Flatheads in Alatoona

[Jack Herber]

I saw the question about flatheads in Alatoona. Yes, they are there. I have a pic of a 13 pounder I caught there this summer. I launched at Cherokee Mills (across from the Little River Marina). Follow the Little River out to the main lake. Take a right (East) heading uplake towards the Ettawa river. Watch the reef markers, there is a long one right at the mouth of the Little River that you have to make a wide swing to get around. The next reef markers on your left (heading uplake) are the ones to look for. They are maybe 1/2 to 1 mile uplake. During full pool this reef comes up to only 4 to 5 foot depth so go in slow. The main river channel runs right along the edge of this reef so there are some really good dropoffs there. I used my sonar and found a good sharp drop. I was able top anchor in 6 to 8 feet of water and with short casts I could cover a lot of different depths.
Use your depth finder and use marker bouys to mark the edge. You are really in the middle of the lake and it's real easy to lose the edge of the drop.
I used Wal-Mart shrimp as bait.
I know 13 lbs isn't much but it's the best I've done so far at Alatoona.
PS. He was CPR'd.

[Fishermancat1]

Do you know where ripwraps are located on little river. Ripwraps are shoreline of rocks. Heard from the DNR there's a good chance that flatheads are near ripwraps.

[Jack Herber]

Yes, there are some rock walls along the Little River. Just head upstream from Cherokee Mills launch. Use a Lake Alatoona hydro map. The river does a series of widening out into large mud flats and slimming down into thin narrows. Follow the river to the narrows and the rock walls are obvious. The first major narrows has some depths in the high teens. The second major narrows will take a hard left turn (as you head upstream) and the rock wall will be on your left about 100 yards or so upstream. This one is not as deep as the first. The river then takes a hard right. I have travelled up to the 575 bridge and I have not found any real structure or snags or anything else that might interest cats.