkins Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.