The Dugout is a bait and tackle shop with a pay-to-fish lake, and it has a devoted following of beginner and advanced fishermen for its product selection, customer service, and friendly employees. No matter how great or small your fishing needs are, this fishing hole comes full-service and is a solid bet.

Lake Lanier has 45 waterfront parks, and some are only 45 minutes from the heart of Atlanta. We like Big Creek Park for its shady picnic area, public restroom, green space, and proximity to the water that doesn't require a hike down to water level.

Acworth Beach is a busy place in the summer. The beach and other facilities—including restrooms, a playground, and picnic facilities—in Cauble Park attract plenty of visitors, and the nearby fishing dock in the park provides access to the lake's channel catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie, carp and bullheads.

While we’ve all been there for the incredible playground, try packing the fishing poles the next time you go and hitting the fishing platform at Bull Sluice Lake just below the dam. Be sure to take your hats since this area is in direct sunlight, but the cool old hydroelectric dam will wow the kiddos if the fishing doesn’t.

This man-made lake is stocked with bass, bluegill, sunfish, and catfish, and has plenty of good, shady shoreline fishing options for novice fishermen with short attention spans. With trails, athletic fields, tennis courts, a public pool, and tennis courts nearby, your fishermen won’t have to leave with a fish to leave happy.

If you’re looking for a one-stop fishing adventure, head to George Sparks Reservoir at Sweetwater Creek State Park. You’ll find everything you need (including a license and bait) in the bait shop, and you can opt to fish from the shaded shoreline or rent a boat onsite.

Head to Azalea Park in Roswell for its easy shore fishing from the Chattahoochee River, covered picnic areas, and nearby playground, just in case the fish aren’t biting. However, since the Department of Natural Resources stocks the stretch of the ‘Hooch between Buford Dam and Azalea Drive with 150,000 catchable trout each year, you’ve got as good a shot as anyone to land a big one.