May 24

Lake Jocassee is at 94.8% of full pool and the lake is extremely clear. Morning surface water temperatures have inched up a degree or two to about 73 degrees.

Summer weekend boat traffic is not helpful for the trout fishing, but on Friday Guide Sam Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that they had a three-man limit of 9 fish. Saturday and Sunday the bite was not quite that strong but still good.

Overall the big water is still producing more keeper fish than the rivers, perhaps because there is so much bait by the dam that they grow up faster, but they are catching a bunch of fish up rivers like the Toxaway. Occasionally a giant will also be caught in the rivers. 

While they have caught fish as shallow as 15 feet in the rivers, most of the fish have still been in the 30-60 foot range all over the lake and they not gone deep yet. But that should happen soon as heat lifts water temperatures.

Sutton spoons have been working very well, but recently they have started adding Pautzke Fire Gel in herring or shad scents to their baits and seemingly getting more strikes. It goes on a like a chap stick and sticks to the bait, and it seems to preserve the spoon as well by coating it. 

While the bass spawn will likely extend into June on Lake Jocassee, tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that it’s the shad spawn which is creating excitement for bass fishermen on the lake right now. Early in the morning the bass are around points feeding on shad, and they will take topwater lures, swimbaits, Alabama rigs, jerkbaits and most anything that looks like a baitfish. After the sun gets up the fishing gets a lot tougher, but Ned rigs, swimbaits and Alabama rigs will all work in 5 to 45 feet. A frog can also be really good in late May and June. 

May 19

Lake Jocassee is at 94.6% of full pool and the lake is extremely clear. Morning surface water temperatures are up to about 72 degrees on the main lake and around 74 in the rivers. 

With the bright full moon at night the morning bite has been a little off for trout this week, but Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that the afternoon bite has made up for it. The big water is still producing more keeper fish than the rivers, perhaps because there is so much bait by the dam that they grow up faster, but they are catching a bunch of fish up rivers like the Toxaway. There are certainly some giants up the rivers like the 9-pounder caught about three weeks ago, but they are still generally smaller. 

While they have caught fish as shallow as 15 feet in the rivers, most of the fish have still been in the 30-60 foot range all over the lake and they not gone deep yet. But that should happen soon between the heat and rising water temperatures.

Sutton spoons have been working very well, but recently they have started adding Pautzke Fire Gel in herring or shad scents to their baits and seemingly getting more strikes. It goes on a like a chap stick and sticks to the bait, and it seems to preserve the spoon as well by coating it. 

One of the coolest things recently has been playing around with LiveScope technology for trout, and Sam has been able to watch fish follow baits and then take them when he does something to change the trolling speed. 

The bass spawn should be winding down on Lake Jocassee, but tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that the fish are still shallow in the rivers out to about 30 feet of water. They have been catching them on topwater lures, Alabama rigs and glide baits. When there is wind spinnerbaits will work. 

Joe has had to rely on second-hand reports for the last week, but he is fishing a tournament on Jocassee this weekend and will have more information after that. 

May 13

Lake Jocassee is at 94.9% of full pool and the lake is extremely clear. Morning surface water temperatures are still running about 67 degrees on the main lake but you can find 70s in the backs.

It’s been a really good bite for keeper trout this week, and Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that – even though they haven’t had any monsters – they have caught plenty of fat rainbows and browns this week. The fish still have not gone deeper, and 28-53 feet has been the key depth range. They have been doing the best in the big water by the dam. 

Sutton spoons have been working very well, but recently they have started adding Pautzke Fire Gel in herring or shad scents to their baits and seemingly getting more strikes. It goes on a like a chap stick and sticks to the bait, and it seems to preserve the spoon as well by coating it. 

While it’s impossible to say whether the fish would have taken the spoon without added scent, the gel may also have been responsible for more than just good trout catches this week. The biggest excitement on Sam’s boat this week was a 16-pound catfish that bit one of his herring-flavored Suttons! Initially they weren’t sure if it was a blue or a channel, but review by various experts including a specialist at DNR indicated it was likely a white catfish. That’s a big deal because it weighed two pounds more than the current state record! While they filleted this fish before they knew it was a potential record, there’s little doubt there are more big ones swimming around in this basically untouched fishery. 

The bass spawn is still going on at Lake Jocassee, and will continue into June, but tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that throwing topwater lures is still his preferred pattern. 

The fish are shallow in the rivers out to about 30 feet of water in areas where waterfalls flow in, and in addition to catching them on topwater lures they are getting them on spinnerbaits when there is some wind. Alabama rigs and glide baits have also been picking up a few fish. 

