October 12

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 654.75 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are still around 76 degrees.  

The cold front last weekend did not have the desired effect on the hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that after the cold snap the fish almost completely shut down. The water temperature only dropped a degree or two, going in the preferred direction, so it was likely related to barometric pressure. The high winds and drastically lower air temperatures also didn’t help. For the last few days it’s been a challenge to catch anything except spotted bass, and many guides have been rescheduling trips. 

But as temperatures stabilize and drop into the 72-75 degree range a true fall pattern should kick in. Fish will ease up the creeks, there will be some schooling activity, and more fish will be caught on down rods in 35-45 feet. 

For now the best fishing is generally with down-rods in about 40-45 feet of water, slightly up the rivers on flats beside the channel. 

It’s not easy conditions for bass fishing on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that in particular the shallow bite seems to be off right now. Dropping water levels can’t be helping that. In the ABA Championship on Lake Hartwell weights are a little down, and outside of the top 10 they quickly dip below about 12 ½ pounds. Only two boats out of about 250 broke fifteen pounds on day one.

The best thing going is the offshore bite, and these days that means a lot of people chasing fish on forward-facing sonar with swimbaits. You can also fish topwater lures around deep points and drop shot rigs around brush.

The shellcracker and catfish are still in an early fall pattern in 20-22 feet of water or more, and Captain Bill expects them to stay there until the lake turns over. Bill is targeting steep drops along the channel in the Seneca River, and worms will catch both species while dip baits are working for catfish. 

Most of the blues seem to be deeper again, but there are plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps, they will not always be around it.

There are still some crappie to be caught around brush in 15-25 feet of water, but Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that right now the fishing is not good. It will improve once temperatures drop, but for right now it is about as tough as it gets on Lake Hartwell.

October 5

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 655.12 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 76 degrees.

With cool weather coming this weekend the hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell will probably change fast, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports for now the fish are still finicky. Visually there is some incredible schooling activity, with acres of fish on top at times, but they are sounding as soon as you get close to them and moving fast and erratically. They are also super picky about what they will eat, and the last two mornings they would only take a Zara Spook. 

Fish have started to make their move up the rivers, and Chip is finding good concentrations a couple of miles up the Tugaloo. When they aren’t on top they seem to be going back to about 40 feet of water where they will sometimes take downlines.

Schooling fish should be easier to target as water temperatures drop, and the fish also become more catchable when they get further back in the creeks and are more hemmed in. In open water they can go anywhere. Right now they aren’t seeing many hybrids and striper schooling in the creeks, but they are seeing a lot of spotted bass. Most are on the smaller side but they did manage one big 4-pounder. 

Captain Bill Plumley is also finding a lot of spotted bass feeding on top in the creeks, and the fish he is seeing are feeding on very small threadfin shad about ¾ inch long. He is catching them by casting a 1/8 ounce Rooster Tail behind a casting weight, as they show no interest in bigger baits or even live herring. They will sometimes eat a minnow on a plain #6 hook, but if you put it on a small jighead they show no interest. 

The shellcracker and catfish are still in a late summer/ early fall pattern in 20-22 feet of water or more, and Captain Bill expects them to stay there until the lake turns over. Bill is targeting steep drops along the channel in the Seneca River, and worms will catch both species while dip baits are working for catfish. 

Most of the blues seem to be deeper again, but there are plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps, they will not always be around it.

There are still some crappie to be caught around brush in 15-25 feet of water, but Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that right now the fishing is not very good. It will improve once temperatures drop, but for right now it is about as tough as it gets on Lake Hartwell.

September 29

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 655.13 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperature are down to the mid- to upper 70s.

The hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell is on the brink of really taking off, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that they are already schooling a bit better. However, you really have to chase them and aggressive artificial lure fishermen (think bass guys) can probably make more out of this bite than guides in traditional striper set-ups. Chip thinks the schooling is about to get reallygood, though, and then everyone will be in on it.

