January 20

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 657.20 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is clearing. Morning surface water temperatures are around 49-51 degrees.

As the majority of the creeks on Lake Hartwell have gone from muddy to merely stained fish are moving back into them, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that hybrid and striped bass fishing on Hartwell is getting back to more normal for this time of year. Fish are mostly on the bottom in 35-40 feet of water on long tapering points, and most of the creeks are again holding fish. 26-Mile Creek has been good, as has been Lightwood Log – which holds fish year round. Areas where smaller feeder creeks enter have been particularly good. 

In addition to down-lines, fish have been hitting jigging spoons pretty well. 

Most days hybrids and stripers will cooperate, but there are some random days when the catch is mainly spotted bass.

Speaking of spots, Captain Bill Plumley reports that on the bottom in about 30-32 feet of water he has been able to catch a mixed bag including spotted bass, largemouth and white perch. The fish are back in the creeks in areas which have cleared a little and they will take minnows or jigging spoons. 

Unfortunately the catfish bite is very slow, and Bill has only picked up one 12-pound fish recently drifting in about 40 feet. He suspects that record cold and then hot weather has screwed up the bite. 

Bass report to follow. 

January 12

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 657.51 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is extremely muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are around 49-51 degrees.

A month or so ago there was a decent amount of rain but Lake Harwell barely got stained, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that this most recent round of rain was a whole different ball game.  By now some of the creeks they like to fish are the color of chocolate milk, and even the main lake has color in areas that almost never get dirty. Muddy water conditions are now the main challenge for hybrid and striped bass fishing on Hartwell, and as much as anything else it is driving where the fish are. 

Muddy water has basically pushed the fish out of the creek runs, but even though they should be joining the river fish it hasn’t clearly concentrated everything and certainly has not improved the bite. They are catching a few fish but they aren’t in huge groups, and fish are not concentrated along the mud lines as much as expected. 

Overall the best pattern for catching numbers of fish has been fishing down-lines on the bottom around 40 feet deep, usually in a range of about 36-42 feet.   Long tapering points and ridges are still the best areas, but now only in the rivers and not creeks.

However, as could be seen in the Striped Bass Challenge this weekend if you are looking for a big bite then pulling large baits on planer boards was the best pattern. In the warmest part of the days some fish will pull up into 15-18 feet of water. The biggest fish also seemed to be caught in creeks near the mud lines. 

As water conditions settle down fish should go back into the creeks and patterns will normalize.

The muddy conditions have Hartwell bass stuck in similar patterns, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that he still advises concentrating on the shallows in areas that have warmed up. The bass will be found shallow in dirty areas in the creeks and coves off the main lake where they will take crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Still look for shallow water relatively near deep water.

As things clear up consistent catches should again come in 20-50 feet of water on shakey heads, jigs, spoons and a drop shot around points, brush, and timber. 

Cold, muddy water conditions are not making for a hot catfish bite on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that he is having to put in a lot of time to catch only a few fish.  The creeks are so muddy that he has been sticking to the main lake, but even there the bite has been slow. The best action he has found has been in about 39 feet of water where he has managed some teenage-sized blues.  

No type of cut bait is outfishing anything else. 

Channels and flatheads both really slow down in the cold weather.  

Crappie fishing has also been slow.

January 5

Lake Hartwell water levels have shot up more than a foot in 24 hours to 657.37 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is now heavily stained in many areas. Morning surface water temperatures are around 51 degrees.

After some intense rain Lake Hartwell is now muddy in places that never get muddy, and  Guide Brad Fowler reports that is opening up some new patterns. With all the colored water and sunny if not terribly warm weather the shallows are heating up and providing some good feeding opportunities. The bass will be found shallow in dirty areas in the creeks and coves off the main lake where they will take crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Still look for shallow water relatively near deep water.

Before the rain the most consistent catches were still coming out in 20-50 feet of water on shakey heads, jigs, spoons and a drop shot around points, brush, and timber. 

It’s still a pretty steady pattern for hybrid and striped bass on Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) that they are still fishing in the middle sections of creeks and rivers on the bottom off long tapering points and ridges in 35-45 feet of water. In fact, everything he has caught recently has been in 38-42 feet of water on the bottom on ridges near a creek channel. The fish are only taking down-rods. 

It's still not an early bite, and the fish usually don’t start to bite well before about 9 or 10. 

Catfish report to follow. 

December 22

Lake Hartwell water levels are up to 656.40 (full pool is 660.00) but the lake is still surprisingly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 53-54 degrees.

For those hybrid and striped bass anglers who aren’t early birds it’s a good time of year, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that it’s rare for the fish to start biting very well before about 9 or 10. At the crack of dawn there’s not much action right now. 

But mid-morning the fish are usually turning on, at least a little, and for most part they are still in the middle sections of creeks and rivers on the bottom off long tapering points and ridges in 35-45 feet of water. It’s about a ten-foot window, depending on how sharply the points drop. Down-lines are working the best. They have marked some fish

shallower but had trouble getting them to bite. 

They are still catching a lot of spotted bass and perch in the exact same locations feeding on the same bait, and sometimes you will get into a school of just perch. However, recently it’s been more common to find everything together. 

For now the bass fishing patterns are about the same, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that most of the catches are still coming out deep in 20-50 feet of water on shakey heads, jigs, spoons and a drop shot in the timber. There have also been some good fish caught shallow on crankbaits and jigs.

The extreme cold should affect the fishing, however, and Brad says that usually when it gets very cold the fish group up tighter. That means there will be more big schools, but there will also be more areas where there are no fish. It could also hurt the shallow bite, but particularly in colored water there should still be some windows when the fish feed. 

Captain Bill Plumley reports that the crappie fishing has been a little slow, although there have been some fish caught casting jigs around bridges and deeper docks in 15-18 feet of water. 

With the deer season ending he will be back on the catfish more soon, and hopefully the big blues will come out of the deep timber where they are basically uncatchable to feed. Often they move up shallower in very cold weather.

Channels and flatheads both really slow down in the cold weather.  

December 15

Lake Hartwell water levels are up to 655.74 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear with some slightly stained areas in the backs. Morning surface water temperatures are around 55 degrees.

The hybrid and striped bass patterns are virtually unchanged on Lake Hartwell, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the fishing is just not very good. Fish are still in the middle sections of creeks and rivers, and for the most part they are on the bottom on long tapering points in 35-45 feet of water. It’s about a ten-foot window, depending on how sharply the points drop. Down-lines are working the best. 

For the most part the fish are still there, and there is plenty of bait, but they are just not feeding well. Fortunately the bassare making up the difference, and white perch are also stacked up in the same areas. Many a trip recently has been saved when only a few striper cooperate but then those species fill out the day. 

But that doesn’t mean the bass fishing is easy on artificial lures, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that in the Bassmaster Team Championship finding any size was tough. They had 12 pounds the first team, but only 7 the second. Like most people everything they weighed came out deep in 20-50 feet of water, and the winning lures seemed to be shakey heads, jigs, spoons and a drop shot in the timber. 

