Description: Lake Chehaw (Lake Worth) is a 1,400-acre impoundmentof the Flint River, Muckalee and Kinchafoonee creeks located partly within the Albany city limits. The reservoir is owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company. Three boat ramps provide public access to the reservoir. Although Lake Chehaw is not generally considered an excellent fishing lake, it does provide some good fishing opportunities for anglers living in, or visiting, the Albany area.
While Lake Chehaw is usually not noted for producing good largemouth bass fishing, it should produce fair numbers of 1-3 lbs bass during 2001. Best areas for bass will be in the backs of the creeks in the spring and fall, and in the main lake and Flint River during the summer months. WRD annually stocks around 10,000 hybrid bass in Lake Chehaw, and this year should provide fair fishing for 1-2 lbs fish. For some fast action, look for schools of hybrids feeding on shad early and late in the day during the summer.
Crappie, bluegill and redear sunfish (shellcracker) fishing will only be fair in 2001. For crappie, try using ajig and minnow around creek mouths and around any visible cover, such as old stumps or fallen trees. A lot of submersed tree stumps and standing timber can be found in the main reservoir basin. Most bluegill will be small, with the average being less than 6 inches. However, anglers that can locate shallow water spawning beds will be rewarded with some nice catches of redear sunfish. The average redear should be around 8 inches. Worms and crickets work best, and areas in the creeks and around the islands are the most productive.
Fishing for catfish will provide plenty of action this year. The average channel catfish should weigh around 2 lbs, while flathead catfish should average 8lbs. Use live bait (bluegill or shad) along the old creek and river channel drop offs for flatheads. Fish shallow water coves and flats near deeper water during spring and fall for channel catfish. Concentrate your efforts in areas along the main river and creek channels in the summer. Channel catfish can be caught using a variety of baits, such as large worms, chicken livers, and shad or mullet guts.
Additional angling opportunities exist below the tailrace below the dam. Flathead catfish and striped bass will provide the best chance at catching a trophy fish. Flatheads weighing 5-7 lbs are fairly common during the summer, with the occasional fish weighing over 20 lbs. These monster catfish are usually caught below the dam using live bluegill or shad as bait. Stripers up to 20 lbs can be caught using live bait (shad, shiners and eels) and bucktail jigs during the winter and early spring. Be aware that fishing for striped bass in the Flint River is closed from May 1- October 31.
