.sf-ga{–ink:#231C18;–deep:#7A3322;–teal:#94371C;–mist:#F5EFE8;–foam:#FCFAF7;–lure:#D3DEE2;–lure-ink:#2D4B5A;–line:#E6DBD0;–muted:#5A4D45}.sf-ga .sf-hero{background-color:#7A3322;background-image:radial-gradient(880px 520px at 96% 0%,rgba(196,214,222,.30),rgba(196,214,222,0) 62%),radial-gradient(800px 520px at 2% 100%,rgba(214,128,120,.24),rgba(214,128,120,0) 60%),linear-gradient(160deg,#8E3D27,#7A3322 46%,#2F1D16);border-bottom-right-radius:180px 96px}.sf-ga .sf-hero::before{background:linear-gradient(100deg,rgba(35,28,24,.86) 0%,rgba(35,28,24,.55) 52%,rgba(35,28,24,.20) 100%)}.sf-ga .sf-eyebrow{border-radius:4px 14px 4px 14px;background:rgba(35,28,24,.58);color:#F4F7F8;border:2px solid #D3DEE2;padding:5px 15px 4px;letter-spacing:.06em}.sf-ga .sf-hero .sf-sub{color:#F7EEE8}.sf-ga .sf-hero[style*=”background-image”]::before{background:linear-gradient(100deg,rgba(35,28,24,.90) 0%,rgba(35,28,24,.68) 44%,rgba(122,51,34,.34) 78%,rgba(122,51,34,.22) 100%),linear-gradient(0deg,rgba(28,20,16,.72),rgba(28,20,16,0) 48%)}.sf-ga .sf-bar{background-color:#231C18;background-image:radial-gradient(560px 230px at 96% 0,rgba(196,214,222,.22),rgba(196,214,222,0)),linear-gradient(100deg,#7A3322,#231C18 66%)}.sf-ga .sf-bar p{color:#EDE2DA}.sf-ga .sf-band–white,.sf-ga .sf-band–white:nth-of-type(even){background-color:#fff;background-image:radial-gradient(900px 520px at 94% 4%,rgba(122,51,34,.17),rgba(122,51,34,0) 64%),radial-gradient(780px 470px at 4% 96%,rgba(196,214,222,.46),rgba(196,214,222,0) 62%),radial-gradient(640px 400px at 50% 50%,rgba(214,128,120,.07),rgba(214,128,120,0) 62%),linear-gradient(135deg,#FFFFFF,#FAF5EF,#F2E8DE)}.sf-ga .sf-band–white:nth-of-type(even){background-image:radial-gradient(900px 520px at 6% 4%,rgba(122,51,34,.17),rgba(122,51,34,0) 64%),radial-gradient(780px 470px at 96% 96%,rgba(196,214,222,.46),rgba(196,214,222,0) 62%),linear-gradient(225deg,#FFFFFF,#FAF5EF,#F2E8DE)}.sf-ga .sf-band–mist{background-color:#F5EFE8;background-image:radial-gradient(860px 520px at 10% 8%,rgba(196,214,222,.44),rgba(196,214,222,0) 64%),radial-gradient(720px 460px at 92% 94%,rgba(122,51,34,.15),rgba(122,51,34,0) 62%),linear-gradient(200deg,#F9F4EE,#F5EFE8,#EBDFD3)}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink{color:#F6ECE5}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep{background-color:#7A3322;background-image:radial-gradient(900px 540px at 92% 6%,rgba(196,214,222,.18),rgba(196,214,222,0) 62%),radial-gradient(800px 500px at 8% 94%,rgba(214,128,120,.20),rgba(214,128,120,0) 62%),linear-gradient(150deg,#8A3B26,#7A3322,#5A2517)}.sf-ga .sf-band–ink{background-color:#231C18;background-image:radial-gradient(900px 540px at 10% 6%,rgba(122,51,34,.62),rgba(122,51,34,0) 62%),radial-gradient(760px 480px at 94% 96%,rgba(196,214,222,.12),rgba(196,214,222,0) 62%),linear-gradient(150deg,#33271F,#231C18,#16110E)}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-src,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-src{color:#DDCBBF}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-head p,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-head p,.sf-ga .sf-cta p{color:#F0E2D8}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-card p,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-card p,.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-fact span,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-fact span{color:#ECDBD0}body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-list li span,body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-list li span{color:#F0E2D8}body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–mist .sf-list a:not(.sf-btn),body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–white .sf-list a:not(.sf-btn){color:#94371C}body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–mist .sf-list li>span,body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–white .sf-list li>span{color:#54473F}.sf-ga .sf-barrow .t{background:linear-gradient(90deg,#94371C,#C8674A)}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-barrow .t,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-barrow .t{background:linear-gradient(90deg,#9FB7C1,#D3DEE2)}.sf-ga .sf-pill{background:#F1E5DA;color:#7A3322}.sf-ga .sf-btn:hover{background:#E6EEF1}.sf-ga .sf-card-img,.sf-ga .sf-tile{background-color:#7A3322}.sf-ga .sf-q p{color:#3D302A}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-kicker,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-kicker,.