With that said, the biggest fish may have come shallow. Brad lost a five pounder on a swimbait fished around a dock, and the biggest bag of the individual portion of the tournament came shallow at 16 pounds. 

Captain Bill Plumley concurs that he has found a very finicky bite for bass, perch and channel catfish recently, and the fish are barely taking minnows. He has also targeted big blues and so far they have not showed up. 

A few crappie have been caught around bridges in 15-18 feet.

December 1

Lake Hartwell water levels are slightly back up to 654.16 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear with some stained areas in the backs. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the upper 50s.

By now the hybrid and striped bass are almost completely in winter patterns on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that fish are still in the middle sections of creeks and rivers. Depending on bait movement they may move around a little, but basically they are where they are going to be a for a while. 

For the most part fish are on the bottom on long tapering points in 35-45 feet of water. It’s about a ten-foot window, depending on how sharply the points drop. While he has caught some spotted bass on free-lines the fish seem to want down-lines now. 

They key is locating the balls of bait, and if Chip doesn’t mark bait he’s not even stopping.  There aren’t a ton of birds yet, but those that are around are mostly diving on loons because the fish aren’t pushing bait up very high right now. 

With the Bassmaster Team Championship a week away Guide Brad Fowler, like a lot of other local experts, is in an off-limits period on the lake. However, he predicts an “all-of-the-above” bass bite next week.  Fish don’t seem to have gotten into their winter holes very well yet, and between the effects of temperatures staying warmer longer than usual as well as the lake being low conditions are a little unusual for December.

While there have been some small fish schooling recently Brad doubts a topwater bite will play, but there should be plenty of fish caught offshore on drop shot rigs and jigging spoons. The underspin bite usually gets a little better in January and February, but it could also be a factor.

Additionally, a lot of people will probably target shallow fish with crankbaits, Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. 

With a lot of really good locals qualifying through a couple of trails and fishing it could take 17-18 pounds per day in the team portion, but the second two days of individual competition are a complete mystery.  

For now the water has stayed warm enough that channel catfish are still feeding and can be caught about anywhere. More information to follow. 

November 18

Lake Hartwell water levels are all the way down to 653.94 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 61 or 62 degrees.

There is some marginal improvement in the hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that while they aren’t really hitting home runs on any of their trips the action has gotten more consistent and they are getting some bigger fish again. While the live bait action for spotted bass on Keowee is still fantastic, the fishing on Hartwell has gotten good enough again that guides aren’t as tempted to head over that way!

Generally fish are still in the same areas partway up the creeks and rivers, and while some fish are still suspended more of them are starting to get on the bottom.  While they aren’t truly loaded up yet, there are now good numbers on long tapering points where they have room to hold the bottom in 34-40 feet. Remember that points which are too shallow or drop off too sharply won’t hold as many fish. Marking bait is still essential. 

Out on the water this week Guide Brad Fowler is still seeing a ton of bass schooling all over the place, but right now most of them are smaller fish.  There are also tons of fish suspended and roaming, and he has marked as many fish in the 40 plus foot range as in the mid-teens. All the bass he is marking seem to be following very tight to bait. He has been catching them on a drop shot, underspin and a jig, and while they will chase a jerkbait he’s had trouble getting them to hit it. 

Brad notes that water temperatures need to drop for the fish to get on the bottom better and stop suspending as much. 

As for a bigger bite it’s hard to say where the best place to fish is, but Brad suspects that there are at least as many big bass out deep as up shallow. However, you may have to wade through more small spotted bass to get to them. 

While you can probably still catch shellcracker in 15-20 feet on sandy bottoms, Captain Bill Plumley is more focused on catching bass and perch with minnows. He is still finding them about 32 feet deep in a creek channel. 

For now channel catfish can still be caught everywhere, but hopefully dropping temperatures next week will put the blues into a more accessible feeding pattern.  

November 10

Lake Hartwell water levels are all the way down to 653.94 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 65 degrees.

For another week we have no choice but to report that the hybrid and striped bass fishing is still pretty brutal on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the combination of 25 mile per hour winds and predicted washout rains won’t make it much easier to catch fish in the very short term.

Generally fish are still in the same areas partway up the creeks and rivers, and typically they are suspended 15-20 feet down over 35-40 feet of water. Some are on the bottom, and these are almost always hybrids and stripers – while suspended fish could also be spotted bass. Down-lines are working the best, and if you fish free-lines you are often more likely to pick up spots.

With all that said, the storm and then highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s should finally push fish into good fall patterns. More of the fish should get on the bottom in 35-40 feet, and they should feet on long tapering points that have enough room for a school to sit at that depth. Points that are too shallow or drop off too sharply won’t hold as many fish.  

Remember that right now you have to be fishing around bait, but luckily Chip is seeing tons of bait in the all the major creeks. 

With the crazy warm weather this week Guide Brad Fowler reports that the bass are just not doing what they are supposed to be doing, and he has seen an absolute ton of fish schooling on the main lake. Usually that schooling would be in the backs of creeks right now, but water temperatures have not dropped enough to really move the fish. With these temperatures a buzzbait is still really good, and obviously a spinnerbait should work in the wind predicted for the next few days.  

Brad is still marking a lot of smaller fish on offshore brush, but it won’t be long until more good bass get in the creek channels where they can be caught on a blade runner, jigging spoon, or drop shot. 

Speaking of bass, Captain Bill Plumley decided to do something a little different this week and targeted bass and perch with minnows. Fishing about 32 feet deep in a creek channel he wore both species out on the bottom. He did not pick up any crappie but suspects they are in 12-15 feet suspended around deeper docks.

For now channel catfish can still be caught everywhere, but hopefully dropping temperatures next week will put the blues into a more accessible feeding pattern. 

 

November 3

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 654.34 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake continues to be clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 69 degrees.

It’s unfortunate that we have to report that Lake Hartwell is still hung up in the turnover, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that it doesn’t seem like conditions have changed enough to really improve the hybrid and striped bass fishing. Even though he is marking thousands of fish catching five or six hybrids and striper and the same number of spotted bass is a good day, while over on Lake Keowee he can catch 30 spots with no problems. As a result they are running some guide trips over there. 

Most of the fish are still in the main channel of the Savannah River, with a few fish in the shorter creeks, and still only a few of them have run up the rivers. Fish are highly related to bait, and once again they are mostly suspended 15-20 feet down over 40-60 feet of water.  Free-lines are still fishing a little better than down-lines.  

There are still some fish schooling, but they are on tiny bait and very boat-shy. You have to approach them very quietly with small baits to get bit. 

On the bass front, Guide Brad Fowler reports that he is still seeing some sporadic schooling activity, particularly in coves. Overall, with water temperatures very stable patterns are not going to change much until they drop.   

