LakeFront Hartwell

Freshwater fishing trends are provided by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. For South Carolina freshwater fish regulations visit the SCDNR website. Freshwater fishing trends for the week of March 24.

Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:

• Trout: Very good. Rare among SC freshwater species, trout like the cold weather. Troll from the surface down to 40 feet using Bad Creek trolling spoons. Also try drifting live bait (large shiners or herring) in the same zone. Night fishing has also been productive with large fish and good numbers being caught; troll the rivers for best success. In the Jocassee Outdoor Center March 8 tournament very strong winds made for tough fishing conditions, but overall the bite remains strong.
• Largemouth and Redeye Bass: Good. Try jigging vertically in 60 to 80 feet of water using ¾ ounce jigging spoons and jig n pigs. Also try fishing plastics such as finesse worms and trick worms deep and just off the bottom.
• Jocassee Outdoor Center 2008 Annual Trout Fishing Tournament - April 12.

Lake Keowee:

• Largemouth Bass: Good. Warmer weather has moved fish shallower; target boat docks and the backs of coves. Use 3 ½ inch live magic shad colored Lake Fork Swim baits and topwater jerkbaits.
• Spotted Bass: Good to very good. Fish around Mile Creek and Gap Hill Landing. Use 1/8 ounce shaky head worms in redbug color and fish approximately 20 feet of water. Also try topwater jerkbaits in black and silver. Fish continue to move shallower.
• Crappie: Fair. It’s still early for Upstate crappie but try minnows and jigs in 25-30 feet of water around brush piles and other structure.

Lake Hartwell:

• Water temperatures have hit the mid to high 50s and fishing is improving.
• Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. There are reports of 20 to 30 pound fish being caught in 8 to 15 feet of water off points. Best action is coming in the Martin Creek area near the coal pile and at the mouth. Also, there is also good action being reported near Coneross Campgrounds. Successful techniques include pulling trout and gizzard shads on planer board rigs, and freelining. As the water warms looks for striper to move shallower and begin feeding on threadfin shad.
• Largemouth Bass: Fair. Largemouth started to move shallower this week with the sustained warm weather. The most popular baits continue to be jigs and crankbaits.
• Crappie: Good. The crappie bite is improving and fish are feeding aggressively in 14 to 15 feet of water.

Piedmont Area
Lake Russell:

• The water remains cold in Lake Russell – hovering in the low fifties. Sustained warming will improve fishing. Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Fish early morning with bucktails and cut and live herring and fish deep.
• Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair to good. Fishermen throwing crankbaits, including shad raps and rattle traps with orange on them, are reporting decent catches. The winning stringer in a recent club tournament came fishing a green jig near the dam for spotted bass. Also try fishing deep (40-50 feet of water) using a drop shot jig.
• Crappie: Excellent. Lake Russell anglers continue to catch lots of crappie. Fish in 12 – 18 feet of water around treetops using small minnows. Limits of very nice fish are being taken daily.
• Catfish: Good, using cut bait and nightcrawlers along the bottom.

Lake Thurmond:

• Lake Thurmond fishing is rapidly improving as the water warms and spring patterns arrive.
• Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. Striped bass are moving down the lake toward the dam and starting to feed aggressively. Bank fishermen near the dam are doing well fishing cut herring on the bottom. Boat fishermen are fishing down lines 35 to 40 feet deep over 100 feet of water with live herring.
• Largemouth Bass: Good. Largemouth bass fishing is improving in the mid to upper lake areas. Fish the Dorden and Hartsville areas with #5 Shad Rap or spinnerbaits, and target shallow areas in the backs of creeks.
• Crappie: Good. The crappie bite is strong at times but remains off and on. One guide reported catching a 10 crappie stringer weighing 16 pounds – real slabs. Throw Slider jigs or fish minnows.

Lake Wylie:

• Largemouth Bass: Good. Fish around boat houses in 8 to 10 feet of water and target the Catawba Creek area. Throw a #7 shad rap or jig and pig, or try a watermelon red soft plastic bait.
• Crappie: Good. Lots of nice one to two pound crappie are being caught fishing 10-20 feet of water using a small black jig or solid chartreuse jig tipped with a minnow. Fish around boathouses very slowly. On warm afternoons look for fish to move into shallow water.
• White Perch: Very good. Fishermen who locate large schools of white perch report catching 50 or 100 nice fish in the one to two pound range. Fish in 20-24 feet of water next to river channels and crisscross deep to shallow until fish are located. Use a minnow or jig lowered to the bottom and then bumped slowly.

Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:

• The effect of lowered water levels on fishing has not been as severe as feared, and levels will return to normal again in the next few days.
• Striped Bass: Fair. Striped bass are scattered, but some are being caught if fishermen can find the right spots. Locate striped bass by locating feeding gulls. Use jigging spoons in 18-20 feet of water.
• Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Bass are staging around brush piles and docks in preparation for the spawn. In the Five Lakes Bass Club tournament last weekend incredible catches were made despite tough conditions. Most effective lures included Yozuri Hardcore crankbaits, white spinnerbaits, and shaky head jigs. Target water 10 feet and shallower.
• Crappie: Good. Crappie fishing is improving and the fish are on the verge of spawning. Fish 8 feet of water and look for the fish to continue to move shallower, weather permitting.
• Catfish: Good to very good. Lake Greenwood has good catfishing year round. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms in 10 to 12 feet of water.

Lake Wateree:

• Striped Bass: Good. Fish in the lower part of the lake using topwaters, shiners, or live herring.
• Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Fish are moving shallow and best fishing is coming around shallow boat docks and on main lake points. Throw spinnerbaits, speed traps, shad raps, and other reaction type baits. The slightly stained mid-lake areas are producing the best fishing because of higher water temperatures there. In the NBC tournament last weekend multiple 18 to 20 pound sacks were weighed in.
• Crappie: Good. Due to recent rains water has been a bit muddy for best crappie fishing but things have heated up over the last couple of days. Target the Fishing Creek and Beaver Creek areas using minnows and key on shallow structure.
• Catfish: Very good. Multiple 40 pounders have been taken in the last two weeks. Target big blue cats using cut bait fished on the edges of holes.

Lake Murray:

• Lake temperatures continued to rise this week and entered the low sixties in places, and the fishing continued to improve.
• Largemouth Bass: Good. The bass fishing has improved over the last week and some outstanding days are being reported. Artificial lure fishermen are having best luck around secondary points in 5-15 feet of water fishing shaky head jigs with green pumpkinseed worms or jig and pigs. Also, a soft plastic bite is beginning to develop around down trees, boat docks and other very shallow structure. Bass are definitely entering the prespawn period.
• Striped Bass: Good to very good. Striped bass fishing is really starting to improve, and no longer are small fish comprising the bulk of the catch. Lots of 5-10 pound fish are being caught as well as plenty of “teenagers.” Best catches are coming with planer boards and free lines, although there is some cut bait and down rod action as well. In addition to bait fishing trolling 3/8 ounce bucktails in the evening is a productive pattern.
• Crappie: Very good. The crappie bite continues to improve and fishermen are taking good catches of crappie, including some really nice sized fish. Fish 10 to 15 feet of water around brush, particularly near the mouths of creek channels. Crappie will continue to move shallower and enter the prespawn period.
• Shellcracker: Good to very good. Some anglers report outstanding catches (100 plus fish days) in very shallow water – as shallow as one to two feet. Look in pockets around flooded fennel and try to locate fish in the clear water then use half of a night crawler worm.

Santee Cooper System            
Lake Marion:

• Striped Bass: Slow. Fishermen are picking up the occasional striper trolling but the drifting action has pretty much dropped off. Try large plugs or live shad. Striper seem to have moved a little way out of Wyboo Creek on Lake Marion but will probably be back in that area soon, depending on bait fish movements. Expect fishing to improve in the next 3-4 weeks as striped bass make their annual migration through the Lakes.
• Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Catches of very large bass, over 10 pounds, are picking up. Bass are responding to rising water and beginning to be caught very shallow on a variety of baits. Shaky head jigs and Senko type baits are particularly effective down to 8 feet. Target the shallows near pad plants and stickups.
• Catfish: Very good. Prospecting in shallow water is productive both anchoring and drifting although drift fishermen may encounter frequent hang-ups. Have fresh cut bait, including shad, herring and white perch, on hand. Drifting deeper water in 25 to 35 feet is also productive.
• Crappie: Good. Catches of crappie are improving and some nice stringers are being caught. Fish shallow water from the Stump Hole area down toward St. Park. Fish will continue to move shallower as the water continues to warm.
• Shellcracker: Excellent. Shellcracker fishing is starting to heat up as the water temperatures warm. Fish shallow water along the banks near St. Park Bank and Stump Hole areas.

Lake Moultrie:

