Aimlessly casting a line and hoping for a bite is history, thanks to Georgia’s online fishing prospects. Anglers of all skill levels can benefit from these guides that detail 31 reservoirs and 18 rivers and include maps, local weather forecasts, best bets and species-specific techniques, all in one convenient location: www.gofishgeorgia.com/fishing/opportunities.

Georgia’s waters offer anglers some of most diverse fishing opportunities in the southeast with more than 500,000 acres of reservoirs and 12,000 miles of warm water streams.

Each fishing prospect guide includes best bets, technique tips, target recommendations and contact information as well as links to boat ramps, a lake map and local weather forecasts.

Lake prospects include Allatoona, Andrews, Bartlett’s Ferry, Blackshear, Blue Ridge, Burton, Carters, Chatuge, Chehaw, Clarks Hill, Goat Rock, Hamburg, Hartwell, High Falls, Jackson, Juliette, Lanier, Nottely, Oconee, Oliver, Rabun, Randy Poynter, Richard B. Russell, Seminole, Sinclair, Tobesofkee, Tugalo, Varner, Walter F. George, Weiss and West Point. 

Rivers detailed include the Altamaha, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Conasauga, Coosa, Coosawattee, Etowah, Flint, Ochlockonee, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ogeechee, Oostanaula, Satilla, Savannah, St. Marys, Suwannee and Toccoa rivers.

The 2013 reservoir and river fishing prospect guides were compiled by Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division fisheries biologists and are based on sampling efforts, knowledge of past fishing trends, staff fishing experiences and discussions with anglers and marina owners.

Anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license to fish in public waters.  One can get a license by buying it online or find a list of retail license vendors at www.georgiawildlife.com/licenses-permits-passes or buy it by phone at 800 366-2661.

Officials said, "By purchasing a license as well as fishing equipment and related items, you and your fellow anglers have helped fund sport fish restoration programs for years, thanks to the Sport Fish Restoration Act.  This Act allows funds accumulated from a federal excise tax on fishing equipment and related items to be directed to activities that benefit recreational anglers.  A portion of these funds is provided to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources based on several factors, including the number of paid sporting licenses.  Sport Fish funds make the following activities possible: managing sport fish populations, raising freshwater fish in hatcheries and stocking them in public waters, maintaining and operating public fishing areas and building boats and fishing piers, and more."

For more information on fishing opportunities in Georgia, visit www.gofishgeorgia/fishing/opportunities.