The offshore topwater bite is pretty much over for the year, and even though fish will still get around some of the same structure they will be eating subsurface. Sometimes they will take spy baits, jerkbaits and underspins, while at other times you need to target them with a drop shot. 

There is still a shallow bite with a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper, but dropping water levels are really hurting it.  Fish have an instinct not to get stranded shallow, but part of that is because lower elevations puts more points and brush and timber at the depths where fish want to be – instead of too deep. Water levels are dropping a little slower now but still dropping.

Soon it will be possible to catch fish in the creek channels with a blade runner, jigging spoon, or drop shot. However, that pattern is usually the best when water temperatures are in the mid-50s and below. 

For now Captain Bill Plumley still hasn’t found the big blue catfish in really deep water even though he will keep looking, and the best action is still for smaller catfish and shellcracker in 15-20 feet where he is still catching both species on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. Channels can also be found in much deeper water.

The flatheads continue to bite although it’s never a numbers game. To maximize your chances of getting bit fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

October 26

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 654.84 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake continues to clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s.

There has been plenty of schooling activity on Lake Hartwell this week, but from what Guide Brad Fowler is seeing most of it is striper and hybrids. However, there are also some bass mixed in and as the turnover starts to fade into the rearview mirror over much of the lake new patterns are emerging.

The offshore topwater bite is pretty much over for the year, and even though fish will still get around some of the same structure they will be eating subsurface. Sometimes they will take spy baits, jerkbaits and underspins, while at other times you need to target them with a drop shot. 

There is still a shallow bite with a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper, but dropping water levels are really hurting it.  Fish have an instinct not to get stranded shallow, but part of that is because lower elevations puts more points and brush and timber at the depths where fish want to be – instead of too deep. 

Soon it will be possible to catch fish in the creek channels with a blade runner, jigging spoon, or drop shot.  However, that pattern is usually the best when water temperatures are in the mid-50s and below.

October 21

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 654.84 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake continues to clear. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 68 degrees. 

After several straight nights in the 30s it’s no surprise that the water temperatures are dropping a degree or so each day, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that it doesn’t seem like conditions have changed enough to move the hybrid and striped bass very much. Chip has looked further up the rivers where many of them will soon be heading and found a very few fish, but overall most of the striper are still in the main channel of the Savannah River.  Some of them will never leave. There are also a few fish in the shorter creeks.  

Right now they are finding every fish they are marking because bait is in the area, and with the fish so bait-oriented that’s really all you need to locate to find the fish.  A lot more fish are on the bottom than suspended, but gone are the very deep suspended fish which were still holding on last week. Now the fish on the bottom are in 35-40 feet while the suspended fish are 15-20 feet down over 40-60 feet of water.  They have caught some fish on down-lines but day in and day out free-lines are still more successful as the fish seem to want to come up for a slowly dropping bait. 

There is sporadic schooling – a lot yesterday – but the fish are still pretty boat shy.  

For now Captain Bill Plumley still hasn’t found the big blue catfish in really deep water even though he will keep looking, and the best action is still for smaller catfish and shellcracker in 15-20 feet where he is still catching both species on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

The flatheads continue to bite well although it’s never a numbers game. To maximize your chances of getting bit fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait 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.

October 13

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 655.43 (full pool is 660.00) and the turnover assumes to be winding down and the lake is clearing. Morning surface water temperatures range from as low as 67 in the backs of some creeks to 74 on the main lake. 

As the water seems to be settling out and there is less brown foam in the lake, Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the hybrid and striped bass fishing is beginning to improve. But while a few smaller fish have gone up the rivers, overall most of the fish are still in the main channel of the Savannah River and they can be found from the union of the Seneca and Tugaloo down to the dam.  

While there are still some fish suspended 30-50 feet down in 60-100 feet of water, there are starting to be more fish on ridges and humps near deep water but on the bottom in 30-45 feet as the bait moves over there. These fish are setting up in a more traditional fall pattern, and they can be caught with down-lines or if you let a free-line fall to the bottom.  

There is also some sporadic schooling activity, and some days you will barely see them but then other days it is awesome.  

In the wake of the Bassmaster Southern Open the fairest summation from Guide Brad Fowler is that there is no great bass pattern right now, and really the lake will probably need to cool before anything gets very strong. As on Lake Murray the fall turnover appears to have messed up the offshore topwater bite, and weights were down as anglers pretty much had to rely on drop shots and spotted bass. We are quickly transitioning from summer to fall patterns.

Brad was pretty surprised to not see better results from the shallow water guys, and it’s hard to think of any explanation besides that the dropping water levels hurt that bite. He still suggests a buzzbait, toad or a spinnerbait in more stained water. 

For now Captain Bill Plumley still hasn’t found the big blue catfish in really deep water even though he will keep looking, and the best action is still for smaller catfish and shellcracker in 15-20 feet where he is still catching both species on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

The flatheads continue to bite well although it’s never a numbers game. To maximize your chances of getting bit fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

October 6

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 656.00 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is good on the main lake but a bit lower in places up the creeks. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 73 degrees in the last few days. 

He blames the turnover for the slow bite, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the hybrid and striped bass fishing is still pretty tough on Lake Hartwell. However, it does seem to be starting to improve a little and he just hopes that fish come out of this funk quickly.

Overall most of the fish are still in the main channel of the Savannah River, and they can be found from the union of the Seneca and Tugaloo down to the dam.  As some bait starts to move up the rivers and back into the creeks a few fish are also following them, but huge numbers have not migrated yet. 

The biggest numbers of fish seem to be 30-50 feet down in 60-100 feet of water. Free-lines are still working as well or better than down-lines, but at least fish will actually take down-lines again. Even though there is schooling activity the fish are generally going down so fast that you can’t really target them.

Looking for a change of pace Captain Bill Plumley has tried fishing for blue catfish in really deep water, but so far he hasn’t been able to find anything in the 60-80 foot range.  Perhaps they are deeper, and perhaps they are shallower, and he will do his best to narrow it down. 

For now the best action is still for smaller catfish and shellcracker in 15-20 feet where he is still catching both species on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

The flatheads continue to bite well although it’s never a numbers game. To maximize your chances of getting bit fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

October 4

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 656.14 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is good on the main lake but a bit lower in places up the creeks. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 75-76 degrees in the last few days. 

With the lake down to the mid-70s Guide Brad Fowler reports that it appears to be starting to turn over in places, and there appear to be starting to be some seasonal changes with the bass fishing patterns on Hartwell. While there are certainly still fish out on the main lake that can be caught on topwater lures or drop shots, because of the dropping temperatures the offshore brush pattern seems to be slowing down. Of course that could at least partially also be the effects of the unrelenting pressure from the professional anglers pre-fishing for the Bassmaster Open, and Brad points out that every single brush pile on the lake seems to be getting beat to death right now.

In turn the shallow patterns seem to be coming on, and as more fish apparently head into the creeks you can catch them on buzzbaits, horny toads, and other topwater lures. If you find an area with a little color then a spinnerbait can work well.

