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Georgia
84 species
Georgia
84 species
🐟
Freshwater Fish
Largemouth Bass
🦅
State Bird
Brown Thrasher
🌸
State Flower
Cherokee Rose
🦌
State Mammal
North Atlantic Right Whale
Largemouth Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep, Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 60-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, ponds, rivers, reservoirs
State fish; statewide presence
Spotted Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, streams, reservoirs
Prefers moving water
Shoal Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Sep
🌡️ Temp: 62-78°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, shoals, rapids
⭐ Georgia native; Flint & Chattahoochee river systems
Striped Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
Secondary: Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 55-68°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, reservoirs, coastal
Landlocked & anadromous populations
White Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs
Spring spawn runs
Hybrid Striped Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: reservoirs, lakes
Stocked hybrid; aggressive feeder
Black Crappie
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr
Secondary: Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-72°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, reservoirs
Shallow spawn March-April
White Crappie
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr
Secondary: Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, rivers
Turbid water tolerant
Bluegill
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 65-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: ponds, lakes, slow_rivers
Multiple spawns May-Aug
Redear Sunfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 68-82°F
🏞️ Habitat: lakes, ponds
Shellcracker; earlier spawn than bluegill
Redbreast Sunfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 60-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, streams
Popular in streams
Green Sunfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
🌡️ Temp: 60-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: ponds, streams
Hardy; tolerates poor conditions
Pumpkinseed
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 65-78°F
🏞️ Habitat: ponds, lakes
Colorful; less common
Warmouth
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 65-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: swamps, slow_rivers
Cover-oriented; heavy vegetation
Channel Catfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 70-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, lakes, ponds
Lakes & rivers; summer peak
Blue Catfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 70-85°F
🏞️ Habitat: large_rivers, reservoirs
Large systems; non-native but established
Flathead Catfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jun, Jul, Aug
🌡️ Temp: 72-88°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, reservoirs
Live bait preferred; introduced
White Catfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
🌡️ Temp: 68-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: coastal_rivers, estuaries
Tolerates brackish water
Rainbow Trout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-68°F
🏞️ Habitat: stocked_streams, rivers
Stocked; North Georgia mountains
Brown Trout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-68°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Stocked; mountain streams
Brook Trout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
🌡️ Temp: 45-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: cold_streams, mountain_streams
Cold streams; year-round
Golden Shiner
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Common baitfish
Satinfin Shiner
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Native; streams
Spottail Shiner
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Lakes and slow rivers
Sandbar Shiner
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Sandy-bottom streams
Eastern Silvery Minnow
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Coastal plain streams
White Sucker
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Spring spawn runs
Spotted Sucker
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Rivers and large streams
Carolina Darter
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Small benthic fish
Savannah Darter
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Savannah River drainage
Piedmont Darter
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Piedmont region
Banded Killifish
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Coastal waters
Mosquitofish
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Mosquito control
Bowfin
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Living fossil; aggressive
Chain Pickerel
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round; coastal plain
American Eel
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Catadromous; spawns in ocean
Pirate Perch
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Unusual anatomy; swamps
Common Carp
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; removal encouraged
Grass Carp
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; stocked for vegetation control
Silver Carp
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; jumping hazard
Bighead Carp
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; filter feeder
Goldfish
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; released pets
White Perch
⚠️ InvasivePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
⚠️ Invasive; competes with natives
Red Drum
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Sep, Oct, Nov
Secondary: Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 60-78°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, estuaries
Fall migration peak
Black Drum
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Feb, Mar, Apr
Secondary: Nov
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, estuaries
Spring near oyster beds
Atlantic Croaker
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 55-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, estuaries
Excellent table fare
Spot
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 60-78°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, estuaries
Late summer run
Spotted Seatrout
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec
🌡️ Temp: 65-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, grass_flats, estuaries
Cold sensitive; fall best
Weakfish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: estuaries, inshore
Spring estuaries
Southern Flounder
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Sep, Oct
Secondary: Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, estuaries
Fall migration critical
Summer Flounder
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: nearshore, offshore
Summer nearshore
Spanish Mackerel
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 65-78°F
🏞️ Habitat: nearshore, inshore
Summer migration
King Mackerel
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
🌡️ Temp: 68-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: nearshore, offshore
Summer offshore
Bluefish
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 60-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: nearshore, inshore, surf
Aggressive feeders
Atlantic Bonito
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 55-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: nearshore, offshore
Spring and fall runs
Sheepshead
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Feb, Mar, Apr
🌡️ Temp: 50-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: inshore, piers, jetties, oyster_beds
Winter-spring near structure
Black Sea Bass
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: nearshore, offshore, reefs
Reef structure; extended season
Pinfish
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Year-round bait stealer
Pigfish
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Common inshore
Lizardfish
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Bottom dweller
Sea Robin
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Common catch
Northern Puffer
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Inflates when threatened
Filefish
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Reef associated
Cowfish
Non-GamePeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Boxy appearance
Blacktip Shark
Awareness OnlyPeak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
⚠️ Safety awareness; summer nearshore
Spinner Shark
Awareness OnlyPeak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
⚠️ Safety awareness; spinning jumps
Bull Shark
Awareness OnlyPeak: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
⚠️ Caution; tolerates freshwater
Sandbar Shark
Awareness OnlyPeak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
⚠️ Common nearshore; docile
Bonnethead
Awareness OnlyPeak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
⚠️ Small shark; inshore
Southern Stingray
Awareness OnlyPeak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
⚠️ Venomous barb; shuffle feet
Cownose Ray
Awareness OnlyPeak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
⚠️ Schools; wing-like fins
Atlantic Skate
Awareness OnlyPeak: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
Offshore; cooler waters
American Shad
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May
🌡️ Temp: 50-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, estuaries
Spring spawning migration
Hickory Shad
Regulated✓ Harvestable
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 52-68°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, estuaries
Spring run; excellent fighter
Alewife
Non-GamePeak: Mar, Apr, May
Spring spawning run
Blueback Herring
Non-GamePeak: Apr, May, Jun
Spring run; later than alewife
Minnows (group)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes
Essential forage base; group includes dozens of species
Shiners (group)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers, lakes, ponds
Popular live bait; group includes golden, satinfin, spottail, and others
Darters (group)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 50-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Small benthic fish; high biodiversity in GA streams
Suckers (group)
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 45-70°F
🏞️ Habitat: streams, rivers
Spring spawning runs; bottom feeders
Atlantic Menhaden (Bunker)
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
🌡️ Temp: 55-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: coastal, bays, estuaries
Critical forage species; supports commercial and recreational fisheries
Bay Anchovy
Peak: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 60-80°F
🏞️ Habitat: bays, estuaries
Abundant baitfish in estuaries
Silversides
Peak: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
🌡️ Temp: 55-75°F
🏞️ Habitat: coastal, bays, surf
Small schooling fish; important prey for gamefish
River Herring (Alewife / Blueback)
Peak: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
🌡️ Temp: 45-65°F
🏞️ Habitat: rivers, estuaries
⚠️ Protected species; anadromous spawning runs
