Fishing Tharpe Lake in Sumter County, Georgia

• Overview

  Look for Tharpe Lake in Sumter County, Georgia. Elevation runs to 390 feet. The water covers some 41 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Americus lies 7.2 miles from the water. Further out sit Oglethorpe (12 miles) and Ellaville (12 miles). It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply. Quiet on weekdays, busier when the weather turns fine.

• Where to Fish on Tharpe Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Documented catches and surveys in the area cover blackbanded darter, bluegill, largemouth bass and redfin pickerel. The records cover the area rather than this water alone. On Tharpe Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 81°F in July and bottoms out near 47°F in January. Fish stay active all year, but they move with the heat. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. Anyone fishing Tharpe Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Charles Reeves Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Tharpe Lake.