Unlike spring fish that are set up on something these fish are on the move. Since they are just cruising cover doesn’t seem to help or really matter. 

September 29

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 656.38 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is good on the main lake but lower up the creeks. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped a couple of degrees to about 78 in the last two or three days. 

It’s been a tough week for hybrid and striped bass bite on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that starting last weekend the cold front almost completely turned off the bite. This week the fishing started to rebound just a little, but gusty winds and then significant predictions of rain have them off the lake again.

Overall the fish are still in the main channel of the Savannah River with the bait, and they can be found from the union of the Seneca and Tugaloo down to the dam. There is some bait starting to move into the mouths of creeks, but this will accelerate once temperatures drop more.  The biggest numbers of fish seem to be 30-50 feet down in 60-100 feet of water. Free-lines are still working as well or better than down-lines, but at least fish will actually take down-lines again.  Even though there is schooling activity the fish are generally going down so fast that you can’t really target them.

It seems that part of the issue with the bite is that the lake is turning over, and a couple of years ago they had a really slow turnover where the fishing was down for a while. Chip is cautiously optimistic that Ian will dump a bunch of water and cool things off quickly – which could allow the fishing to recover quickly on the back side. 

A full bass report will follow, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he has caught some really solid spots offshore recently. While they are taking topwater lures the fish have not been relating to cane or brush, and in fact he has caught them on bare points and humps. They found fish up to 4 pounds and when you find spotted bass that size it’s worth taking note!

There still isn’t much change with the pattern for shellcracker and smaller catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that it won’t be until water temperatures get into the 60s that the patterns will really change. About the only difference is that as water levels drop he keeps having to move out a little to stay in the ideal depth range of 15-20 feet where he is still catching both species on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

Blues are still out in the deep timber but flatheads continue to bite well. To maximize your chances of getting one fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

September 15

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 657.97 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is good on the main lake but lower up the creeks. Morning surface water temperatures are around 81 degrees.   

The hybrid and striped bass bite is still a little funny, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the fishing has certainly gotten better than it was three or four weeks back. The fish are still in the main channel of the Savannah River, and they can be found from the union of the Seneca and Tugaloo down to the dam. They are just moving along the edges of the river and the mouths of feeder creeks, and most of them are suspended about 40-45 feet down over 100-140 feet of water. The thermocline is pretty reliably setting up at about 50 feet. It won’t be until temperatures drop a few more degrees that they really get into the rivers.  Sometimes the fish are over trees and sometimes they are not, and really their location is all about the bait. 

Even though they are marking thousands of fish each trip, they are still displaying a reluctance to take down-rods. On the last trip out Chip did not catch a single fish on a down-line. Spoons aren’t faring much better, but for some reason free-lines are working much better. It seems the fish would rather run up to 15-25 feet down to take a bait than have it presented right in front of them. 

There is also a little bit of schooling but it will get much better.

The overall state of the bass fishing on Lake Hartwell remains pretty similar, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that it’s easy to catch numbers but getting big fish is a little tricky. However, the fishery showed some signs of life in the BFL this weekend when an impressive 38 pounds over two days won and 12-13 pounds made the cut. 

In 20-30 feet of water on the main lake and at the very, very front of creeks mainly smaller fish are stacked up on points and brush piles, and you can catch fish on a drop shot or dragging a shakey head. Even though there is not a ton of schooling right now you can also call them up with topwater lures. However, as the lake has risen about two feet the topwater bite has dropped off a little – it usually sets up much better when lake levels are low. 

Even though the shallow fishing is not good right now, it still may be necessary to go shallow to get a big bite. 

There still isn’t much change with the pattern for shellcracker and smaller catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 15-20 feet of water he is still catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

Blues are still out in the deep timber but flatheads continue to bite well. To maximize your chances of getting one fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait 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 have shot up two feet to 657.94 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is good on the main lake while the backs of creeks are blown out with logs, debris and dirty water. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 degrees.   

The bass fishing on Lake Hartwell is easy right now – if you want to catch small spotted bass.  Guide Brad Fowler reports that in 20-30 feet of water on the main lake and at the very, very front of creeks the fish are stacked up on points and brush piles, but getting size is a real challenge. You can catch fish on a drop shot or dragging a shakey head, and even though there is not a ton of schooling right now you can also call them up with topwater lures. However, as the lake has risen about two feet the topwater bite has dropped off a little – it usually sets up much better when lake levels are low. 

In some circumstances rising water levels would be good for the shallow bite, but it’s a funny time of year and water temperature for that to really help. Additionally it came up so fast and the creeks are so blown out that the shallow bite seems to have actually dropped off. 

Where to catch bigger fish is a real open question right now, and Brad hopes they can figure it out before a big tournament coming up!

The hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell is still a little hit-or-miss, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that at least they know where the fish are. Everything is in the Savannah River area and around the mouths of creeks that dump into it. Most of the fish are hanging around low timber in 60-100 feet of water, and they generally want to feed in about the 45-50 foot range. 

Live bait fishing is still unpredictable, and some days they will catch 15 or 20 and some days they will only get 4 or 5 – with very little rhyme or reason. Spoons are working well at times and can be a good alternative when herring isn’t working.  

There still isn’t much change with the pattern for shellcracker and smaller catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 15-20 feet of water he is still catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

Blues are still out in the deep timber but flatheads continue to bite well. To maximize your chances of getting one fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it.

 

August 31

Lake Hartwell water levels are way down to 656.09 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is very high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 degrees.   

The hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell is still a little hit-or-miss, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that at least they know where the fish are. Everything is in the Savannah River area and around the mouths of creeks that dump into it. Most of the fish are hanging around low timber in 60-100 feet of water, and they generally want to feed in about the 45-50 foot range. 

Live bait fishing is still unpredictable, and some days they will catch 15 or 20 and some days they will only get 4 or 5 – with very little rhyme or reason. Spoons are working well at times and can be a good alternative when herring isn’t working.

  

The bass are in the usual late summer/ early fall patterns on Hartwell right now, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that with water levels dropping fast and hard there really isn’t much shallow activity. He is still seeing the occasional fish cruising but not many, and much of the cover in the creeks has been dewatered. 
Instead the fish are generally offshore, and even though the schooling activity has slowed a bit from a few weeks ago at times it can be pretty good. They are also catching fish on topwater lures over brush piles and various offshore waypoints, and you can also catch a ton of fish on a drop shot. However, they are mostly smaller.

There still isn’t much change with the pattern for shellcracker and smaller catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 15-20 feet of water he is still catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

Blues are still out in the deep timber but flatheads continue to bite well. To maximize your chances of getting one fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

August 18

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 656.57 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is very high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 83-85 degrees.   

