The level
Lanier read 1,062.88 ft at the USGS gauge Thursday night, 8.1 ft below the 1,071 ft summer full pool. The Corps’ target drops a foot to 1,070 ft in December, so don’t expect the lake to come up much on its own without a lot of rain. The live level and what full pool means.
Which ramps are wet
Right now: At 1,062.64 ft, 79 of 105 public ramp lanes are usable. 17 ramps have no usable lane: Belton Bridge, Bethel, Duckett Mill Day Use, Gwinnett County Park, Lake Lanier Islands Cove, Lanier Point, Long Hollow, Lula, Lumpkin County Park, Nix Bridge, Old Federal Campground, River Forks, Robinson, Shady Grove, Shoal Creek, Simpson, Van Pugh South.
At this level the shallow ramps on the north arms are the ones that go first. Check ramp status before you hook up the trailer. It goes lane by lane and updates with the gauge.
Weather
From the National Weather Service as of Thursday:
- Friday: sunny and about 77, light wind. The pick of the weekend.
- Saturday: mostly cloudy, around 69, east wind 10 to 15 mph, picking up to 15 to 20 overnight.
- Sunday: about 63 with a slight chance of showers and an east wind of 10 to 20 mph.
An east wind blowing that hard stacks up chop on the long open stretches of the main lake. If you’re in a small boat Saturday afternoon or Sunday, the creek arms will be the calmer water. Live forecast and alerts.
Fishing
- Dam end: the dam has been generating, so there’s current in the lower lake. Shad are back in Shoal Creek, Big Creek and Flowery Branch with stripers behind them. Work the creek mouths early and follow the birds. Spots are on long points and brush in 20 to 40 feet.
- Mid lake: the fall schooling bite is on. Bait is moving out of the creeks onto main-lake points, and spots are pushing it up early and late. Bring something you can throw a long way.
- Chattahoochee arm: stripers use the mud lines after rain. The river channel up here gets good about now and stays good through March.
- Chestatee arm: the quietest water on the lake, with stripers on bait at the creek mouths. If the main lake is busy Saturday, come up here.
Want someone else to find them? Fourteen licensed guides work Lanier.
Clocks fall back Sunday
Daylight saving time ends at 2 AM Sunday, November 1. Sunset moves to before 6 PM, so plan to have the boat back on the trailer earlier than you’re used to, especially at ramps without lights. The ramp status page notes which ramps are lit at night.
Coming up
- November 12: Lake Lanier Association 60th Anniversary Gala, Peachtree Pointe at Lanier Islands. Ticketed.
- November 13 to 15: Songwriters at the Lake, Lanier Islands Resort.
- November 20: Magical Nights of Lights and Snow Island both open at Lanier Islands.
- November 27: Lakeside Lights Spectacular opens at Margaritaville. It’s a separate ticket from Snow Island.
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