Chasing Freshwater Stripers in the Southeast: Proven Tips, Tactics, and Hotspots

From tailraces below dams to vast reservoirs, here’s how to find, target, and land trophy striped bass across the Southeast.

A healthy freshwater striper that came up schooling on shad! | Kaleb Brown

Being from New England I had never experienced freshwater striped bass fishing. All of my knowledge and experience was from the salty waters of Cape Cod. However, after six years on Southeastern waters, freshwater striped bass have become a favorite of mine. And they seem to be a truly overlooked angling opportunity offering some of the best fights of any freshwater fish. From the vast impoundments of the Tennessee River system to the bait-rich waters of the Savannah river, stripers thrive in these environments. They grow big, fight hard, and are a rewarding trophy to those who pursue them. 

Where to Catch Freshwater Stripers in the Southeast

Stripers in the Southeast can be found in a variety of habitats. They thrive in rivers, deep reservoirs, and one of my favorites, tailraces below dams. While some waters support natural reproduction, many populations are supplemented with annual stockings, creating trophy potential in otherwise overlooked fisheries.

Focus your fishing on areas where moving water and baitfish meet: river bends, submerged humps near current seams, and man-made currents (such as dams, inflows/outflows). Early and late in the day, stripers often push bait into shallow areas, while the midday sun pushes them deeper. Understanding this and doing your research on your body of water gives a good idea where to start looking!

Understanding Seasonal Striper Movements and Feeding Habits

Chad Mrazek with a massive Tennessee striper! | Kaleb Brown

Stripers are true nomads. They can move many miles during their seasonal transitions. In spring and fall, they’re often shallow, following schools of bait into creeks and up rivers. During the heat of summer, they retreat to the coolest, most oxygen-rich water they can find, usually deep main channels or below dams where current and oxygen levels remain high.

Their feeding habits reflect this incredible mobility. During the cooler seasons, expect to find much more shallow water schooling action. In warm months, think deep: fish holding near the thermocline or where the coolest parts of the lake are. This is typically near the dam where current is generated and the water is deep. Recognizing and reacting to these seasonal patterns helps you decide whether to look shallow or deep and whether to keep fishing or keep looking.

How to Fish Schooling Stripers on the Surface

When the conditions are right, sometimes it pays to sit high in the drivers seat, watching for any schooling on the horizon. | Kaleb Brown

When stripers push bait to the surface, the bite can be electric. Sometimes it is just a few fish, sometimes it is hundreds of fish boiling the surface. Birds wheeling overhead, shad dimpling on the surface, and of course, an explosive feeding frenzy like no other, let you know you’re in the right place at the right time.

Keep a rod rigged with a topwater walking bait, a lipless crankbait, or a soft plastic minnow on a jighead for quick casts into breaking fish. If the fish seem to be more selective or a little less aggressive, a lipless crankbait is one of my favorite ways to match the hatch and always get them to bite.

Matching the hatch can be key to getting a few more bites! | Kaleb Brown

Because schooling action can appear and vanish within seconds, be ready to move quickly and use your electronics to relocate them. Keep your head on a swivel! A long cast and a fast, erratic retrieve often triggers bites before the school goes down again.

Best Deep-Water Striper Tactics for Freshwater Fishing

When stripers head to deeper, cooler water, a favorite location for much of the year, your electronics become invaluable. Look for schools of big, hard returning marking on side imaging and 2D. Also keep an eye out for clouds of bait stacked on big flats, humps, or river channel edges. The schools are often large and plentiful. Once located, forward-facing sonar can be your best friend. Utilizing your Hummingbird LakeMaster Mapping to find deep channel swings and the deepest holes can be productive.

A school of large stripe bass under the boat on forward facing sonar. | Kaleb Brown

I prefer to cast at the fish with large flutter spoons, Alabama rigs, and jig head/minnow presentations. Make sure you have baits that are plenty heavy, as fish can be caught well past the 80ft range.

Tips for Catching More Freshwater Stripers

• Watch the bait: Stripers rarely stray far from food.
• Use electronics: Forward-facing sonar or side imaging can reveal schools before they surface.
• Stay mobile: If you’re not marking fish or seeing activity in 15–20 minutes, move.
• FISH THE DAM: There's an almost year-round population at the dam, plus a lot of schooling occurs here as well
• Watch for schooling: Keep your eyes open and constantly scan the lake.
• Handle with care: Freshwater stripers stress easily in warm water. Minimize fight time and carefully revive fish before release.

The Southeast’s Ultimate Freshwater Challenge

Winter can be a great time to get out on a less crowded lake! | Kaleb Brown

Freshwater striped bass in the Southeast embody everything anglers love about chasing fish: unforgettable fighting power, challenging behaviors, year-round action, and true trophy potential. While Cape Cod gets most of the striper fishing spotlight, the waters from the Tennessee River reservoirs to Georgia and Carolina tailraces, are relatively underutilized. By learning striped bass’ seasonal patterns, staying mobile, and remaining alert, you’ll soon discover what makes striped bass one of the ultimate freshwater fishing challenges.