The original Chattahoochee River channel winding through Lake Lanier.
What Is the River Channel on Lake Lanier? A Striper Guide Explains
If you’ve read many of my Lake Lanier fishing reports, you’ve probably seen me say things like river channel, river-channel edge, river-channel swing, hump off the river channel, or creek channel.
I get asked all the time what I actually mean by that.
Well, fishing was tough today. After having a lot of cloud cover lately, we got plenty of bright sunshine, and the bite wasn’t anything like what we’ve been having. We worked for them and only managed to put two stripers in the boat.
Instead of trying to make two fish sound like twenty, I figured today was a good day to answer one of the questions I hear the most.
The River Channel Is the Old Chattahoochee River
When I’m fishing the south end of Lake Lanier and talking about the river channel, I’m referring to the original Chattahoochee River channel that existed before Lake Lanier was created.
Before there was a Lake Lanier, the Chattahoochee River flowed through this landscape. Buford Dam was constructed, the reservoir filled, and all of that land was flooded.
But the terrain underneath the water didn’t disappear.
The old Chattahoochee River bed is still down there, along with the old creek channels, points, humps, ditches and other structure that existed before the lake filled.
Today we can see all of that underwater structure with mapping and modern electronics, and it’s a huge part of how I break down Lake Lanier when I’m searching for stripers.
What Is a River-Channel Edge?
The old Chattahoochee channel is considerably deeper than much of the surrounding bottom.
When I talk about fishing a river-channel edge, I’m usually talking about the transition where that deeper old riverbed rises toward the surrounding structure.
That depth change can create an excellent travel corridor and ambush area for both bait and stripers.
What Is a River-Channel Swing?
A river isn’t straight.
The original Chattahoochee twisted and turned its way through the landscape just like a river does today. Those bends are still there — they’re just underwater now.
When I say I’m fishing a river-channel swing, I’m talking about an area where that old river channel bends or swings toward nearby structure.
Sometimes you’ll have a hump, point or other piece of structure sitting right there beside the swing. Those are exactly the types of areas I’m interested in checking during the summer.
What Does “A Hump Off the River Channel” Mean?
Another phrase you’ll hear from me constantly is “a hump off the river channel.”
A hump is basically an underwater hill.
When I describe one as being off the river channel, I’m talking about a high spot that’s positioned close to the original Chattahoochee River bed.
That relationship is important to me.
I’m not just looking for a hump because it’s a hump. I’m looking at where that hump sits in relation to the river channel, creek channels, ditches, bait, depth, water quality and what the fish have been doing.
That’s the difference between looking at a map and actually trying to understand why fish are using a particular piece of structure.
River Channel vs. Creek Channel
These are also two different things.
On the south end of Lanier, when I’m referring to the main river channel, I’m talking about the old Chattahoochee River channel.
A creek channel is one of the smaller channels created by the creeks that originally flowed through the landscape and fed into the river system.
Those creek channels are still extremely important. Sometimes the stripers will be out around the main river channel, while other times I’ll find them farther back in a ditch or creek channel.
That’s why you’ll hear me use both terms in my reports.
Why Does the River Channel Matter So Much for Summer Striper Fishing?
Once Lake Lanier gets hot during the summer, finding stripers becomes about much more than simply finding deep water.
Water temperature, dissolved oxygen, bait and structure all come into play.
Stripers need suitable temperature and enough dissolved oxygen, and those conditions change throughout the summer. That’s one reason I spend so much time looking at the old river channel and the structure connected to it.
But here’s something important:
Fishing the river channel doesn’t necessarily mean I’m putting a bait on the bottom of the river channel.
A lot of the time I’m targeting fish suspended over deep water or relating to the edges, swings, humps, points and ditches around it.
The old Chattahoochee gives me a road map. Then my electronics tell me where the bait and stripers are actually positioned that day.
And Sometimes They Just Don’t Cooperate
Today was one of those days.
We had been experiencing a lot of cloud cover, and then we got a bright, sunny day. The fishing got tough, and we only managed two stripers.
That’s part of fishing Lake Lanier.
You can understand the structure. You can understand the seasonal pattern. You can find areas that should have fish.
And the stripers can still make you look stupid. 😂
But every day on the water gives me another piece of information. Tomorrow I’ll take what I learned today, look at the conditions, and start figuring them out all over again.
That’s what keeps this fun.
Captain Matthew Haynes
Lake Lanier Striper Snipers
Guided Lake Lanier striper fishing trips:
lakelanierstripersnipers.com/