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-fact b,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-fact b{color:#DCE6EA}.sf-ga .sf-kicker{color:#2D4B5A}.sf-ga .sf-pf-card h3{color:#0C1F2C!important}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-btn–ghost,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-btn–ghost{border-color:rgba(255,255,255,.45);background:rgba(22,17,14,.35)}body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–deep a:not(.sf-card):not(.sf-tile):not(.sf-btn),body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–ink a:not(.sf-card):not(.sf-tile):not(.sf-btn){color:#DCE6EA}.sf-ga .sf-tablewrap{color:#231C18;border-color:#E6DBD0}.sf-ga .sf-table td{color:#231C18}.sf-ga .sf-table th{background:#7A3322;color:#fff}.sf-ga .sf-table tr:nth-child(even) td{background:#FAF4EE}body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-tablewrap a,body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-tablewrap a:not(.sf-card):not(.sf-tile):not(.sf-btn),body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-tablewrap a:not(.sf-card):not(.sf-tile):not(.sf-btn){color:#94371C}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-q,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-q{background:rgba(255,255,255,.07);border-color:rgba(255,255,255,.18)}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-q p,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-q p{color:#F2E6DE}body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-pill a:not(.sf-card):not(.sf-tile):not(.sf-btn),body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-pill a:not(.sf-card):not(.sf-tile):not(.sf-btn),body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-pill a{color:#94371C}.sf-ga .sf-band–deep .sf-card .sf-more,.sf-ga .sf-band–ink .sf-card .sf-more{color:#E6EEF1}.sf-ga .sf-bar .sf-crumbs,.sf-ga .sf-bar .sf-crumbs span,body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-bar .sf-crumbs a{color:#FFFFFF}.sf-ga .sf-note{color:#231C18}body.sfs .sf-ga .sf-note a{color:#94371C}@media (max-width:760px){.sf-ga .sf-hero{border-bottom-right-radius:90px 48px}}
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 $79.99
Lake Allatoona 11 mi
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0 
Lake Lanier 32 mi
Photo: PBT1981, CC BY-SA 3.0 
Roswell 16 mi
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0 
Etowah River 3.7 mi
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0
Georgia counties
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 $79.99
Fishing in Cherokee County, Georgia
Seat: Canton. Population 266,620 (2020).
- 2lake pages
- 12launch sites
- 12trout streams
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Lake Allatoona: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0
Cherokee County, Georgia
Fishing Cherokee County: a quick look
With Canton as its seat, Cherokee County belongs to the Northwest Georgia group on this site. 266,620 people (2020 Census) share 421 square miles of dry ground and 13.3 of lakes, rivers and marsh.
Size order puts Lake Allatoona first among 2 county lake pages (12,271 acres together). Boaters have 12 public launch sites on the WRD map here, with 14 lanes on record. The usual operator is U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Trout water here covers 12 designated streams and roughly 130.4 miles. The county counts 4 piers and bank sites for fishing without a boat.
2lake pages
12launch sites
12trout streams
9shops and marinas
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Map
Cherokee County ramps, lakes and streams plotted
Georgia DNR WRD Water Access Points, CRD coastal layers and WRD waterbodies, checked October 2026.
