Fishing at Meadow Lake, Whitfield County, Georgia

• Overview

  You will find Meadow Lake in Whitfield County, Georgia. Beyond the shoreline you have open plain. Surface area runs to about 6 acres — small enough to read in one session. For supplies, Ringgold is 4.9 miles out. Varnell is 5.2 miles away, with Dalton at 8 miles. Close by you also have: Cobblestone Lake out at 1.4 miles, Griffin Lake lies 2.5 miles on, Gillilan Lake out at 3.1 miles, Hawkins Lake lies 3.2 miles on and Lake Kathy out at 3.4 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Meadow Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Open biodiversity records for Whitfield County list blackbanded darter, bluegill and green sunfish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Meadow Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 77°F and January at 38°F. Summer heat is the limit here, not winter cold. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. At Meadow Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Cobblestone Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Meadow Lake are worth checking on the day.