April 11

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 438.58 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has cleared significantly.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s.

By now most of the crappie on Lake Greenwood have completed their spawn, but Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the fish are still in relatively shallow water. A few are still on the banks bedding, but the majority of the fish that have completed their spawn are still generally in less than 15 feet of water running the creek channels.  Up the river in the muddier water they will be shallower, while down the lake they will be on the deeper end. Long-line trolling with jigs is the preferred way to catch them besides casting at fish you see on electronics, and there are also some fish on brush in 5-15 feet of water. By early May most of them will start to move to brush in 10-15 feet or deeper. 

The bass fishing has finally picked up on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that with a delayed spring there are still abundant pre-spawn fish. He suggests starting out looking in main lake pockets where the first fish move up to spawn, and now that the lake is clearing you can finally see some fish on the beds. After that the best bet is to work your way from points in the front of the creeks back, looking to see if fish have pulled up in pockets. 

In addition to soft plastics there is starting to be a really good buzzbait bite.  

March 28

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 438.08 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy and getting worse again.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 60 degrees.

It’s still tough bass fishing on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that – besides a big 19-pound bag caught off lights in a night tournament – about 13 pounds is still a winning tournament sack. Which is hard to believe in late March.

While it’s hard to tell in the water conditions it does not seem that the spawn is too far along, but regardless fishing shallow with big, noisy, flashy baits like large spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly-colored and/or rattling crankbaits remains the best pattern. 

The cold front probably hasn’t helped the bite, and cold water temperatures certainly aren’t helping the lake clear, so maybe things will get better once temperatures rise. 

It remains an exciting time for catching crappie on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are at all stages of the spawn and you can basically catch them however you want. They can be found from the middle to backs of the creeks from 30 feet of water to the banks, and you can catch them tight-lining, long-line trolling, casting at suspended fish, or throwing a minnow or jig around the banks. Some fish are pre-spawn, some are on the banks spawning, and some are already done. 

The fishing should stay like this until at least the second week of April, and cold fronts don’t really seem to be changing the bite. 

March 21

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 437.52 (full pool is 440.0) and most of the lake remains dirty to muddy – before this weekend’s rain.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 50s and even low 60s.  

It’s finally “that time” for crappie on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are at all stages of the spawn and you can basically catch them however you want. They can be found from the middle to backs of the creeks from 30 feet of water to the banks, and you can catch them tight-lining, long-line trolling, casting at suspended fish, or throwing a minnow or jig around the banks. Some fish are pre-spawn, some are on the banks spawning, and some are already done. 

The fishing should stay like this until at least the second week of April, and cold fronts are unlikely to drop water temperatures enough to back fish off very much. The only question is whether they will still eat. 

It’s a surprisingly tough bass bite on Lake Greenwood right now, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that it only took thirteen pounds to win a decent-sized tournament last weekend. The muddy conditions have to have something to do with that, and in Stan’s opinion you are basically limited to throwing big, noisy, flashy baits like large spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly-colored and/or rattling crankbaits. If it weren’t so muddy you could do other things, but water conditions are dictating how you can catch fish.

It's hard to say exactly where in the spawn fish are, but since they are picking up fish in pockets they are at least getting up in those areas and looking around.     

March 14

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 437.42 (full pool is 440.0) and most of the lake is muddy although the lower end isn’t too bad.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 50s.   

The Greenwood crappie continue to move, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are pushing further back in the creeks and some have even started to spawn! You can fish for them around the banks, but long-line trolling in 10-30 feet of water is also good. For trolling (or casting using LiveScope) fish are mostly 5-15 feet down. 

Fish Stalker jigs in bright colors like chartreuse, Ugly Green or Blue Dew are all working.

The bass are still super shallow on Greenwood and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, as veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that water conditions and the spawning imperative are pushing fish to the banks. The creeks still hold the most fish, and big, noisy, flashy baits like large spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly-colored crankbaits are all working.  There have also been a lot of fish caught casting lipless crankbaits in pockets. 

You can also fish a black-and-blue jig around specific targets, but you basically need to hit fish on the head to get bites in most of the lake. The lower end is a little cleaner so that can expand your strike zone.    

Striped bass and catfish reports to return very soon.

March 8

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 437.80 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is back to muddy.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-50s but rising to the 60s in the afternoons. 