Overall, the fish are still grouped up in the same several mile stretch of the Savannah River about 40 feet down over the deep channel. Sometimes they will move more onto the sides of the channel, and obviously at times they are moving to the top to feed, but then they are retreating to about 40 feet. Down-lines are catching some fish but not killing it. 

The best bite is not at daylight but when the sun is just starting to peak over the trees. 

With a ton of major bass tournaments coming up on Lake Hartwell everyone is being a little tight-lipped, but Guide Kevin Underwood with Lipsticker Fishing Guide Service (678-459-8419) reports that he won’t be surprised to see 20 plus pound bags in the coming weeks.  And he says that you can catch fish doing whatever you want to do – from drop-shotting out deep to fishing topwater lures offshore to pounding the banks with a buzzbait to fishing soft plastics around docks. But there’s one pattern that is out-fishing them all for size. Interestingly, Kevin reports that he thinks tournaments can be won shallow or deep right now. 

The crappie are still on the same patterns, and Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports fish are still feeding pretty well. He continues to catch some in 15-20 feet on the same brush in the creek runs he has been fishing all summer, but there are also still shallow fish to be caught in as little as ten feet of water. 

While he has still only been fishing with jigs he suspects minnows might work even better right now.

The shellcracker and catfish are still in a late summer pattern in 20-22 feet of water or more, and Captain Bill Plumley doesn’t expect a whole lot of change until the lake turns over. Bill is targeting steep drops along the channel in the Seneca River, and worms will catch both species while dip baits are working for catfish. Blue cats are still showing up, too, and although most of the fish are smaller in the five-pound range there are also some bigger ones mixed in. If you want to target big blues now there may be some shallower. 

There are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps, they will not always be around it.

September 21

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 655.60 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperature remain in the lower 80s.  

There’s been some marginal improvement with the hybrid and striped bass fishing, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that it’s still tricky to catch a bunch of fish. However, it’s gotten easier to catch a few fish on down-lines.  At the same time, the fish are popping a little bit on the surface and if you are willing and able to run-and-gun with artificials you can often out-fish the live bait fishermen. Schooling action is just starting to get underway. 

Overall, the fish are still grouped up in the same several mile stretch of the Savannah River 40-50 feet down over the channel, and only a few have moved into creeks by the dam. But with some more cooling that is coming. 

It’s still a time of transition on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Kevin Underwood with Lipsticker Fishing Guide Service (678-459-8419) reports that temperatures haven’t dropped quite enough to significantly change patterns yet.  Some bass are still related to structure, while others have already moved into the next phase where they are related more to bait – especially near the mouths of creeks and pockets. Most of the fish are still relating to channel swings, and even with dropping water levels at times they are right up against the bank when the channel drops sharply. 

There is still a well-defined difference in the action above the river forks where there is a thermocline and in the Savannah River where there is not. In the rivers they are catching every fish on topwater lures, while in the lower lake where fish can relate to the bottom they are catching them on underspins. 

There’s not much new to report with the crappie, and Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports fish are still feeding pretty well. He is continues to catch some in 15-20 feet on the same brush in the creek runs he has been fishing all summer, but there are also still shallow fish to be caught. He has found them stacked up about 3 feet down over 10 feet of water up a creek and caught them under a cork – just like in the spring. While the water isn’t stained there is fresh, oxygenated water coming in. 

While he has only been fishing with jigs he suspects minnows might work even better right now.

The shellcracker and catfish are still in a late summer pattern in 20-22 feet of water or more, and Captain Bill Plumley doesn’t expect a whole lot of change until the lake turns over. Bill is targeting steep drops along the channel in the Seneca River, and worms will catch both species while dip baits are working for catfish. Blue cats are still showing up, too, and although most of the fish are smaller in the five-pound range there are also some bigger ones mixed in. If you want to target big blues now there may be some shallower. 

There are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps, they will not always be around it.

September 8

Lake Hartwell water levels are all the way down to 656.15 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperature have fallen into the lower 80s.    

It’s a time of transition on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Kevin Underwood with Lipsticker Fishing Guide Service reports that some fish are still related to structure, while others have already moved into the next phase where they are related more to bait. Yesterday on the water he found most of the fish around channel swings, but he was surprised as much as the water has fallen how shallow some of them still were. At times they were throwing right up to the bank when the channel dropped sharply. 

