Adairsville, GA Fishing: Cherokee Tribe Region

Adairsville is a city in the northeast corner of Bartow County, in the northern region of Georgia. The city has a strategic location approximately halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. It sits at the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains and is average with a 4,878 population; Adairsville’s climate is generally high temperatures, with an even distribution of precipitation throughout the year. Barnsley Gardens, now a golf resort southwest of the city center, is well-known in Adairsville.

The first inhabitants of Adairsville were the Cherokee indigenous peoples. It was once a small village named after Chief Walter S. Adair of Scottish descent. He married a Cherokee Indian woman and settled in the town. When Adairsville became part of Georgia, the residents decided to keep the name. One of the city’s railroad developers, William Watts, called it “Granary of the State.” Adairsville was incorporated in 1854, and after the Civil War ended in 1865, it became a center of the textile industry, farm services, and carpet industry. It was once the state's transportation hub due to its famous railroad, with the original train depot still standing in the city today.

Adairsville has an abundance of ponds and lakes made by creeks and bayous surrounding the city. Most of these waterbodies are managed and enclosed within parks, allowing productive freshwater fishing at any time of the year. However, the largest fishing spot around Adairsville is Lake Allatoona, found northeast.

Adairsville Fishing

Adairsville is brimming with creeks and lakes, including Manning Mill, Lake Marguerite, Johnson Lake, Oothkalooga Creek, and Lynn Creek. These waterbodies provide year-round recreational fishing for locals in the city. They are perfect for an hour or two of casual fishing during the day. Anglers looking for bigger spots can go southwest of Adairsville to find extensive and connected waterbodies, including Allatoona Lake, Lake Acworth, and Rogers Creek.

Allatoona Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 12,000-acre reservoir. The dam that created the lake blocked the Etowah River in 1949. It was made and authorized primarily for flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power generation, and recreational purposes. Over 25 parks and green land, ten campgrounds, and eight marinas are scattered around the lake and its confluences. Many narrow coves characterize the whole lake. There are fifteen public boat ramps throughout the lake’s 270 miles of shoreline. The boat ramps provide launching access to anglers who like to go for productive drift fishing. Its extensive shoreline offers many ways for anglers to fish here, including fly fishing, light tackling, and spinning. Sportfish to catch in the lake include largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, black crappie, white crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, striped bass, and hybrid striped bass. Stripers and hybrids bite best on large minnows, small trout, or shad. Trolling proves to be the most efficient way of catching them. The best fishing action in the lake can be experienced when going after largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish, crappie, bluegill, striped bass, and hybrid striped bass. Allatoona Lake’s narrow coves provide shelter and protection for spawning bass. Plastic worms or lizards can be used to bag a trophy-sized bass potentially.

Etowah River, found running south of Adairsville, provides additional freshwater sportfishing. The river’s waterway length is 164 miles long, rising northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia. The river was called “High Town River” on a map by the Irish-born American economist Matthew Carey in 1795. The 1839 Cass County map was called  "Hightower River," patterned from most early Cherokee records. The river is beautiful, wide, and full of life. A boat ramp below Allatoona Dam can be accessed for launching. Kayak fishing proves to be fun and productive here; however, shallow and narrow spots must be avoided. Anglers may expect to catch any of the following fish species in the river: carp, smallmouth buffalo, redhorse suckers, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, rainbow trout, brown trout, striped bass, redbreast sunfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, redeye bass, spotted bass, largemouth bass, and freshwater drum. Channel catfish are the most abundant catfish species in the Etowah River, and catching ten pounders is common. When coming to the river for the first time, it is advisable to bring extra clothing, insect repellent, and a first-aid kit to prepare for natural disturbances. The following are other reminders for ethical angling in Etowah River:

• Learn about state regulations before heading out.
• Keep only enough fish within the limit and release the others to conserve resources.
• Take a child fishing to pass on the sport.
• Leave the place clean by not throwing trash and picking up trash instead.
• Do not transfer fish or plants from one water body to another.
• Report threatened and invasive species and violations.
• Know the limits of accessible areas.
• Lend a hand to other anglers or recreational users.

Top 10 Fish Species in Adairsville, GA

The top 10 fish species to catch in Adairsville, GA, are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, spotted bass, freshwater drum, rainbow trout, brown trout, crappie, channel catfish, and bluegill.

Seasonal Fishing

With Adairsville and Georgia’s subtropical climate, lakes and other waterbodies that allow recreation are crowded with boats, paddleboards, kayaks, or canoes of people who want to have fun during the summer. This makes daytime sportfishing difficult, especially for anglers who prefer to avoid crowds. However, night fishing can be very productive during this season. Use live minnows to catch crappie for more successful results.

Sometimes, Allatoona Lake experiences a turnover in spring and fall. The water becomes heavier when the lake’s surface cools in fall. This process can cause shad populations to die, causing stripers and hybrids to gather and feed on them. When this occurs, fishing for stripers and hybrids can be productive.

Etowah River rages in the wet season, so anglers must be equipped when heading out to fish during this event. In spring, the river gets stocked with trout. May through September is the best season to fish for striped bass here. Bass, bream, and crappie are found in the Etowah River year-round and offer productive fishing in spring and fall. Sturgeon species are threatened, so be sure to release it when caught and alert authorities by reporting it to the Department of Natural Resources. Sturgeon are characterized by a rounded snout, a toothless lower mouth, four “whiskers,” or barbels in its front mouth, bony plates on each side of the body, and a shark-like tail. 

Anglers who wish to eat the fish they catch in Adairsville must update themselves with the state’s fish consumption guidelines.

Discover Recreation at Adairsville

1. Book a Fishing Guide

If you are coming to Adairsville for the first time and do not know where to fish, get yourself a local guide to help you out with your trip. Learn about different fishing spots that suit your fishing style and have a memorable fishing experience in Adairsville.

2. Adairsville Sporting Range

Offering many courses, this sporting range in Adairsville is a great destination for shooting enthusiasts. This place has training for everyone at any skill level, from basic to the most advanced. Adairsville Sporting Range features 25 yards of covered pistol bays, each equipped with a shelf, fan, and light. A 3 1/2 inches wall made of gravel separates each bay for safety. There are lots to discover here, so visit the website and become a member!

3. Veterans Memorial Park

Veterans Memorial Park boasts a 97-acre wonderland with stunning rolling hills, grassy meadows for picnic areas, sizable camping areas, a large pavilion, and a recreation building for the whole community. The Veterans Memorial Park was established in 1979. It sits on historical land, the original site of the Veterans Hospital built in the 1940s. Visit the park and have an amazing time!