SCDNR - Freshwater Fishing Trends

Freshwater Fishing Trends - June 29, 2009 Mountains Area - Piedmont Area - Midlands Area - Santee Cooper System - South Carolina freshwater fish regulations (PDF) - Purchase a fishing license - Boat Ramp Locations

Fishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.

Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:

Trout: Good. Jocassee Outdoor Center reports that trout have moved into deeper water and are being caught 45 to 60 feet down. Trolling Devil's Fork Bad Creek Trolling Spoons in Fire Tiger color, Apex Spoons in blue and red, and gold Doctor's Spoons is working.
Black Bass: Fair. Captain Pat Bennett reports that fishermen should continue to look for a topwater bite early in the morning, and also be ready for schooling activity off points near the main channel.
Catfish: Fair. Catfish are turning on and being caught at night under lights by fishermen anchored near the intake.

Lake Keowee:

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. The Fishing Hole in Seneca reports that topwater lures such as Zara Spooks and Super Flukes are working first thing in the morning. During the day shaky head worms and drop shots rigs fished in 30 to 40 feet are catching fish.

Lake Hartwell:

Catfish: Very good. Fishing around main river points in 15 to 20 feet of water with cut bait (mainly blueback herring) or Berkeley catfish bait is working.
Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Fish have moved down the lake and Captain Wendell Wilson reports that around the dam he is catching good numbers of striper fishing down lines 25 feet deep over 30-35 feet of water.
Bream: Good. Look for shell beds (freshwater mussels) around secondary points and look for shoals at the mouths of creeks that have a hard, sandy bottom.
Largemouth Bass: Good. The Fishing Hole in Seneca reports that bass have moved into a summer pattern. Early in the day Zara Spooks and Super Flukes are catching fish, and late in the evening buzzing a horny toad in the backs of creeks is picking up bass.
Crappie: Fair. The crappie have backed out of the shallows and moved out to 18 to 20 feet of water where they are holding in standing timber and brushpiles, particularly in the Beaver Dam area, and around bridge pilings.

Piedmont Area
Lake Russell:

Catfish: Very good. Captain Wendell Wilson reports that the bite for 2-5 pound eating sized channel catfish continues to be very good. Fish have moved slightly deeper into 10 to 15 feet of water and cut herring fished in the creeks around riprap, bridges, and rocky points will continue to be very productive all summer, especially at night.
Crappie: Very good. Crappie are suspended over brush piles in roughly 20 feet of water. Backing off and casting at the brush with jigs (especially in "John Deere color" – yellow and green) is working best.
White Perch: Good to very good. Fish minnows vertically in 30 feet of water and keep the bait just off the bottom. Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Until about 7 a.m. chug bugs and Zara Spooks will catch fish on the surface. Once the sun gets up fish will start to move into cedar timber about 20-30 feet deep where they can be caught with a Texas rigged worm pegged behind a 3/16 ounce sinker.
Striped Bass: Fair. Striped bass are scattered but are making their way up the river towards the cool water at the base of the Hartwell Dam. Fish can be found from the mid-lake up, and free lining herring on the edge of the river channel 5-8 feet down should work.
Bream: Fair. It is hard to catch big bream in Lake Russell but fishing crickets under a float 3-4 feet deep in the backs of coves will catch numbers of fish.

Lake Thurmond:

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Good action has been reported free lining live herring, cut bait fished off points is working well, and down lines fished over humps have also been successful. There has also been a substantial amount of schooling activity reported, but it has mainly been smaller fish.
Largemouth bass: Slow. First thing buzzbaits may be productive but during the day people are backing off and pulling Carolina rigs over humps and points.

Lake Wylie:

Catfish: Very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that fishing in the morning up until about 11 and at night, is the most effective and comfortable way to beat the heat and boat traffic. Fishing is also easiest during the week. The channel catfish bite is strong and a variety of baits from cut shad to chicken livers can fill a cooler of fish.
Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Sportsman's Inc. reports that largemouth bass fishing has been really good and fish are being caught all over the lake from the bank out to 20 feet of water. During the day Carolina rigging has been most productive, and at night both worms and buzzbaits have both been working.
White perch: Fair to good. As always look for fish to be holding over offshore humps in 18 to 24 feet of water. Look for bait in the cleanest water you can find with a hard or sandy bottom and drop minnows down to them on the bottom.

Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:

Catfish: Very good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the channel catfish bite is very good. Drift long creek runs and big shallow flats in 4 to 12 feet of water with fresh shrimp or cut threadfin shad.
Bream: Very good. The bluegill and shellcracker bite has gotten even better, and most of the bluegill are in protected coves in 2 to 3 feet of water. Crickets and red worms will both work and inline spinners have also been productive.
Largemouth bass: Good. Bass have moved into a summer pattern, and early in the morning topwater lures are working. During the day shaky head worms fished off of points are working, and some smaller fish are hanging around docks.
Striped Bass: Fair. Schooling activity is being reported around the state park. Downlines fished around the dam are also working.

Lake Wateree:

White perch: Very good. A&B Outfitters reports that white perch action is hot down around the dam. Fish on the bottom with worms and minnows and look for offshore humps with hard or sandy bottoms.
Striped Bass: Good. Striped bass are scattered between the dam and Clearwater Cove along the river channel. The best technique is still to troll in a zigzag along the river channel with four rods. Soft plastics like the AWD Bait, swimbaits, or holographic flukes available at A&B Outfitters will work.
Crappie: Good. Marc Danque at the Crappie Hole in Chapin reports that anglers are catching fish trolling in 10 to 12 feet of water using jigs tipped with minnows. The bite has also been strong in the Fishing Creek Reservoir above Lake Wateree.
Largemouth Bass: Fair. The best sacks caught in recent tournaments seem to be coming off jigs or soft plastics fished around docks. Fish should also be relating to deep water structure where they can be targeted with deep diving crankbaits.
Catfish: Fair. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that the bite for big catfish is off right now, probably related to the spawn. However, plenty of small eating size fish in the 1.5 to 5 pound range are available. Threadfin shad are numerous and massive schools can be seen near shore within easy netting range; these make a great cut bait.

Lake Monticello:

Catfish: Good to very good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that free-line drifting with small cut bait and stink bait is catching coolers full of 1 to 5 pound fish. Because of the spawn and inconsistent variation in water levels due to the intake and power generation the bite for big fish has varied from day to day. Anchoring with cut bait is still most effective for hooking into a trophy but the drifting bite should pick up soon.

Lake Murray:

Catfish: Good. Herring and nightcrawlers fished in 5 to 12 feet of water in flat areas are both working.
Crappie: Good. Captain Brad Taylor reports that the slight reduction in water levels last weekend appears to have helped the bite, and he is catching good numbers of big crappie fishing over brush piles 20 feet deep using live minnows.
Bream: Good. Under docks and around shallow structure bluegill are being caught, and shellcrackers are being found in 6 to 12 feet of water around points and islands.
Striped Bass: Fair. Early in the morning free lining live herring is working, but during the day down lines fished 10 to 20 feet off the bottom in 60-80 feet of water are the best bet.
Largemouth Bass: Slow. A small amount of topwater action is being reported early but the best fishing seems to be coming up the rivers on soft plastics.

Santee Cooper System
Lake Marion:

Bream: Very good. Bream fishing is very good in the Stump Hole area and bluegill are spawning in shallow water from a foot to 3 or 4 feet deep. Fish around trees and move around until you find concentrated fish.
Catfish: Good. The Santee Cooper catfish bite has remained good despite hot temperatures, and many of the fish being landed are showing scrapes and scratches indicating that they have recently completed spawning. A variety of cut baits are working. This is a good time for night fishing.
Crappie: No reports. Fish for crappie around deep brush piles with small and medium minnows.
Largemouth bass: Slow. Fluctuating water levels and hot summer temperatures are making for a tough bite, and the few fish being caught are generally coming on soft plastics.

Diversion Canal:

See Lake Marion report

Lake Moultrie:

See Lake Marion report