May 4

Lake Jocassee is at 95.0% of full pool and the lake is extremely clear again. Morning surface water temperatures are now running about 67 degrees on the main lake and they are in the upper 60s in the backs. 

The bass spawn is still going on at Lake Jocassee, and will continue into June, but tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that fishing for spawning fish is not good enough to try to do that instead of throwing topwaters. And Joe is worth listening to – in his last four trips he and tournament partner Greg Glouse have had three 20 pound bags!

The fish are shallow in the rivers out to about 30 feet of water in areas where waterfalls flow in, and in addition to catching them on topwater lures they are getting them on spinnerbaits when there is some wind. Alabama rigs and glide baits have also been picking up a few fish. 

With temperatures starting to bump towards 70 degrees the trout should go deeper soon, but Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that for now the fish are still mostly in 30-60 feet of water. While fish can be caught in other areas, the big water has been the most productive.

In Saturday’s tournament which Sam put on there were a ton of 15-16 inch fish caught and the top weights were 4.5, 4.2 and 3.5 pounds.  That’s consistent with what Sam is seeing; the bite for the biggest fish has slowed, but they are still getting plenty of solid fish.  Spoons continue to fish as well or better than live bait but one of the bigger fish in the tournament was caught on a shiner.

April 20

Lake Jocassee is at 94.0% of full pool and the main lake is clear while some of the backs are a little dingy after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are now running about 58-60 degrees on the main lake while they are in the low to mid-60s in the backs.   

The bass spawn is well underway on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that there will be another big wave of females to come up but they have already found a lot of post-spawn fish. Fishing this week he and his tournament partner had 21 ½ pounds with a 7 ½ pound big fish, and they caught most of their fish up the Toxaway River fishing around boulder rocks on shallow banks. Most of the fish came on a spinnerbait and a jig, but they also caught a couple on an Alabama rig and some smaller ones on a swimbait. This is the magical time of year when large numbers of fish are shallow on Jocassee and so for most people there’s really no reason to look out beyond the first depth break. 

To go along with a good bass bite there is also a red hot trout bite on Lake Jocassee, and Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that this week they have had outstanding numbers of fish (13 on one recent trip) as well as some monsters. They have had two over 8 pounds this week!

Most of the fish are coming in 30-60 feet of water, and the biggest fish have still been coming at the dam. However, on a recent windy day they went way up the Toxaway almost into North Carolina and found a large group of fish. While the fish are gorging on herring – a client found 10 in the belly of an 8 ½ pound fish! – trolling spoons is still working the best and not many people are fishing with live bait. 

April 8

Lake Jocassee is at 94.4% of full pool and the main lake is clear while the backs are dirty after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are now running about 58 degrees on the main lake while they have hit 60 in the backs. 

The trout fishing has been very good again this week on Jocassee, and Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that they are still catching good browns and now more rainbows. The prime depth range has been about 50-55 feet this week, but they are still trolling spoons from 30-60 feet and water temperatures are still such that fish can be caught anywhere. Most of the big fish have been caught at the dam but there are a few more good ones being caught in the rivers. 

It continues to be a good pre-spawn bass bite, and Joe Anders of Easley reports that the best fishing is in the creeks and rivers. Basically the pattern is to go down the banks and throw at any piece of shallow cover around the first break out from the shore. While soft plastics will also catch fish, right now the bass are willing to chase baits and so spinnerbaits, jigs, jerkbaits and swimbaits are all working. An Alabama rig has also been good if it is windy. 

April 1

Lake Jocassee is at 94.1% of full pool and the main lake is clear while the backs are pretty dingy (for Jocassee) between recent winds and rain. Morning surface water temperatures are now running about 54-55 degrees on the main lake while up the rivers temperatures are around 58.   

The trout fishing seems to be hitting a sweet spot this week on Joccassee, and Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that numerous 5-pound fish have been caught lately. The prime depth range has been about 50-55 feet this week, but they are still trolling spoons from 30-60 feet and water temperatures are still such that fish can be caught anywhere. Most of the big fish have been caught at the dam. 

Up the rivers the catch by trout fishermen has mostly been a mix of last winter’s stockers (many of which are now legal) and bass, which makes sense because tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that there is still an outstanding pre-spawn bite in the creeks and rivers. Basically the pattern is to go down the banks and throw at any piece of shallow cover around the first break out from the shore. While soft plastics will also catch fish, right now the bass are willing to chase baits and so spinnerbaits, jigs, jerkbaits and swimbaits are all working. An Alabama rig has also been good if it is windy. The spotted bass seem to have turned on first and there are lots of really fat ones being caught. 

