Alston, GA Fishing: Fair Freshwater Fishing in the Vidalia Onion County Area

Alston is a peaceful and sparsely populated community in Montgomery County, Georgia. The county is part of the Vidalia Micropolitan Statistical Area, an area more fondly referred to as Vidalia Onion County. The town is located only minutes away from the historic cities of Mount Vernon, Uvalda, and Vidalia, sitting in a strategic spot connecting you to various parts of its resident county and nearby Toombs County.

Alston is a tiny part of the larger South Georgia region known for its quaint, picturesque towns and thriving agricultural industry. In this part of the state, you will find a quieter side of Georgia, with its small residential communities and lush fields and farms. Recently, the region has become more well-known for its fresh local produce, dairy, and meat and has become a foodie destination. 

While not a fishing destination, Alston offers a fantastic gateway to fishing hotspots in the region. From the landlocked town, you can easily travel to nearby state parks and rivers that provide excellent fishing. While not a top choice for many anglers, this region and the rest of the state offer good fishing opportunities off the beaten path.

Alston Fishing

Anglers who wish to explore a hidden side of Georgia will enjoy Alston and the rest of the Vidalia Onion County region. While equally as beautiful as the rest of the south, it has yet to reach many travelers’ radars, making it a great area to fish, surrounded by scenic views and virtually no competition.

One excellent fishing spot you can access from Alston is the Oconee River. The river winds through several counties, starting at Hall County and through Montgomery County, Wheeler County, and Jeff Davis County. It converges with the Ocmulgee near Lumber City to form the Altamaha River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The basin of this river, which includes the inlets of both Oconee and Ocmulgee, receives more water from the great ocean than any other waterbody in this part of the state. This most likely accounts for how biologically diverse the Oconee River is. It is likewise one of the watersheds within the Oconee Watershed, which is considered one of Georgia’s 14 primary watersheds.

The Oconee River corridor is a rich habitat for a wide range of wildlife. It is likewise known as a hotspot for catfish. It is home to a healthy white catfish and channel catfish population, but the exponential growth of its blue catfish and flathead catfish population has recently been a highlight. Apart from catfish, the river also has white bass, bluegill or bream, crappie, largemouth bass, striped bass, and even hybrid bass. A fourth of the bass caught in the river typically measure more than 14 inches, while some are even lucky enough to catch the occasional 20-inch bass.

The Ocmulgee River is another rich water body in the region that offers excellent fishing. The river, which joins with the Oconee to create the Altamaha, starts from the Lake Jackson dam. Its lower stretch, in particular, is popular for its trophy catfish population and its healthy bass fishery. Anglers typically seek the Ocmulgee for its largemouth bass, especially during spring when the species are found in its slack water areas and oxbow lakes. Along with largemouth bass, you can likewise find plenty of bluegill or bream in the slow-moving parts of the river at the height of spring and well into summer. If you find yourself too early for bluegill or largemouth bass, you will still find shellcracker or redear sunfish in the river, particularly in the shallow waters. Late winter to summer, you will find great success with flathead catfish, which thrive in trophy sizes, with fish as big as 30 pounds a common sight in the river, just waiting for your live bait. Other fish you’ll enjoy fishing here include black crappie and chain pickerel.

Formed by merging the two rich rivers of Oconee and Ocmulgee, we have the Altamaha River, the biggest free-flowing stream in the state. It is historically a significant waterway for steamboats back in the day, but today it is one of Georgia’s most popular recreational areas. It features excellent access to water sports activities and often hosts fishing tournaments. It is a freshwater fishing destination in this part of Georgia, offering a range of healthy fish species. The largemouth bass is a year-round catch if you’re willing to move around the water. Redbreast sunfish, bluegill, and redear sunfish are late spring and summer species, with mullet joining them in summer or July. The river has its native channel and white catfish population, but the non-native flathead introduced in the river has fans because of its trophy size and excellent taste.

Top 10 Fish Species in Alston, GA

The top 10 fish species in Alston, GA, and its surrounding areas include flathead catfish, largemouth bass, blue catfish, channel catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, redbreast sunfish, crappie, chain pickerel, and white catfish.

Seasonal Fishing

There’s fair fishing in Alston and South Georgia almost all year round if you’re not picky about your target catch. Spring and summer are the best seasons to fish, with many freshwater species like largemouth bass, sunfish, and bluegill up for grabs. If you’re fishing in the Altamaha River, you’ll be lucky to find largemouth bass all year round as long as you know where to look in the free-flowing stream. Target bass in the backwaters where the water remains warm or head to the oxbow lakes and shallows, which are the best spots to seek in spring. As long as there’s structure, you will find these largemouth bass. Catfish, on the other hand, can be found in the freshwater bodies of the south from late winter until late summer, so you have plenty of time to plan your trip around them. You will find them during the day on the bottom, where you can get them to bite using natural bait. You can find them in the shallows near brush if you’re fishing during sunrise, sunset, and even at night.

Enjoy the Local Pride of Alston

Alston’s region may not be as popular among tourists as the rest of Georgia. Still, it does offer unique opportunities for travelers seeking a quaint yet fascinating countryside trip down south.

1. Book a Fishing Guide

Explore the rivers of the South Georgia region and discover freshwater fishing opportunities with the guidance of a local expert. Whether an angling expert or a relative fishing novice, you will find that having an expert by your side is a safer and more convenient way to explore new territories. It’s also a good opportunity to learn and practice new fishing techniques and gain more information about the waterbody you’re fishing and the whole region.

2. Know the Local History

Visit the Montgomery County Historic Village at Brewton-Parker College for a dose of local history. The village contains the oldest abode in the county, the Cooper-Conner House. It originally stood on Old River Road but was moved to the historic campus.

3. Learn More About the Local Produce

Visiting the Vidalia Onion County Area will not be complete without a visit to the Vidalia Onion Museum. This massive museum is dedicated to the legendary sweet onion that has salivating gourmands worldwide. It even has a children’s section and features an onion mascot named Yumion. If you can’t seek out the famous onion in the wild, you can also find them growing in the museum when they’re in season.