Every few years the August hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell gets tough, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that – after a couple of very good Augusts – this is one of those years. The fishing has gotten brutally difficult, and Chip is encouraging clients to reschedule trips for another time.  It’s not unusual right now to get skunked several days in a row, and a “good day” means catching 6 or 7 fish.

Finding fish is not the problem, and with the majority of the fish now out of the rivers they are scattered from the beginning of the Savannah River to the dam. They are marking most of the fish in the 50-60 foot range over 60-120 feet of water, but the best bite has recently been coming 40-50 feet down.

On multi-party trips it’s hard to do much besides fish herring, but trolling and fishing flutter spoons has been generating some reaction bites and some nice fish. However, it’s a lot of work and nothing is fast. 

The cool weather should turn the fish back on, and usually by mid-September the bite improves again. 

While there are very few good striper up the rivers right now, when clients just want to catch fish they can go up the rivers and fish points in 25-30 feet of water near brush and catch spotted bass and catfish. A mixed bag of 20 or 25 fish is very doable and you can also run into the occasional hybrid or striper. 

For some time there probably won’t be much change with the pattern for shellcracker and smaller catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 15-20 feet of water he is still catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. In addition to worms channels will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

Blues are still out in the deep timber but flatheads continue to bite well. To maximize your chances of getting one fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait 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 are down to 657.90 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is very high. Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees. 

The hybrid and striped bass patterns are changing on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that more fish are starting to move towards the dam. The river bite is falling off, while the dam bite is improving, and pretty soon you will have to fish down the lake. Already the sizes are dropping up the rivers indicating that the biggest fish are leaving.

In the dam area there are basically two patterns, with one group of fish just off clean bottoms in 45-60 feet of water. The other group of fish are over trees in 60-100 feet of water, and while they may be deeper in the trees you have to fish for them 30-40 feet down. If you chum a little and get the first fish to bite then the school will ideally move up above the trees where they are easier to target. It’s mostly a down-line bite with herring.

While most of the boats are down near the dam, Chip is still milking the end of the river pattern where he can have the fish to himself. About half of the fish are on the bottom in 45 feet, while half of the fish are suspended at the same depth in about 60 feet. You can fish down-lines but you will get torn up by 1-3 pound channel catfish, and so he is actually pitching free-lines and letting the hybrids and striper get them on the way down. You still catch some catfish but far less than with down-lines.  They also had a 20-pound flathead this week. 

There is also very sporadic schooling activity involving hybrids, striper and spotted bass. While you can pitch herring to these fish they will also take small topwater lures. 

It’s a pretty good bass bite on Hartwell right now, and while Guide Brad Fowler reports that you can certainly happen upon schooling fish offshore they are also having success calling them up. Fishing topwater lures over brush piles and various offshore waypoints they are catching a lot of fish including a good percentage of largemouth, and you can also catch a ton of fish on a drop shot. However, they are mostly smaller.

The dropping water levels are almost certainly helping the offshore bite by pulling fish off the banks and getting them set up at the right depth on traditional cover, but the flip side is that the shallow action has gotten tougher. Brad is still seeing a few fish cruising but not many. 

With stable water conditions there’s very little change with the shellcracker and smaller catfish, but Captain Bill Plumley also reports that he got a nice flathead in the 15-pound range this week. It bit on a small piece of cut herring (!), and it seems like the flatheads are overall biting well right now. To maximize your chances of getting one fish at night with live bream, perch or any very fresh cut bait in 10-30 feet around points and bends back in the creeks. While brush helps they will not always be around it. 

In 15-20 feet of water he is still catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. As noted there are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet. They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

Blues are still out in the deep timber.

July 22

Lake Hartwell water levels are way down to 658.80 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is still high. Morning surface water temperatures are back to about 87 degrees. 

There are some changes with the hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that a lot more striper are starting to show up in the catch including some really nice fish.   Some days they are getting mostly striper.  The fish have also moved a little deeper, and before sunrise they are now close to the bottom in 35-38 feet around humps, underwater islands, and long flat points. The bite is wide open first thing.

After daylight the bite is slower but steady, and the fish are staying at the same depths but shifting out to 50-60 feet of water. They are getting in the tops of trees, but suspending baits 28-35 feet down you will often lure fish out of the trees and then the graph will light up in the middle of the screen when the whole school moves up.

There are a small percentage of fish that have made the move down the lake, but with fairly stable water temperatures the majority of the fish are still in about the middle of the rivers. 

With water levels continuing to return to more normal levels on Hartwell the bass fishing is normalizing, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that the offshore topwater bite continues to be pretty good. This is probably because with the lake below full pool fish can set up better on brush piles for surface feeding, but with the overcast weather there have also been fish schooling randomly. Brad is still seeing bass knocking big bait out of the water all over but especially in the mid-lake. Of course you can also catch a lot of offshore fish with drop-shot rigs fished around brush piles in 20-40 feet of water. 

This week Brad has also started to see a few more wolf packs of bass cruising around the banks, and on one steep main lake bank he a saw a group of 7-8 fish in the 2 ½ to 4 ½ pound range.  You can also still target bass feeding around bream beds. Most of the bream beds on Hartwell are away from docks on flat, blank areas or around boat ramps. A Pop-R and a shakey head are both good for targeting these fish. 

Summer water temperatures are keeping some other species deep, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 15-20 feet of water he is catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. 

There are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet. They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

While the blues are gone to the deep timber, 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. 

July 14

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 659.43 (full pool is 660.00) and even with recent rains clarity is still high. Morning surface water temperatures got up to 87 degrees but have now been about 85 for over a week. 

The hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell have really settled into early summer patterns on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that before sunrise you can still catch some fish that are close to the bottom in 25-35 feet of water on a mix of free-lines and downs. However, as soon as the sun gets up they are moving deeper into 45-60 feet of water around trees. Fish that are in the trees are uncatchable, but suspending baits 28-35 feet down you will often lure fish out of the trees and then the graph will light up in the middle of the screen when the whole school moves up.

There are a small percentage of fish that have made the move down the lake, but with stable water temperatures the majority of the fish are still in about the middle of the rivers. 

With water levels returning to more normal levels on Hartwell the bass fishing has picked up, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that in particular the offshore topwater bite has improved. This is probably because with the lake below full pool fish can set up better on brush piles for surface feeding, but with the overcast weather there have also been fish schooling randomly. Just riding around Brad has seen bass knocking big bait out of the water all over but especially in the mid-lake. Of course you can also catch a lot of offshore fish with drop-shot rigs fished around brush piles in 20-40 feet of water. 

Brad has seen a few wolf packs cruising shallow water but nothing remarkable, and the best bet for a shallow bite is still to target bass feeding around bream beds. Most of the bream beds on Hartwell are away from docks on flat, blank areas or around boat ramps. A Pop-R and a shakey head are both good for targeting these fish. 

Summer water temperatures have pushed fish deeper, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that now in 15-20 feet of water he is catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. 

There are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet. They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

While the blues are gone to the deep timber, 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. 