March 25

Lake Jocassee is at 98.6% of full pool and the main lake is clear while the backs are pretty dingy (for Jocassee) between recent winds and rain. Morning surface water temperatures are now running about 56 degrees on the main lake. 

There has been an outstanding pre-spawn bass bite this week on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that the bite in the creeks has been on fire. Basically the pattern is to go down the banks and throw at any piece of shallow cover around the first break out from the shore. While soft plastics will also catch fish, right now the bass are willing to chase baits and so spinnerbaits, jigs, jerkbaits and swimbaits are all catching fish. An Alabama rig has also been good if it is windy. The spotted bass seem to have turned on first and there are lots of really fat ones being caught. 

It’s been good trout fishing this week on Joccassee, and Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that the prime depth range is starting to get more like 40-60 feet. However, temperatures are still cool enough that the fish can be caught anywhere and Sam’s best fish this week was actually a five-pound brown caught at 28 feet. The best action is still coming at the dam, but there are also fish being caught back in the rivers. Many of last year’s stockers are now 15 inches and they are some of the best-tasting fish in the lake. During the day spoons seem to be out-fishing bait.

There is also a good bite at the dam at night, and recently a monster 12-pounder was caught beneath a light on minnows. The fish came 40 feet down and it was the only one that bit that night – but the right one!

March 17

Lake Jocassee is at 97.8% of full pool and the main lake is clear while the backs have gotten stained. Morning surface water temperatures are still running about 54 degrees on the main lake. 

With some brutal conditions there weren’t many anglers in this Saturday’s trout tournament, as Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that 35-40 mile per hour gusts have a way of keeping people away. It showed in the results, and there were only a few fish caught which were mostly stockers that had barely hit 15-inches.  However, the bright spot was a beautiful 6 ½ pound fish. 

Overall patterns are mostly unchanged, and they continue to catch some good fish trolling at the dam in 30-50 feet of water. There are also a ton of stockers being caught trolling in the Toxaway and where the three rivers split off, but with gas prices where they are people are being more conscious of fuel costs before making that run. Still, since there are some really big fish being caught back there mixed in with the little ones, that keeps people coming back. 

Again, temperatures are still where fish can be caught anywhere in the water column and so it’s not unusual for bass fishermen to pick up a nice trout.  

On the bass front, tournament bass angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that there are still a lot of fish suspended in the river channels, but there are also some fish starting to get into pre-spawn patterns around the banks up the rivers. Of course banks is a relative term, but around the first sharp break they are starting to catch some good ones around wood on soft plastics. 

March 11

Lake Jocassee is at 98.7% of full pool and the main lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are running about 54 degrees on the main lake and at least before the Arctic blast the creeks were a few degrees warmer. 

Usually all they need to do to usher in some bad weather on Lake Jocassee is hold a trout tournament, and Guides Sam and Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) report that this month is no exception. It looks like the wind is going to be brutal, but while it makes it harder to fish that doesn’t usually keep them from biting.

Overall trout fishing continues to be very strong, and they continue to catch some good fish trolling at the dam in 30-50 feet of water. There are also a ton of stockers being caught trolling in the Toxaway and where the three rivers split off, but with gas prices where they are people are being more conscious of fuel costs from making that run.  Still, since there are some really big fish being caught back there mixed in with the little ones, that keeps people coming back. 

Again, temperatures are still where fish can be caught anywhere in the water column and so it’s not unusual for bass fishermen to pick up a nice trout. 

Speaking of bass, they continue to catch some monsters. Sam reports that from what he is seeing the biggest fish are coming from guys casting over the barrier when they are back-pumping from Keowee and effectively chumming the water. 

However, tournament bass angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that there are also still a lot of fish suspended in the river channels. For right now they are mostly over deep water, but after we get through this cold front he soon expects the bite to pick up as fish start to slide shallower and relate to more fishable cover. 

March 1

Lake Jocassee is up to 99.4% of full pool and the main lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are running about 52-54 degrees.

It’s a really good trout bite on Lake Jocassee for big fish, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that his boat has caught a 6-pounder, seen an 8-pounder caught in front of them, and a reliable source says he lost a double digit fish up the rivers. Sam is still doing the best work at the dam trolling spoons in 50 feet, but he has been catching fish trolling in 25-55 feet. The 8-pound fish was caught at the dam in 40 feet.

