Fishing at Milner Lake, Carroll County, Georgia

• Overview

  You will find Milner Lake in Carroll County, Georgia. The ground round it is oak and grass. The water covers some 32 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. With about 0.9 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. On our Carroll County list it sits near the top for size. Carrollton is the closest place, 4.3 miles off. It is 21 miles to South Fulton, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Milner Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Fish reported in the area, according to open records, include blackbanded darter, greater jumprock and green sunfish. Local agencies keep the authoritative list for each water. At Milner Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 78°F on average, January about 41°F. Winter here means light layers, not lost months. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Plan any trip to Milner Lake around it. Water temperature lags the air by a week or so.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Smith Lake is 2.5 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Milner Lake for certain.