July 1

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 659.54 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is still high. Morning surface water temperatures got up to 86 degrees but have now dropped back to about 84. 

Pre-summer patterns for hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell are fading into the rearview mirror as we get into full summer fishing, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that before sunrise you can catch some fish close to the bottom in 25-35 feet of water but when the sun gets up they immediately go deeper. 

When that happens fish are moving out to 45-60 feet of water and getting around the trees or right beside them. Fish that are in the trees are uncatchable, but suspending baits 28-35 feet down you will often lure fish out of the trees and then the graph will light up in the middle of the screen when the whole school moves up.

Most of the fish are still in the middle of the rivers but they should be starting to move down the lake soon. 

It’s a stable time for bass fishing on Hartwell, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that particularly for the next week when you fish at times with minimal boat traffic the bite will be better. There has been a pretty good topwater bite calling up fish over long points and other offshore structure, and at times they have been schooling. You can also catch a lot of fish with drop-shot rigs fished around brush piles in 20-40 feet of water. 

The best bet for a shallow bite is still to target bass feeding around bream beds. Brad points out that most of the bream beds on Hartwell are away from docks on flat, blank areas or around boat ramps. A Pop-R and a shakey head are both good for targeting these fish. 

While you can certainly find them deeper, Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 8-10 feet of water he is catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. 

With warm summer temperatures there are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet. They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

While the blues are gone to the deep timber, 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. 

June 23

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 660.46 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is about as high as Lake Hartwell gets. With no more than brief rain showers recently, except for the very back of some creeks the water is clear.   Morning surface water temperatures are 84-85 degrees. 

There’s been a bit of a change with the hybrid and striped bass this week on Lake Hartwell, and even as the fish are still basically in the mid-rivers and have not moved down the lake much  Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that there has been some movement deeper.  In addition to pre-summer patterns the fish are also starting to set up in summer patterns. 

For the pre-summer pattern, early in the morning for about the first hour and a half of daylight fish are suspended about 20 feet down over 35-40 feet on clean bottoms. At times they will take free-lines pitched out the boat while on other days they will eat down-lines better.

Some mornings you can limit out on the early feed, but if that doesn’t happen then the fish are starting to pull out to 48-60 feet of water and get in the trees in a typical summer pattern. There are fish in the trees as well as some suspended just over them, but the fish that are down in the trees are uncatchable. Suspending baits 28-35 feet down you will often lure fish out of the trees, and then the graph will light up in the middle of the screen when the whole school moves up. 

June is the month when striper guides run into the most catfish, and Chip reports that these are mostly channel catfish in the 1-4 pound range although they do get some flatheads. Today they had two 5-pound flatties. The hybrids and catfish are often feeding in the same areas, with the cats picking up scraps below the other fish, and on mornings when the hybrid bite is slower (giving them time) or when you have to fish down-rods early you will often catch a ton of catfish – as many as 3 catfish for 1 hybrid. 

While as he has been pointing out for weeks you can certainly find them deeper, Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 8-10 feet of water he is catching a mix of small channel catfish and shellcracker on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. 

With warm summer temperatures there are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet. They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

While the blues are gone to the deep timber, 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. 

Overall Guide Brad Fowler reports that it’s a pretty normal summertime bite for bass on Lake Hartwell, although he notes that weekdays continue to fish much better than weekends when there is so much boat traffic. At least during the week Brad has found a pretty good topwater bite calling up fish over long points and other offshore structure, and at times they have been schooling. You can also catch a lot of fish with drop-shot rigs fished around brush piles in 20-40 feet of water. 

With water levels dropping a little and the intense heat Brad has not even looked shallow, but the best bet for a shallow bite is still to target bass feeding around bream beds. Brad points out that most of the bream beds on Hartwell are away from docks on flat, blank areas or around boat ramps. A Pop-R and a shakey head are both good for targeting these fish. 

June 17

Lake Hartwell water levels are well above full at 660.71 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity remains very high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 first thing.

June is usually a good month for hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that even though it’s a transition period as the spawns fades into a memory and they move towards summer haunts the fish always seem to feed well. However, the last week or so has been particularly outstanding. 

From just before sunrise until about 8:00 they are slaying the fish in 35-45 feet of water.  The most aggressive fish are suspended off the bottom around 20-25 feet down around ridges and shoals, and pitching a free-line to them has still been the best way to catch them. Some days the bait wants to stay up and you need to add split shot.  

After the sun starts to get up then the bite is still dropping off, but they are still catching some fish up until about 10:00 on down-lines fished in 35 feet on the bottom in deep coves off the main body of water. 

After 11:00 it’s hard to catch much besides catfish and perch. 

The fish are still about halfway down the rivers, and while they will move from one ridge to another they are basically staying in the same areas. Soon they should start to make their way deeper and then south towards the dam. 

There is still a pretty good bite for shellcracker and channel catfish on Hartwell, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 7-8 feet of water he is catching a mix of the two species on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. 

With warm summer temperatures there are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet. They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

While the blues are gone to the deep timber, 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. 

June 14

Lake Hartwell water levels are well above full at 661.07 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity remains very high.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s over most of the lake. 

With a poker run as well as “normal” summer boat traffic it was a really busy weekend on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Brad Fowler who was out on the water both days reports that does nothing to help the bass fishing. But truthfully it’s hard to find a quiet weekend day in the summer on Hartwell these days, especially once the sun is up. 

Clear water and hot temperatures are pushing most of the fish deep, and the best way to target fish right now is drop-shotting around deep brush piles. You can also fish topwater lures over offshore structure, but perhaps because of the boat traffic that pattern has not been very good. 

About the only chance for a good shallow bite is to target bream beds, and with a full moon today there should be some bass up shallow feeding. A couple of weeks ago this bite was good on the last spawning wave. Brad points out that most of the bream beds on Hartwell are away from docks on flat, blank areas or around boat ramps.  A Pop-R and a shakey head are both good for targeting these fish. 

June 9

Lake Hartwell water levels are well above full at 661.32 (full pool is 660.00) and clarity is very high.  Morning surface water temperatures are 80-81 degrees over most of the lake. 

The hybrid and striped bass are in some pretty reliable patterns right now on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that from just before sunrise until about 8:00 he is catching them on free-lines fished over 15-20 feet of water mostly around long ridges and shoal signs. Before 8:00 fish will start to inch out towards 25 feet, and after 8:00 they will go deeper. This morning he did find some good fish schooling in the back of a cove but that has not been the norm.

After the sun starts to get up then the bite really drops off, but they are still catching some fish up until about 10:00 on down-lines fished in 35 feet on the bottom in deep coves off the main body of water. Interestingly the fish are moving a lot and won’t sit under the boat very long, unusual for this time of year. Guides all over the lake report this and say that fish are acting more like they usually do in the fall. It should be too early for them to be boat-shy. 

After 11:00 it’s hard to catch much besides catfish and perch. 