With water temperatures still cool trout continue to be caught anywhere in the lake, and anglers are certainly picking up a fair number in the rivers and just casting.  Trolling in the rivers you pick up more bass than trout. 

That makes sense because tournament bass angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that most of the bass remain suspended in the river channels.  For right now they are mostly over deep water, but very soon he expects the bite to pick up as fish start to slide shallower and relate to more fishable cover.

February 17

Lake Jocassee is up to 98.5% of full pool and the rivers have cleared nicely while wind has cleared out the debris. Morning surface water temperatures are running about 53-54 degrees.

As predicted the trout bite picked up again on Lake Jocassee in time for the tournament, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that a nearly 6-pound fish won and there have been a lot of other good ones in the 3-5 pound range caught this week.  

Some of the best fish are being caught trolling just 10 feet down, and about 45 feet is as deep as anyone seems to be concentrating. 

Right now they are truly catching fish all over the place, but the most aggressive fish seem to be in the rivers where they are being picked up by bass fisherman as well as trout guys.  Still never count out the dam area which always holds fish.  However, these fish see so much cut up and stunned bait that is back-pumped from Keowee that they may not be as likely to take an offering.  One theory is that the biggest trout are very lazy and never need to chase spoons or live bait, preferring cut or stunned bait near the bottom. 

Sam is also still picking up bass trolling.  

Anglers targeting bass by casting are still having a pretty tough time on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that it is usually about the end of February or beginning of March before the fishing really improves.  For now the fish remain deep in the river channels, and recently fishing an Alabama rig over 50-90 feet of water has been the best way to target them.  The key spots seem to be right where the timber line starts off long points that run into the channel.

February 10

Lake Jocassee is up to 97.9% of full pool and the rivers are a little dingy with some debris floating. Surface water temperatures are still about 53 degrees.

The trout bite slacked off a little on Lake Jocassee after the recent rains, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that to start the week off they have mainly been catching stockers in the 13-14 inch range. However, there is such a healthy baitfish population that many of these fish are already approaching the 15-inch size limit, and they felt the need to measure one 14.5 inch fish this week!

By the tournament Saturday the fishing should be improved again, and it will be interesting to see what is caught. This is obviously still the time of year when fish can tolerate water conditions in almost any part of the lake and so they can be caught from the big water to the backs of rivers and from the surface to very deep.

For trolling the best depth range still seems to about 30-35 feet down, with spoons generating the most bites.

It’s still tough bass fishing conditions on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that it is usually about the end of February or beginning of March before the fishing really improves. For now the fish remain deep in the river channels, and about the only way that they have been able to catch them is on a Ned rig or an Alabama rig in 50-90 feet of water. The key spots seem to be right where the timber line starts off long points that run into the channel.

February 1

Lake Jocassee is down to 94.6% of full pool and the lake is clear. Surface water temperatures are about 53 degrees.

It continues to be a good time for trout fishing on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that they continue to catch a bunch of keepers and some big fish. 

You can catch them a number of different ways right now, as this is the time of year when fish can tolerate water conditions in almost any part of the lake. They are still being caught from the big water to the backs of rivers and from the surface to very deep.

For trolling the best depth range right now seems to about 30-35 feet down, with spoons generating the most bites.

In contrast, it’s still tough bass fishing conditions on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that it is usually about the end of February or beginning of March before the fishing really improves. For now the fish remain deep in the river channels, and about the only way that they have been able to catch them is on a Ned rig or an Alabama rig in 50-90 feet of water. The key spots seem to be long points right where the timber line starts.

January 20

Lake Jocassee is at 99.0% of full pool and the lake is clear. After the snow water temperatures should have dropped into the lower 50s. 

All you need to do is check out the webcam to see that fishing activity has been very light on Lake Jocassee since the weekend’s storms, but Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that overall fishing has been good recently.  In the tournament a 6 plus pound brown was the winner, and there have also been a lot of keeper-sized fish caught. This is the time of year when fish can tolerate water conditions in almost any part of the lake, and so they have been caught from the big water to the backs of rivers and from the surface to very deep.

For trolling the best depth range right now seems to about 40-55 feet down, and the fish are reacting the best to small spoons. 

While he hasn’t been back on the lake this week, tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that before the snow it was brutally tough bass conditions and the fish had totally disappeared from the river channels. About the only way that they have been able to catch them is on a Ned rig or an Alabama rig in 50-90 feet of water. The key spots seem to be long points right where the timber line starts.