• Rising waters have opened up ramps such as Angel’s Landing which had been closed for the last several months. Water temperatures on the northeast side of the lake are hitting 60 degrees in some areas and the fishing is keeping with tradition and improving first in this part of the lake.
• Striped Bass: Slow to fair. The striper bite is not good enough to plan a trip around it yet but there is some schooling activity in the Bonneau area and at the mouth of the Diversion Canal. Anglers should have a rod ready with a bucktail in case a school hits the surface while they are pursuing another species. Expect fishing to improve in the next 3-4 weeks as striped bass make their annual migration through the Lakes.
• Largemouth Bass: Very good. Bass are in the pre-spawn period. Fish crankbaits, #5 shad raps, and Rapalas slowly in 4-6 feet of water. Fish will continue to spread out over areas which have been dry until recently. Also target pad plants and stickups.
• Catfish: Very good. Catfish are feeding aggressively both deep and shallow. Fish cut herring or other large, oily chunks of baitfish in 8-10 feet of water on the bottom and around stumps. Also try drifting in 20 to 25 feet of water when the winds are favorable or too strong to anchor comfortably.
• Crappie: Good. In the Northeast area of Lake Moultrie crappie are biting well around very shallow brush (often protruding above the surface) in 3-5 feet of water. Anglers are using minnows (not jigs) and catching lots of 2-3 pound fish. Further down the lake fish are still suspended in deeper water. On the west side of the lake anchor minnows under floats 4-6 feet down.
• Shellcracker: Fair. Catches of shellcracker are starting to pick up. The mouth of the Diversion Canal on the Moultrie end is producing shellcracker in late afternoon.

South Carolina Rivers

Catawba River

• Largemouth Bass: Fair. Bass fishing in the Catawba is beginning to improve using crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Calmer conditions should improve fishing in the next couple of weeks.

Chattooga River

• Trout: Good to very good. The water level remains high but fishable. Fly Fishing report: Anglers report catching large numbers of 14 inch trout with some 20 inch fish mixed in. Fly fishermen should continue to use nymphs and other wet flies but should expect the March Brown hatch to usher in the dry fly bite in the next few days. Best flies this month are the Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince, and Zug Bug in sizes 12-16. Early in the day fish Black Stones (sizes 16-18) or small Dun Caddis flies (16-18). As the season goes on flies will get smaller and smaller to match the natural insects – take a selection of the following: Gray Caddis Puba (16-18), BWO, Addam’s, and Quill Gordons. The best section of the river remains catch and release fly-fishing only until May 15. Conventional report: Fishermen continue to take large numbers of trout on rooster tails and other spinners. White and pearl colors continue to be strong.

Cooper River

• Shad: Excellent. The shad run is in full swing up the Tailrace and the bucks and now females are making their way from the ocean up the river towards the Lake Moultrie Dam Tailrace to spawn. Some really nice roe shad are being taken, ranging from 3 to 5 pounds. Conventional fishermen should use a small green grub and fly anglers should use a chartreuse Clauser on a #4 hook.

Great Pee Dee

• River levels in the region have risen with the recent rains. Fish the main river for catfish and target bass and panfish in the surrounding oxbow lakes.
• Catfish: Good to very good. Catches of catfish are picking up in the main river using cut eels. Fish on the bottom in holes and around channel breaks.
• Crappie: Fair. Anglers fishing ox bow lakes off the main channel are starting to report improved catches. Use minnows.

Lynches River

• Bass: Slow to fair. Some bass are starting to be caught but fishing should improve as the warmer months approach. Use crankbaits and soft plastics.
• Bream: Slow to fair. Fish worms on the bottom. Catches will continue to improve as the water warms.

Saluda River

• Trout: Good. There are reports of large numbers of small stocked trout being caught as well as some larger trout. One angler recently caught a 16 and a 17 inch brown trout. Fishing should only improve as the spring approaches. The Saluda River Trout Unlimited banquet is April 19 at the Vista Room of the Blue Marlin.

Santee Diversion Canal

• Largemouth Bass: Good. Nice largemouth catches are being taken fishing in the breaks and rocks at both ends of the canal.
• Crappie: Good. Large numbers of crappie are being taken in the canal, including frequent 2-3 pounders. Fish 15 to 20 feet of water.
• Catfish: Slow. Catfish seem to have moved out of the canal area or at least are not biting there.
• Shellcracker: Shellcracker are beginning to be caught on the Moultrie end of the canal. Look for warmer water conditions in late afternoon.

Santee-Cooper System

• Water levels in the Santee-Cooper system have risen a couple of feet in the last several weeks and marinas and boat landings which have been closed for months are starting to reopen.

Savannah River

• Yellow Perch: Excellent. Huge yellow perch are still being caught in the two plus pound range. The Georgia state record was tied in the last week, and experts predict that it will soon be broken. DNR certified a three perch stringer this week which weighed over 7 pounds.
• Striped/ Hybrid Bass: Good. Fish are being caught directly under the Lake Thurmond Dam in the slack areas where baitfish are being pulled through. One angler recently caught 8 striped and hybrid bass up to 27.5 inches just below the dam. Remember, only 2 fish over 27” may be kept and no striper, hybrids or white bass under that size.

Waccamaw River

• Crappie: Good. Fishermen in the Waccamaw are beginning to report nice catches of crappies. Use minnows around structure. Catfish: Good. Use large goldfish or shiners to target big catfish. Anglers are having success using set hooks and trotlines but the same baits will work rod and reel fishing.