Lakes
Lake fishing around Cherokee County
| Lake | Acres | Type | Ramps | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Allatoona | 11,860 | reservoir | 27 | largemouth bass, spotted bass |
| Canton Mills Lake | 411 | lake | 1 | largemouth bass, channel catfish |
Past the Cherokee County line, these lakes are closest to Canton.
| Lake | From Canton | Acres | Type | Ramps | Fish listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollis Lathem | 15 miles northeast | 334 | lake | 1 | largemouth bass, spotted bass |
| Lake Acworth | 17 miles southwest | 303 | lake | 1 | largemouth bass, spotted bass |
| Bull Sluice Lake | 19 miles south | 406 | lake | 1 | largemouth bass, channel catfish |
| Family Pond | 24 miles east | 1 | lake | 0 | channel catfish, bluegill |
| Salacoa Creek Lake | 24 miles northwest | 126 | lake | 1 | largemouth bass, channel catfish |
| Manning Mill Lake | 25 miles west | 5 | lake | 1 | largemouth bass, channel catfish |
WRD waterbodies and reservoirs layers, NHD areas, WRD access point species flags and WRD fishing forecasts.
More lakes
Further lakes in Cherokee County
The table adds 1 named Cherokee County lakes that lack enough detail for a full page.
| Lake | Acres | Type | Ramps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Arrowhead | 436 | lake | 0 |
WRD waterbodies layer and USGS NHD, checked October 2026.
Streams
Moving water across Cherokee County
- Etowah Riverriver, 28.7 trout miles, 11 ramps
- Salacoa Creekstream, 17.8 trout miles
- Little River, Cherokee Countyriver
- Pine Log Creekstream, 24.8 trout miles
- Sharp Mountain Creekstream, 11.6 trout miles
- Long Swamp Creekstream, 8 trout miles
- Stamp Creekstream, 6.2 trout miles
- Rock Creek, Pickens Countystream, 9.2 trout miles
- Bluff Creekstream, 5.9 trout miles
- Boston Creekstream, 6.9 trout miles
- Wiley Creekstream, 5.3 trout miles
- Little Creek, Cherokee Countystream, 3 trout miles
Trout water in Cherokee County
The county has 130.4 designated trout miles on 12 streams; heavily stocked segments appear on 1.
- Soap Creek3 trout mi, near Nelson
River gauges in Cherokee County
| USGS gauge | Latest reading | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Etowah River Downstream Of I-575, At Canton, Ga | 248 cfs, 2.05 ft gage height | Nov 10 11:45 pm |
| Etowah River At Canton, Ga | 255 cfs, 1.37 ft gage height | Nov 11 12:15 am |
| Little River At Ga 5, Near Woodstock, Ga | 64 cfs, 0.44 ft gage height | Nov 11 12:15 am |
| Settingdown Creek Near Ball Ground, Ga | 19 cfs, 0.41 ft gage height | Nov 11 12:15 am |
| Sharp Mtn Creek At Old Ga 5, Below Ball Ground, Ga | 19 cfs, 2.81 ft gage height | Nov 11 12:15 am |
| Hickory Log Creek Near Canton, Ga | 6 cfs, 0.93 ft gage height | Nov 11 12:00 am |
US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 11, 2026 12:32 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.
WRD Trout Fishing layer (designated trout streams), checked October 2026.
Trout waters
Cherokee County trout water by the regulations guide
Trout anglers get 7 printed destinations in the county; carry the trout license.
- Bluff Cr. watershed upstream from Cherokee Co Rd. 114
- Boston Cr. watershed
- Pine Log Cr. watershed
- Salacoa Cr. watershed
- Soap Cr. watershed upstream from Cherokee Co Rd. 116
- Stamp Cr. watershed
- Wiley Cr. watershed
2026-2027 Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations, trout streams and destinations by county.
Ramps
WRD access points in Cherokee County
- Boling ParkEtowah River, carry-in launch, restroom
- Cherokee County ParkAllatoona Lake, 1 lane, dock, restroom, fee
- Cherokee Mills, Little River Boat RampAllatoona Lake, 3 lanes, dock, restroom, fee
- Galt's Ferry Boat RampAllatoona Lake, 3 lanes, dock, restroom, fee
- Gober BeachEtowah River, carry-in launch
- Harbor Town MarinaAllatoona Lake, 1 lane, dock, restroom, fee
- Hickory Log Creek Boat RampHickory Log Creek Reservoir, 1 lane, restroom, fee
- Knox Bridge Boat RampAllatoona Lake, 1 lane, dock, restroom, fee
- Little River MarinaAllatoona Lake, 1 lane, dock, restroom, fee
- McGraw Ford WMA Boat RampEtowah River, carry-in launch
- Sweetwater Day Use Area Boat RampAllatoona Lake, 1 lane, dock, restroom, fee
- Victoria Harbor MarinaAllatoona Lake, 2 lanes, dock, restroom, fee
Cherokee County piers and bank areas (4)
- Cherokee County Parkfishing pier, Allatoona Lake
- Galt's Ferryfishing pier, Allatoona Lake
- Victoria Day Use Area, Allatoona Lake 1fishing pier, Allatoona Lake
- Victoria Day Use Area, Allatoona Lake 2fishing pier, Allatoona Lake
Georgia DNR WRD Water Access Points.