There was a well-defined difference in the action above the river forks where there is a thermocline and in the Savannah River where there is not. In the rivers they caught every fish on topwater lures, while in the lower lake where fish can relate to the bottom they caught some on underspins. 

Kevin noted how many fish yesterday were related to the mouths of creeks and pockets, where bait is starting to group up before going further back. But while all the fish they were targeting were either on herring or very small young-of-the-year threadfin, he believes that you can also find fish around the banks feeding on bream. 

There’s not a whole lot of change in the patterns for hybrid and striped bass, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that the fishing has gotten tough. Most all the fish are grouped up in a several mile stretch of the Savannah River, and on Labor Day morning they counted 23 boats fishing the same 3-mile section. Everyone had fish on their graph 40-50 feet down over the channel, but that’s about all they had. You can scratch out two to five fish on down-rods, or jigging spoons/ trolling to get a reaction bite, but the action is slow and the fish are barely feeding.  

Chip has found a little bit better bite fishing in big coves off the river channel where he is finding a mix of hybrids and spotted bass in 40-80 feet, but honestly it’s the spots that have been keeping them busy.

Before long temperatures will cool, fish will spread out into the creeks, and the bite will improve. 

Back on the water more after the slight cooling, Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that the crappie are feeding pretty well and still in the same places he had been expecting them. He caught some in 15-20 feet on the same brush in the creek runs he has been fishing, but he also confirmed his theory that many fish stay shallow when he found them stacked up about 3 feet down over 10 feet of water up a creek and caught them on a cork – just like in the spring.  While the water wasn’t stained there was fresh, oxygenated water coming in. 

While he has only been fishing with jigs he suspects minnows might work even better right now.

The shellcracker and catfish are still in a late summer pattern in 20-22 feet of water or more, and Captain Bill Plumley doesn’t expect a whole lot of change until the lake turns over. Bill is targeting steep drops along the channel in the Seneca River, and worms will catch both species while dip baits are working for catfish. Blue cats are still showing up, too, and although most of the fish are smaller in the five-pound range there are also some bigger ones mixed in. If you want to target big blues now there may be some shallower. 

There are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps, they will not always be around it.

August 25

Lake Hartwell water levels are way down to 657.69 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperature are in the mid to upper 80s.

August can go one of two ways on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that it can either be a tough month or a very good month for hybrid and striped bass on the lake. This year we have apparently gotten lucky, and the fish are eating really well. 

They have finally made a decisive move, and pretty much all the better fish are now in the main Savannah River from where the rivers fork off to the dam.  The herring have basically all moved into the same zone.  The fish are suspended in the river channel related to the bait, and early and late there is good schooling activity.  During the day most of the fish are 35-40 feet down over 80-150 feet around the channel, and the best way to catch them is with herring on weighted free-lines or down-rods.    

He’s still not targeting Hartwell crappie too much in the summer heat, but Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that fish are still in the creeks 10 feet down over brush in about 20-25 feet. Casting 1/16 ounce jigs in monkey milk color is still working, and minnows will also catch fish. 

Additionally, there is another group of fish that will hide in shade straight through the summer, and so don’t overlook shooting jigs under docks in as little as five feet of water in the creeks. 

The shellcracker and catfish are still in a late summer pattern, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that they have both moved deeper into 20-22 feet of water or more. Bill is targeting steep drops along the channel in the Seneca River, and worms will catch both species while dip baits are working for catfish. Blue cats are still showing up, too, and although most of the fish are smaller in the five-pound range there are also some bigger ones mixed in. If you want to target big blues now there may be some shallower. 

There are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps, they will not always be around it.

Bass report to follow.   

August 17

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 657.54 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures dropped from about 88 to 84, but have now rebounded to 85-86 and continue to climb. 