The fish are still about halfway down the rivers, and while they will move from one ridge to another they are basically staying in the same areas. They will move down the rivers as it gets warmer. 

There is still a pretty good bite for shellcracker and channel catfish on Hartwell, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 7-8 feet of water he is catching a mix of the two species on nightcrawlers. They are holding in sandy areas. 

With warm summer temperatures there are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet. They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

While the blues are gone to the deep timber, 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. 

Bass report to follow. 

May 24

Lake Hartwell water levels are still above full at 660.32 (full pool is 660.00) and even after a bunch of rain most of the lake is still very clear. Morning surface water temperatures got as high as 78 or 79 but they have since dropped to about 74. 

Even with dropping temperatures Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports it continues to be an excellent bite for hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell, and the most exciting development this week is that there has been a ton of schooling activity.  Today they caught about half of their fish when they were schooling, and you can throw topwaters or pitch free-lines to them.

Other than that the pattern is mostly unchanged, and the fish are feeding early around points in 6-7 feet of water or even shallower. After the sun comes up the fish are pulling out to 15-20 feet of water on ridges, and they are catching them on free-lines as well as some down down-lines.

The fish are still about halfway down the rivers, and while they will move from one ridge to another they are basically staying in the same areas. They will move down the rivers as it gets warmer. 

There are several different ways to catch bass on Hartwell right now, and fresh off a two-day tournament with his partner Brock Taylor Guide Brad Fowler has seen most of them. While they did not find any bass keying on spawning herring, they did find a couple of bass that were actually still spawning themselves. That bite is certainly dying out though.

Their main pattern this weekend was fishing for bass around bream beds, and while there were not that many bass on this pattern, and they were only in certain places, the biggest fish they saw were there. How they approach the bream beds depends on how the bass were acting, but at different times they cast at them with a frog, Pop-R or even shakey head. They saw a lot of wolf packs up shallow. 

There is also a pretty good offshore topwater bite, and while there are a lot of spots out there they also had some big largemouth come up to chase baits on offshore spots. A benefit tournament was won Saturday on this pattern. 

There are also some fish schooling around bridges, and of course you can catch spotted bass drop-shotting around timber. 

There has been a pretty good bite for shellcracker and channel catfish on Hartwell, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 8-12 feet of water he has been catching a mix of the two species on nightcrawlers. This morning he caught more than a dozen shellcracker to go with 7 or 8 channels, and some really big redbreasts up to 10 inches were also mixed in! While the majority of the shellcracker have already spawned others still have to go or will do it again.

With the water getting hot there are also channels out as deep as 40 or 50 feet.  They are still scattered and in addition to worms will eat cut herring, shrimp, dip baits and more. 

While Bill has not caught a blue in almost a month and believes most of them are out in the timber, 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. 

May 19

Lake Hartwell water levels are still above full at 660.29 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 76 or 77 degrees. 

With the herring spawn now wide open in the areas he is fishing Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports an excellent bite for hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell, and in particular the very early bite has been phenomenal. The herring are spawning around points in 6-7 feet of water or even shallower, and pitching free-lines to the striper feeding on them is getting a ton of fish. After the sun comes up the fish are pulling out to 15-20 feet of water on ridges, and they are catching them on free-lines as well as some down down-lines.

The fish are still about halfway down the rivers, and while they will move from one ridge to another they are basically staying in the same areas. They will move down the rivers as it gets warmer. 

The bite should get even better before it drops off when the herring spawn winds down.   

In contrast Guide Brad Fowler reports that the bass fishing has already gotten tough, and he and his tournament partner Brock Taylor can’t seem to find much of a shallow bite. They have seen one small bream bed with a couple of bass on it, but they can’t find many fish relating to shallow herring.

Instead they are having to fish deeper patterns, and they have caught some fish on topwater lures off deep points and over brush. They are also already having to break out a drop shot rig. 

While he has been fishing at Santee most of the past couple of weeks, back on Hartwell after the catfish Captain Bill Plumley reports that it looks like the blue catfish have returned to the deep timber while the channel catfish action is really good. They are being caught everywhere from 5-50 feet of water. They are still scattered and very hungry, and they will eat cut herring, red worms, nightcrawlers, dip baits and more. 

The flathead action is also good, and early, late and at night they can be caught around brush in 5-20 feet of water. At night they will move up, and when it is hotter they will go deeper. They will take a wide variety of live baits. 

May 12

Lake Hartwell water levels are still above full at 660.27 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures dropped to about 70 degrees but have now rebounded to about 74. 

This week the cold front made them work a little harder to catch hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that they have still caught a ton of fish. The herring spawn is still only sporadic at best, but early every morning they are still catching a few fish pulling up near points and then casting shallow free lines into 4-8 feet of water.  After that they are fishing free-lines in 10-20 feet of water, but they are also starting to catch some on down-lines in the 25-30 foot range. 

Fish are still about halfway down the rivers, and Chip expects them to stay in this zone until July. They will move around, but basically be between the backs and the mouths.  

While it’s possible that the herring spawn could be wide open at some point, Guide Brad Fowler reports that from what he has seen it has been a slow trickle for some time now and he wonders if it will ever get really good. In fact, he thinks we are on the back side of the herring spawn and thinks that bass are starting to bleed into summer patterns.

Fish are starting to get on offshore topwater spots well out from points, and you can also find them fishing a drop-shot around trees and brush. 

With high water levels and an upcoming bream spawn there should also be some fish shallow, and there could even be some late bass still spawning. However, Brad has not seen any shallow pattern lately. 

The bite for big blue catfish is still slower on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Bill Plumley reports it may be due to the spawn and fish not eating as much. This probably marks the end of the season for the blues, as once the water gets very warm they will head out to deep timber where they are essentially uncatchable.

Meanwhile the channel catfish action has really come on, and they are being caught everywhere from 5-50 feet of water. They are still scattered and very hungry, and they will eat cut herring, red worms, nightcrawlers, dip baits and more. 

The flathead action is continuing to pick up as well, and early, late and at night they can be caught around brush in 5-20 feet of water. At night they will move up, and when it is hotter they will go deeper. They will take a wide variety of live baits. 

May 4

Lake Hartwell water levels are still above full at 660.45 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is basically clear everywhere again as it has gotten very dry. Morning surface water temperatures are about 73 degrees over much of the lake. 

It’s still a very good bite for hybrid and striped bass on Lake Hartwell, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that fish are starting to move out of the rivers. There are still some up the Tugaloo, but they have mostly come out of the Seneca. The early bite along the banks has slowed a little as the striper have finished spawning, but when the herring spawn really gets underway they will be on the banks more again. A few herring have started to spawn but it’s not yet wide open. 

The best pattern right now is pulling free lines along ridges near the creek channels, main lake points and shoals. Outside very early the target depth is 20-25 feet of water, and with fish suspended 15-18 feet down they are at a perfect depth for coming up to get free lines. Planer boards are also working but not quite as well. 

