Southeast Georgia · Catfish
Altamaha River fishing guide
Georgia’s largest free-flowing river, with premier flathead catfishing and a growing blue catfish population.
- Where
- Southeast Georgia
- Fish
- Flathead and blue catfish
- Best
- Summer
- Trophies
- Flatheads over 30 pounds
About the water
The Altamaha is Georgia’s largest free-flowing river, winding through the southeast part of the state to the coast.
It offers some of the best flathead catfishing in Georgia, with trophies over 30 pounds, and blue catfish numbers keep growing.
What’s biting, season by season
Catfish feed actively as the water warms.
Peak catfish season. Fish evenings and nights.
Good fishing continues as temperatures drop.
Slower; fish the deep holes.
Tips from the guides
- Flatheads favor live bait fished near woody cover and deep holes.
- Night fishing is productive in summer.
- Use heavy tackle; big flatheads fight hard around snags.
- The river is big and remote in places, so plan your launch and take-out.
Access & rules
Public boat ramps serve the river along its length.
A Georgia fishing license is required for anglers 16 and older.
Ask Chris
Headed to the Altamaha River? Ask Chris.
Chris Scalley has fished just about every water in Georgia and the Southeast, and he has guided since 1994. Ask him where to go, what’s biting, or who to fish with. He reads every question himself.
- Where and when to fish the Altamaha River
- Which local guide or charter is worth booking
- A trout trip on the Hooch with River Through Atlanta
From the guides at River Through Atlanta
Altamaha flatheads are monsters. Want a different kind of trophy? Try a wild brown on the Hooch.
Below Buford Dam, cold water from the bottom of Lake Lanier keeps 48 miles of the Chattahoochee cool enough for trout all year. It’s western-style fly fishing from a drift boat, for rainbows and wild browns, right through Atlanta. Our Orvis-endorsed guides have fished it since 1994, and beginners are welcome.
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