With warmer temperatures the hybrid and striped bass moved out of the rivers, and even though Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that they very briefly moved back (while we are on vacation last week) when it cooled they again left the rivers and headed south. They are settling into a late summer pattern, and while there a few fish in the last couple of miles of the Tugaloo and Seneca rivers the vast majority of pods of fish are from the joinder of the rivers to the dam. Most of the fish are about 30 feet down on points, with some on the bottom and others suspended in or near the channels in 50-70 feet. 

They are catching some fish on down-lines, but even deeper fish seem to be more enthusiastic about coming up to get a herring on a free line with a couple of split shot. In general bait won’t live very well below about 25 feet, although as you get closer to the dam it can live at any depth. 

There is some very, very sporadic schooling, but usually that is spotted bass. 

Speaking of bass, tournament angler Reid McGinn (fishing out of Townville) reports that even though he has spent more time offshore conditions look better for shallow fishing right now. While there are plenty of fish on all the usual offshore points and brush piles that can be caught with the usual techniques, they are super, super spooky right now. It may be the fishing pressure and it may be the “noise” from LiveScope, but when you pull up on suspended fish they are often running to the bottom. A 500-pound boat high school tournament probably didn’t help!

In addition to flukes, topwaters and drop shots offshore, as mentioned the bank fishing may be even better. Water levels are a little down and fish are feeding on bream. They will take Senkos and more. 

He’s still spending more time going after Santee catfish than chasing Hartwell crappie, but Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that fish are still in the creeks 10 feet down over brush in about 20-25 feet. Casting 1/16 ounce jigs in monkey milk color is still working, and minnows will also catch fish. 

Additionally, there is another group of fish that will hide in shade straight through the summer, and so don’t overlook shooting jigs under docks in as little as five feet of water in the creeks. 

It’s definitely late summer because Captain Bill Plumley reports that shellcracker and catfish have both moved deeper, and he is now catching both species in 20-22 feet of water. Bill is targeting steep drops along the channel in the Seneca River, and worms will catch both species while dip baits are working for catfish. Another wrinkle this week is that they are catching blue catfish, which Bill has never done in these areas in the summer before. He suspects it’s related to the thermocline. Most of the fish are smaller in the five-pound range, but one day they had five that included an 11-pound fish. If you want to target big blues now there may be some shallower. 

There are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps, they will not always be around it. 

August 3

Lake Hartwell water levels were down to 658.20 overnight (full pool is 660.00) but with at least two inches of rain already today, and more coming, they have already shot up to 658.52 and should rise much more. Clarity will drop in the backs. Morning surface water temperatures have been around 86 degrees or higher but will also drop. 

This summer Guide Brad Fowler reports that he has found about as good of bass fishing action as he has ever seen around bream beds, and for a while there every time he pulled up on a particular bream bed he would catch at least two fish. Some of them were giants, up to 4-5 pounds, and he saw another one that caught have eaten a four-pounder! Everything came on Senkos fished weightless. 

While he hasn’t spent much time out there reports indicate that you can still call suspended fish up on topwater lures over brush piles and offshore waypoints. And of course there are still tons of fish that can be caught on a drop shot rig around brush piles. 

It’s been a really strong early bite for hybrid and striped bass, and Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that most days they are getting a 4-man limit by about daylight. The action starts just before dawn and stays wide open until just after sun-up. His boat is catching them along the edges of the river channel on long points, humps, and other depth changes in about 32-35 feet of water. These fish are on the bottom and they are positioning baits above it. Due to oxygen levels bait can’t live much more than about 22 feet down. 

About the only positioning change is that fish have moved a little closer to the mouths of the rivers, but they have not gotten down towards the dam yet. 

After that early bite then fish are heading into the channel itself, and they are generally suspended about 30 feet down over 50-75 feet of water. Fish should continue to make their way down the lake now that it has gotten hot. 

There is very little schooling activity, and 90% of the time if you see schooling fish they are spotted bass. 

He’s still not spending as much time crappie fishing in the summer heat, but Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that fish still seem to be in the creeks 10 feet down over brush in about 20-25 feet. Casting 1/16 ounce jigs in monkey milk color is still working, and minnows will also catch fish. 

