Sawnee Lake in Forsyth County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Forsyth County end of Georgia holds Sawnee Lake. It stands 1,020 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 6 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is a small entry by Forsyth County standards. Nearest place of any size is Cumming, 4.8 miles away. Milton is 5.7 miles and Alpharetta 7.9 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Sawnee Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Open occurrence data for the surrounding area lists blackbanded darter, bluegill, warmouth, chain pickerel and frecklebelly madtom. Presence in the area does not guarantee a fish in this exact water on the day. Sawnee Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 78°F and January reads 40°F. Cooler months are the productive ones on most of this water. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. It sets the rhythm of the year at Sawnee Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Cumming Twin Lakes at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Sawnee Lake should be assumed from this page alone.