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Chattahoochee River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The cold tailwater below Buford Dam: designated trout water from the dam to Peachtree Creek, with stocked rainbows and wild brown trout inside a national recreation area.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
790 cfs
Air / High
71 / 71 F
Wind
E 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 02335000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Chattahoochee River fishes cold and honest: earn your bites in the deep stuff. The river is running 790 cfs, dropping and clearing. Today brings clear skies, wind E around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1022 hPa and a high of 71. Water sits around 47 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:12 AM-12:12 PM and 10:40 PM-12:40 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown troutExcellent

Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Tomorrow: Similar at 68 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Georgia requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $15.00 for residents. What a Georgia licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing rainbow trout here? Check the size and bag limits with GA DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Georgia, read off the agency, are on the Georgia seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Chattahoochee River near Norcross.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 02335000.

9621,3201,677790 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Today’s flow against 113 years of October 23

At 790 cfs, the flow at USGS gauge 02335000 (Chattahoochee River near Norcross) is at the 15th percentile for the date: below normal. In half of the 113 years of approved record the daily mean on October 23 was below 1,400 cfs; the highest was 5,800 cfs and the lowest 400 cfs.

p10 708median 1,400p90 3,388

Percentiles of the daily mean flow for this date, from the USGS Water Data Statistics API for gauge 02335000; today’s reading is the latest instantaneous value. Classes follow the ones the USGS used on its WaterWatch maps (retired at the end of 2025): below 10th, much below normal; 10th–24th, below; 25th–75th, normal; 76th–90th, above; over 90th, much above.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp71 F
High / Low71 / 45 F
WindE 6-8 mph
Pressure1021.9 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:48 / 18:52
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (gauge)54 F USGS
Water temp (seasonal)~47 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Chattahoochee River this week

The best day on Chattahoochee River this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 — Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:12 AM-12:12 PM and 10:40 PM-12:40 AM
Minor period
4:34 AM-5:34 AM
Sun
07:48 to 18:52
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Clear, 11 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Chattahoochee River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

When to come: the Chattahoochee River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 47 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Chattahoochee River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 6 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 73 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 5 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Georgia requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Georgia fishing license plus trout license for everyone 16 and older fishing anywhere in the designated trout water, even for other species. Georgia's trout limit is 8 a day. Artificial lures only from GA 20 to the Medlock Bridge ramp; delayed harvest (catch-and-release, single-hook artificial lures) from Sope Creek to US 41 from November 1 to May 14. No night fishing from Buford Dam to Peachtree Creek.

Access

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area units, including Bowmans Island, Settles Bridge, Abbotts Bridge, Medlock Bridge, Jones Bridge, Island Ford, Vickery Creek, Johnson Ferry and Paces Mill. Parking costs $5 per vehicle.

About this water

The Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam (Lake Lanier), a designated trout stream to Peachtree Creek in metro Atlanta, Georgia, protected along a 48-mile National Recreation Area corridor.

Fishing Chattahoochee River: the full guide

Trout water through the suburbs

Releases from Buford Dam keep the Chattahoochee cool all year; the National Park Service says the river rarely gets warmer than 50 degrees Fahrenheit inside the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Georgia designates the river from Buford Dam to the mouth of Peachtree Creek, including Bull Sluice Lake, as trout water, with no closed season. Georgia DNR describes the fishery as ranging from stocked rainbow trout to trophy wild brown trout, and notes that the best conditions come at low flow, when the river is clear to slightly stained.

Special rules by reach

From GA Highway 20 to the boat ramp at the Medlock Bridge unit, just upstream of GA Highway 141, only artificial lures may be used or possessed. From Sope Creek (off Columns Drive) to US Highway 41 (Cobb Parkway), the river is a delayed-harvest stream from November 1 to May 14: all trout must be released and only artificial lures with one single hook each are allowed. Everywhere in the trout water, anglers may use one hand-held rod, live baitfish and seining are prohibited, and fishing is limited to 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.

Releases and the park

Flows change daily with releases from Buford Dam and Morgan Falls Dam. NPS points anglers to the Corps' Buford Dam release schedule (770-945-1466 or 1-855-DAM-FLOW) and to Georgia Power's real-time operations page for Morgan Falls. The recreation area has 15 units along a 48-mile corridor, including Bowmans Island, Settles Bridge, Abbotts Bridge, Medlock Bridge, Jones Bridge, Island Ford (park headquarters), Vickery Creek, Johnson Ferry and Paces Mill. The Norcross gauge on this page sits within the trout water.

Common questions

Do I need a trout license on the Chattahoochee?

Yes, if you are 16 or older and fishing between Buford Dam and Peachtree Creek. Georgia requires a trout license in designated trout waters even when you are fishing for other species, and NPS repeats the rule for the park.

Are there wild trout in the Chattahoochee?

Georgia DNR describes the tailwater as offering stocked rainbow trout and trophy wild brown trout.

How do I check dam releases before wading?

NPS directs visitors to the Buford Dam release schedule (770-945-1466 or 1-855-DAM-FLOW) and Georgia Power's Morgan Falls operations page, and to National Weather Service river levels at Buford Dam, Medlock Bridge, Roswell, Powers Island and Paces Mill.

Is fishing good at Chattahoochee River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake Lanier6 miLake Allatoona28 miCarters Lake46 miToccoa River54 miBlue Ridge Lake54 miLake Nottely58 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 02335000 — Chattahoochee River near Norcross
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:15 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 34.1000, -84.1500 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 6, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 6, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.