Neelys Lake in Fayette County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Neelys Lake in the Fayette County part of Georgia. Oak and grass runs right down to the water. At roughly 17 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Some 3 miles away sits Fayetteville, the nearest settlement. Then Irondale, 5.7 miles, and Riverdale, 6 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Neelys Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Records collected within a few miles name blackbanded darter, bluegill, bluehead chub, longnose shiner and weed shiner. Records come from public data, not from a stocking programme. On Neelys Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 79°F at the top of summer and 42°F at the bottom of winter. No part of the year shuts this water. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Plan around that when you fish Neelys Lake. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the panfish, a small hook, a float and a piece of worm outfish everything fancy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Phillips Lake West, 0.2 miles out. Where Neelys Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.