Regulations
Special rules in Cherokee County
| Species | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (all species combined) | 10 in total, only 5 of which may be Altamaha, Bartrams, Chattahoochee, Coosa, Shoal, Smallmouth, Suwannee, Tallapoosa | Open all year |
| Largemouth bass | Counts toward 10 black bass total; minimum length 12 inches statewide (exceptions on listed lakes and PFAs) | Open all year |
| Spotted bass | Counts toward 10 black bass total; no statewide minimum length (14 inches on Lake Lanier) | Open all year |
| Shoal bass | Counts toward 10 black bass total (only 5 may be shoal and other listed bass); minimum length 15 inches statewide (Flint River below Warwick Dam slot) | Open all year |
| Smallmouth bass | Counts toward 10 black bass total; only 5 of the 10 may be smallmouth and other listed bass; no minimum length | Open all year |
| Striped, white and hybrid bass | 15 in total, only two of which can be 22 inches or longer | Open all year |
| Crappie | 30 | Open all year |
| Bream (sunfish) | 50 in total | Open all year |
| Catfish | No limit | Open all year |
Statewide freshwater rows cover Cherokee County unless a water below has its own rule.
Cherokee County lakes and rivers with exceptions (1)
| Water | Rule |
|---|---|
| Rock Creek Lake | Trout impoundment: fishing hours 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset (no night fishing). Anglers may fish for species other than trout without a trout license. |
2026-2027 Georgia Hunting and Fishing Regulations (effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), statewide limits and listed exceptions.
Local help
Bait, gear and guides of Cherokee County
Bait and fuel in Cherokee County
- Burch's Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Holly Springs
- Burch's Tackle Shop – CLOSEDbait and tackle shop, Canton
- Meat & Potato Tackle Co – CLOSEDbait and tackle shop, Canton
- Bass Pro Shops Acworthsporting goods store, Acworth
- Best in Boatingmarina, Acworth
- Joshs Mobile Marine Repairmarina, Acworth
- Little River Marinamarina, Canton
- Marietta Salesmarina, Canton
- Victoria Harbour Incmarina, Woodstock
Nearby
Near Cherokee County
Cities and towns of Cherokee County
- Woodstockpop. 35,065
- Cantonpop. 32,973
- Holly Springspop. 16,213
- Ball Groundpop. 2,560
- Nelsonpop. 1,145
- Waleskapop. 921
Next door to Cherokee County
- Pickens County15 miles north
- Forsyth County20 miles east
- Bartow County21 miles west
- Cobb County22 miles south
- Dawson County22 miles northeast
Piscifun
Reels from Piscifun worth packing for Cherokee County
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
In pictures
Pictures from Georgia water near Cherokee County
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0
Photo: PBT1981, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 4.0
Answers
Quick answers on the water in Cherokee County
How many WRD access sites list Cherokee County?
12 public launch sites are on the WRD map with 14 lanes recorded.
Which lake should a first visit to Cherokee County include?
Lake Allatoona, at 11,860 acres.
Do I need a trout license in Cherokee County?
There are 12, near 130.4 miles, under the trout license rule.
What bass rules apply in Cherokee County?
A 10 fish black bass bag with a 12 inch largemouth minimum, except where listed.
Which shops in Cherokee County sell tackle?
Try Burch's Tackle Shop, one of 9 listings.
Can I hire a fishing guide in Cherokee County?
Our list shows no guide here.
Are there WRD fishing areas in Cherokee County?
No PFA lies in the county.
Which town holds the Cherokee County courthouse square?
Canton, per the county listing.
How much is a license to fish Cherokee County?
Georgia asks anglers 16 and older for a fishing license: $15 for residents and $50 for nonresidents, each good for 365 days from purchase. Designated trout water needs the $10 resident trout license (nonresidents $25) on top of the Georgia fishing license ($15 resident, $50 nonresident).
Spend a fishing weekend in Cherokee County
Every lake and ramp above links to its own page.