Ray and Hannaford Lake Fishing in Charlton County, Georgia

• Overview

  Set in Charlton County, Ray and Hannaford Lake is a Georgia water. The sea is 26 miles distant. Small at around 7 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Charlton County. Some 3.4 miles away sits Folkston, the nearest settlement. It is 42 miles to Jacksonville, the nearest city. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Ray and Hannaford Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Records collected within a few miles name brown bullhead, redfin pickerel, swamp darter and tadpole madtom. It is a record of sightings and surveys, so use it as a guide. The near bank of Ray and Hannaford Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 82°F at the top of summer and 52°F at the bottom of winter. Warmth runs the whole year, so timing is about the hour, not the month. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. The season on Ray and Hannaford Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lake Paxton, 1.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Ray and Hannaford Lake for certain.