The fish that are on the bottom are mainly perch. 

There’s agreement from tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley that the herring spawn hasn’t really gotten hot yet, but recently he has been able to find bass which were feeding on spawning shad. They are around points, shoals and marina docks, and it’s been almost exclusively a topwater bait pattern for Joe. While early in the morning has been best, he caught his biggest fish in the BFL Saturday at 2:00. Swim jigs and swimbaits have also been effective. 

The bite for big blue catfish has slowed down on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that he thinks they are starting to spawn and not eat as much. That probably marks the end of the season for the blues, as once the water gets very warm they will head out to deep timber where they are essentially uncatchable.

Meanwhile the channel catfish action has really come on, and they are being caught everywhere from 5-50 feet of water. They are scattered and very hungry, and they will eat cut herring, red worms, nightcrawlers, dip baits and more. 

The flathead action is starting to pick up as well, and early, late and at night they can be caught around brush in 5-20 feet of water. At night they will move up, and when it is hotter they will go deeper. Bill recently caught a good one on bream but they will take a wide variety of live baits. 

April 21

Lake Hartwell water levels are still above full at 660.26 (full pool is 660.00) and the backs of some creeks are Clemson orange after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures range from 58 in cooler creeks to 62 on the main lake to 66 or 67 up warmer rivers. 

It’s been a great week, and today was a fantastic day, for hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell.  Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that they are getting limits about every day, the question is just how hard they have to work for them. With the rivers taking their time to warm up the fish are still in them, and first thing Chip’s boat is pulling or tossing free-lines in 6-12 feet of water along the banks. If he doesn’t know where to find a group of fish he will often look off a point, but often if he does know where a school is it will be related to something else and sometimes even a blank stretch of bank. 

Once the sun gets up over the trees and starts to beat down on the water the bite completely changes, and then they are catching the fish on down rods in 20-30 feet of water where they are hugging the bottom.  

Every morning there are fish popping on the surface and they can pitch free lines to them, but this morning they saw some fantastic schooling mid-morning – where they quickly filled out several limits. 

The fish will make their move out of the rivers when the herring spawn really gets underway on main lake points, but for now that is not yet wide open.  

There’s not much disagreement from Guide Brad Fowler about that, and Brad reports that the lake is just not as warm as normal for this time of year. And while he is seeing a little bit of a herring spawn getting started, perhaps because of high water levels that spread them out you are just as apt to find the herring down a bank or in a cove as out on a main lake point.

There are at least two ways to catch bass right now, and with a bunch of fish still on beds one way to catch them is targeting spawning fish. Another way to catch them is to fish points where the herring will spawn, because even if the bait is not up there yet in a lot of places the bass are already there looking. Brad is already seeing a lot of fish trying to chase bait. 

For right now Brad is more likely to throw subsurface baits like flukes, spinnerbaits, and Sebilles, but soon topwater lures will also work. 

It continues to be a very good bite for big catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 32-35 feet of water they are still finding big blue catfish. The numbers are not as high as on lakes like Santee, but yesterday he caught 4 fish up to 21 pounds with the smallest being 10 pounds. The best bait has actually been carp.

They are also starting to catch some nice channel catfish including some very big ones in less than ten feet of water, but it’s still a little cold for flatheads. 

April 8

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 660.66 (full pool is 660.00) and the backs of creeks are muddy with recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures have risen into the lower 60s. 

There has been some significant improvement in the hybrid and striped bass fishing this week on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that after a lull last week they are catching very strong numbers of fish again. They are getting 30-40 fish hybrids and stripers each day to go along with a handful of other species. This is likely a result of the water temperatures getting back into the 60s. 

The fish are still up the rivers making their spawning run, and early in the morning they are still in 15-20 feet of water around points and the creek edges.  Free-lines are working the best early, and they will also come up and school some. When the sun gets up the fish pull back out to 25-30 feet of water close to the bottom, and then Chip’s boat switches over to down-lines. 

The bait is not spawning yet and that usually comes later in April, at which time the striper will move very shallow.  

There are still plenty of bass on beds on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Brad Fowler reports that should continue for some time. The full moon in April should see a really good wave of spawning activity. 

At the same time the herring are starting to move up shallower in preparation for their spawn, and there is starting to be more and more bait in some shallower places. There are also some bass that are starting to sit off points in areas where they know the herring will eventually spawn, but for right now the two don’t seem to be crossing. If there is bait there are usually not bass, and vice versa.

With water temperatures still low for the herring spawn subsurface baits are working the best for fish looking for herring, including spinnerbaits, flukes and Sebilles. The topwater bite will come later. 

It continues to be a good bite for big catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that in 35-40 feet of water they are still finding big fish in the 30-plus pound range as well as lots of channel catfish and white perch. With live bait they are also picking up some spotted bass deep. 

April 1

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 661.16 (full pool is 660.00) and the creeks are still dirty. Morning surface water temperatures up the rivers have dropped back into the upper 50s. 

The fronts this week had an unusually significant effect on the fishing, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that hybrid and striped bass really slowed this week. They went from catching 25 plus linesides each day to struggling to get double digits, and it was only the spotted bass – voracious eating machines that they are – which kept lines consistently tight. 

While the bite slowed the fish did not move and they could still mark the same numbers in all the same areas up the rivers following the bait. The fish are still in 15-20 feet of water around points and the creek edges. Free-lines continue to out-fish down-lines. 

While the front temporarily set the bite back, it should not be long until the fish start feeding much better again. And then when the bait begins to spawn they should go very shallow. 

Chip notes that the smallest fish seem to be deepest right now. 

While the striper slowed eating but didn’t move, the front did push the crappie deeper this week. Fish are still in the creeks but they have dropped from shallow cover to brush in at least 8-10 feet of water. Minnows and jigs are both still working, and when temperatures warm again another wave of fish should head to the banks. 

While the front slowed down the striper and hybrids, and moved the crappie deeper, Guide Brad Fowler reports that it has had very little effect on the bass.  In fact more fish continue to come shallower and we may be approaching the back half of the spawn. 

While the spotted bass often bed as deep as 15-20 feet of water, the largemouth are up shallower in traditional spawning pockets.  In dirty water Brad is fishing a spinnerbait and a Chatterbait, while in the clearer areas he is throwing a Senko or floating worm.

Both pre- and post-spawn fish are also chasing bait, and Brad is finding them schooling in the middle of coves and creeks. These are both pre-spawn and even some post-spawn fish, and they are more aggressive than fish that were chasing bait in late February, for example. They stay on it for longer once they surface.  

Of course, not all the bass move shallow at once and Captain Bill Plumley reports that he has been catching good numbers of spotted bass in 35-40 feet. They are also finding a good bite for channel catfish and white perch in the same depth range. 

The bite for big catfish also continues to improve, with at least one big blue in the 30 plus pound range coming on each trip. They are at the same depth taking big pieces of cut bait.