Yates Lake near Chickamauga: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Walker County, Georgia, this is Yates Lake. This is oak and grass country. This is a pocket water of some 10 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. You are 6.4 miles from Chickamauga. Trenton is 7.2 miles and Chattanooga Valley 7.3 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Yates Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on 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. Species logged across Walker County include redbreast sunfish, green sunfish and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Yates Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 38°F to 77°F. No part of the year shuts this water. 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. Yates Lake fishes to that pattern most years. Wind direction changes which bank is worth fishing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Ott Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Yates Lake may have changed since it was mapped.