After months in a holding pattern the Greenwood crappie have finally moved, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that with warmer temperatures fish have taken up temporary residence in the creeks. There are still fish out on the main lake, and there pretty much always will be, but the bulk of the fish have scattered from the mouth of the creeks to three-quarters back. Most of the fish are 5-15 down over 10-30 feet of water, and both casting and long-line trolling are working. Fish Stalker jigs in bright colors like chartreuse, Ugly Green or Blue Dew are all working.

There are probably a few fish already on the banks but Roland has not been casting at them to check. 

Between the calendar and muddy water the bass are super shallow, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that with these temperatures fish are almost in the dirt. Since the creeks have warmed the fastest the fish have spread out all the way to the back, but you need something big, noisy and flashy to get their attention. Big spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly colored crankbaits are all working.

You can also fish a black-and-blue jig around specific targets, but you basically need to hit fish on the head to get bites.  

Striped bass and catfish reports to return very soon.

February 29

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 436.32 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has cleared slightly, but visibility mid-lake is still only 6-8 inches.  Morning surface water temperatures were 51 this morning. 

Out on the water this morning Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that the crappie haven’t moved, as even with a couple of warm days there really hasn’t been enough sun to warm the water much. The good news is that even with this cooler weather they are still biting well.   

Fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel. Captain Roland is mostly fishing 10-20 feet down over 20-40 feet of water, although fish will suspend higher or lower dependent on weather conditions. Casting or long-lining with jigs or jigs tipped with minnows is still the best technique, and the go-to color remains Fish Stalker’s Blue Dew. 

But the bass are on a completely different schedule, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish are moving up and getting into the middle to backs of the creeks.  In the muddy springtime conditions the pattern is as simple as running the banks with Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and Shad Raps. There are still some fish being caught on Alabama rigs but this is a dying pattern. 

Docks are also holding a lot of fish right now, particularly the walkways closer to the bank. 

February 23

Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 436.02 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy on the upper end but clearing some on the lower end.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 50s.

Spring is a funny thing, and even when water conditions are still pretty miserable the bass usually still turn on. Right now veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish are definitely starting to move further back into the creeks and feed better, but his preferred way to target them is to start at the main lake and then work his way back. In the muddy conditions they have been shallow for a while, so that’s no change, and the best bet is still baits that have a big profile and/ or create a big disturbance. Loud crankbaits, Alabama rigs, spinnerbaits with Colorado blades, and Chatterbaits are all good choices around rock and wood. You can also fish a black-and-blue jig on targets but you probably need to hit fish on the nose if they are going to bite it. 

There’s very little change with the crappie, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel. He is mostly fishing 10-20 feet down over 20-40 feet of water, although fish will suspend higher or lower dependent on weather conditions. Casting or long-lining with jigs or jigs tipped with minnows is still the best technique, and the go-to color remains Fish Stalker’s Blue Dew. 

February 12

Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 435.22 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy from one end to the other and will only get worse with today’s rain.  Morning surface water temperatures are about 47-48 degrees.

Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) wasn’t expecting too much going into Saturday’s crappie tournament, but to his surprise he was able to manage a nearly two-pound average in the very muddy conditions. Patterns were about the same, although sun had the fish a little higher in the water column at 5-10 feet on the tournament day. Still 10-20 feet over 20-40 feet has been the most typical depth range. 

They are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel, and Roland concentrated on the middle to upper section of the lake. As noted last week that section may actually have been a little cleaner that the lower end as the muddy water filtered down. 

They caught all of their fish on jigs and jigs tipped with minnows, particularly Fish Stalker jigs in Blue Dew.

It’s still super tough conditions for bass, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that they can’t go forever without eating and it’s the time of year where they feel pressure to feed up before heading into spawning areas. So even though his first instinct is to advise anglers to go somewhere else, there are still fish to be caught on Greenwood.

With the lake muddy and about to get worse fish will be very shallow, and even though the water is cold with the calendar they could head into the creeks. You need to fish with baits that create a lot of disturbance in loud colors, and Stan advises a fire tiger or red crankbait, spinnerbaits with Colorado blades, and vibrating jigs. You could also fish a blue and blue jig but you really need to hit the fish on the head with it. 

February 9

Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 435.09 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy from one end to the other.  Morning surface water temperatures are about 46-48 degrees.

Lake Greenwood is about as muddy as Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) says he has ever seen it, and the lower end might actually be a little dirtier than the upper end right now. The water is also very cold, and so it’s no surprise that he continues to report a really tough crappie bite. 

Fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel, and most of them are about 10-15 feet down over 20-40 feet. They are also highly scattered for this time of year.  If anything they have moved a little further towards the main lake and out of the creek mouths this week.  

Minnows, jigs tipped with minnows, and even plain jigs could all catch fish, although nothing is working very well, and most of all a very slow presentation is key.

January 31

Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 435.43 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy from one end to the other with the flood gates open.  Morning surface water temperatures are up a few degrees to about 48.

There are still extremely tough conditions for catching crappie on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that he honestly doesn’t expect the fish to start biting much better until the water conditions improve. Fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel, and most of them are about 10-15 feet down over 20-40 feet. They are also highly scattered for this time of year. 

Minnows, jigs tipped with minnows, and even plain jigs could all catch fish, although nothing is working very well, and most of all it’s important to hold the bait in front of a fish’s face for a long time! 

In really, really tough conditions veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he was very surprised to see some good weights come of Greenwood, and he is pretty sure the bass pattern is fishing shallow. Concentrate on rock and fish a crankbait in fire tiger or chartreuse patterns, or fish shallow wood with a chatterbait or spinnerbait with big Colorado blades that displace a lot of water. 

Weather and extremely muddy conditions are severely limiting the number of anglers pursuing striped bass on Greenwood, but Guide Josh Wilson (864-871-6305) reports that fish can still be caught on the lower end pulling free-lines and planer boards. However, if there is no more major rainfall then he expects the bite to be on fire within a couple of weeks. 

January 22

Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 434.44 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has been muddy from one end to the other.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-40s.

On the lake this morning Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that he finally saw the first stages of clearing on the lower end, and while the lake still looked muddy it wasn’t quite as muddy. The crappie are in pretty normal winter patterns given the water conditions, and they are in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel. However, they are a little higher than they should be (10-15 feet down over 20-40 feet) with the muddy water, and it also has them a bit more scattered than in the usual large winter schools. 

Minnows and jigs tipped with minnows have been the most popular baits recently, but Captain Roland points out you can also catch fish on plain jigs. Whatever you are using it’s important to hold the bait in front of a fish’s face for a long time! 

The striped bass are still in fairly similar patterns on Greenwood, and Guide Josh Wilson (864-871-6305) reports that fish have stayed on the lower end even as the whole lake got muddy. From Goat Island to the dam has been the best section. The best pattern has been pulling free-lines and planer boards with live gizzard shad from Lake Greenwood Bait and Tackle, and when the birds are diving throwing bucktails can be very effective. That will pick up once the birds can see again!

But the bass are a different story, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he wouldn’t even attempt to catch a bass on Lake Greenwood right now. The cold, muddy water has pretty much shut down the bite, but once they get to the point where they need to feed again then he suggests throwing a spinnerbait with big Colorado blades or a fire tiger or red crankbait. 

Especially with more rain coming Lake Greenwood could stay muddy for a while, and so it may be a matter of bass adjusting to the water color rather than being able to wait for it to clear. 

January 4

Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 435.14 (full pool is 440.0) and up the lake is muddy while the lower lake is clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 50-52 degrees. 

At last Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the crappie have moved off of brush, and they are now out in open water chasing bait. Most of the fish are in 20-40 feet of water, and generally they are about 10-20 feet down. He is finding them at the mouths of creeks along the main river channel.

Without LiveScope they never really understood why it was so common to go long periods without catching fish this time of year, but the answer seems to be that they are concentrated in very large schools – and there is also lots of dead water. Either casting to them, long-line trolling (always a favorite on Greenwood), or tight-lining slowly will all catch fish. You want some “meat” on the hook at this time of year and so either minnows or jigs tipped with minnows are usually working the best. 

It’s hard to rate the bass bite on Lake Greenwood right now, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that even though it’s difficult to catch much weight there are a lot of different ways to catch bass right now. You can fish a crankbait or Alabama rig around docks, and there is also a pretty good bite in clearer water with a jerkbait off points. You can also fish deep brush with a drop shot or jigging spoon. 

Overall fish seem to be mixed and/or transitioning between shallow and deep water, and there’s not any great pattern at the moment. 

But it’s still a good bite for striped bass on Greenwood, although Guide Josh Wilson (864-871-6305) reports that fish have made a transition to the lower end of the lake with the muddy conditions up the lake. From Goat Island to the dam has been the best section. The best pattern has been pulling free-lines and planer boards with live gizzard shad from Lake Greenwood Bait and Tackle, and when the birds are diving throwing bucktails can be very effective. 

No new report on catfish.