Rays Lake in Walton County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Georgia, Rays Lake belongs to Walton County. Oak and grass runs right down to the water. About 5 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is a small entry by Walton County standards. Some 3.2 miles away sits Loganville, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Athens, 29 miles distant. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Rays Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. 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, black crappie, flat bullhead, largemouth bass and redbreast sunfish. Records come from public data, not from a stocking programme. Fish Rays Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 79°F at the top of summer and 42°F at the bottom of winter. Winter is the comfortable season here rather than the difficult one. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Rays Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Byrds Lake sits 2.6 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Rays Lake is worth confirming on the day.