Additionally, there is another group of fish that will hide in shade straight through the summer, and so don’t overlook shooting jigs under docks in as little as five feet of water in the creeks.  

They are still picking up a few shellcracker, but Captain Bill Plumley reports that he is focusing more on channel catfishin about 20 feet of water or more. With worms you will still pick up some bream, while you can catch cats on cut herring, chicken livers, dip baits and more.  Early and late they are usually shallower, while in the heat of the day they go to the deeper end of the range. 

While the blues are next to impossible to target in the deep timber, there are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

July 27

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 658.70 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 85 degrees or higher. 

With high water temperatures Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the hybrid and striped bass are on a strong summer pattern, and first thing his boat is catching them along the edges of the river channel on long points, humps, and other depth changes in about 32-35 feet of water. These fish are on the bottom and they are positioning baits just off it. 

After that early bite then fish are heading into the channel itself, and they are generally suspended about 30 feet down over 50-75 feet of water. The thermocline is about 30 feet deep and they are staying near it, and since bait can’t live below that they are putting most baits about 24 feet down. Most of the fish they have caught have been in clean spots without timber, although some have been over low trees. Fishing over normal timber has not produced a lot of action. 

He’s still not spending as much time crappie fishing in the summer heat, but Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that fish still seem to be in the creeks 10 feet down over brush in about 20 feet. Casting 1/16 ounce jigs in monkey milk color is still working, and minnows will also catch fish. 

Additionally, there is another group of fish that will hide in shade straight through the summer, and so don’t overlook shooting jigs under docks in as little as five feet of water in the creeks. 

They are still picking up a few shellcracker, but Captain Bill Plumley reports that he is focusing more on channel catfish in 12-20 feet of water. And as it heats up they are moving more into the deeper end of that range. With worms in those depths you will still pick up some bream, while you can catch cats on cut herring, chicken livers, dip baits and more.  Early and late they are usually shallower, while in the heat of the day they go to the deeper end of the range. 

While the blues are next to impossible to target in the deep timber, there are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible. At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

July 13

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.93 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is back to normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 85 degrees. 

With high water temperatures Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the hybrid and striped bass are on a strong summer pattern, and basically they are finding fish in 50-90 feet on the edges of the river channel and sometimes in it. Most of the fish are 30 feet down, and so they are fishing down-lines about 24-26 feet deep. Sometimes (like yesterday) they are only on clean spots without timber, and then other days (like Tuesday) they move back and forth between the two. 

In general the bait can only go about 30 feet deep in the rivers and creeks because of oxygen levels, so it’s rare to find fish deeper than that. The exception is in the open water at the dam, but the bite has not been very good there. However, the creeks around the dam have fished well in the same pattern. 

It’s a pretty standard summer bass pattern on Lake Hartwell, and tournament angler Reid McGinn (coming off a few days on Hartwell) reports that he saw plenty of shallow largemouth around bream beds and bank cover. You can catch fish just by running the bank with a Pop-R, frog or buzzbait, but he also has no doubt the better numbers of fish are offshore. He caught them in 12-25 feet on brush and points, calling some up with a topwater or fluke and catching others with a drop shot rig. Offshore is a mix of spotted bass and largemouth. 

He’s not spending as much time crappie fishing in the summer heat, but Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that fish still seem to be in the creeks 10 feet down over brush in about 20 feet.  Casting 1/16 ounce jigs in monkey milk color is still working, and minnows will also catch fish. 

Additionally, there is another group of fish that will hide in shade straight through the summer, and so don’t overlook shooting jigs under docks in as little as five feet of water in the creeks. 

The shellcracker bite has gotten a little less consistent, and so Captain Bill Plumley reports that he is focusing more on channel catfish in 12-20 feet of water. With worms in that range you will still pick up some bream, while you can catch cats on cut herring, chicken livers, dip baits and more.  Early and late they are usually shallower, while in the heat of the day they go to the deeper end of the range. 

While the blues are next to impossible to target in the deep timber, there are also plenty of hungry flatheads that are accessible.  At night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait you can catch them in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks.  While brush helps they will not always be around it.