January 6

Lake Jocassee is at 96.1% of full pool and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are 54-56 on the big water.   

Before the cold front the bass fishing had already gotten brutally tough on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that did not change after temperatures dropped. It only took 11 ½ pounds to win the last tournament on the lake, and fish seem to have totally disappeared from the river channels. About the only way that they have been able to catch them is on a Ned rig or an Alabama rig in 50-90 feet of water. The key spots seem to be long points right where the timber line starts.

Many a bass trip has been salvaged recently with a big trout, just as some trout trips have been salvaged by spotted bass.  

It’s that time of year where the trout can be anywhere in the lake, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that is why anglers are picking them up on crankbaits, jerkbaits and more – often in very shallow water. With the fish extremely spread out that doesn’t make for ideal trout fishing conditions if you want to target them specifically, though, and Sam reports that it’s hard to decide where to troll. They caught a nice 4-pounder in 70 feet near the dam this week, and the winners of the last JOC trout tournament were apparently fishing points and humps in the Whitewater River. Artificial lures do appear to be out-fishing live bait. 

They also continue to catch some nice yellow perch, one of the best-eating freshwater fish, while trout fishing. 

December 23

Lake Jocassee is at 93.8% of full pool and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are 54-56 on the big water and 59-61 in the backs.   

The bass are still heavily related to forage on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that one group of fish is up shallow where they are feeding on newly stocked trout and bream. Big swimbaits and jerkbaits will both work. 

There is also another group of fish that are related to bait in the main river and creek channels in 40-90 feet of water. Some of them are suspended and some of them are on the bottom, but the key to finding the fish is locating the bait. Swimbaits, Pulse jigs, underspins and Alabama rigs are all working well. 

Now that water temperatures have gotten low enough that DNR can stock trout it is almost a certainly that the trout fishing will turn on, and perhaps Joe’s most exciting catch recently was a nice 4-pound trout which he caught in three feet of water below a waterfall! The fish took a jerkbait. 

It makes sense that the fish was up there because Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that water conditions are such that the trout can be anywhere in the lake right now. They are marking a ton of fish in the prime trolling depth of 30-100 feet, but so far they are still catching more bass than trout on plugs and spoons. That could change very soon.  

December 16

Lake Jocassee is at 92.1% of full pool and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the high 50s. 

The bass are biting on Lake Jocassee, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that fish are related to the main river and creek channels in 40-90 feet of water. Some of them are suspended and some of them are on the bottom, but the key to finding the fish is locating the bait. Big swimbaits and jerkbaits are working well, and they are also catching some fish on underspins and deep-running crankbaits. In low light conditions an Alabama rig is working well.

Most of these are spotted bass, but there are also some big largemouth being caught on oversized swimbaits near the banks. 

With water temperatures still pretty high the trout fishing has not quite changed on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that when water temperatures drop and hold just a few degrees lower the annual stocking will take place and the fishing should improve. Whether this is a function of the weather or if the stocking itself has a significant effect is disputed, but every year the action gets better around the time when DNR stocks trout.

For now fish are still very deep but that should change soon.

December 2

Lake Jocassee is at 92.8% of full pool and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 61 degrees on the big water.

Things may be close to changing with the trout fishing on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that when water temperatures drop and hold just a few degrees lower the annual stocking will take place and the fishing should improve. Whether this is a function of the weather or if the stocking itself has a significant effect is disputed, but every year the action gets better around the time when DNR stocks trout.

Even though surface temperatures have dropped for right now they are still marking lots of fish super deep in the 100-120 foot range near the dam. However, it has still been hard to get the fish to bite and spoons, plugs and minnows are all working about the same.  With a Jocassee Outdoor Center trout tournament coming up the second Saturday of this month it will be interesting to see the results. 

For now the main catches on Sam’s boat are still bass, which are pretty consistently being caught about 40-50 feet down. 

More information to follow. 

November 19

Lake Jocassee is at 93.0% of full pool and the lake is still even more clear than usual. Morning surface water temperatures are around 66 degrees.

The trout bite on Lake Jocassee is stable, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that fishing is typical for November with only occasional bites. With several more warm days this week surface temperatures have only dropped one degree and fish are still super deep in the 100-120 foot range of the big water. Sam is marking fish at Whitewater and near the dam, but due to time of year and perhaps with contribution from an over-abundance of bait they just won’t bite very often. Spoons, plugs and minnows are all working about the same. 

Jocassee anglers who want to get a rod bent can still look to the bass, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that they are suspended and feeding up in the river channels, at the mouths of rivers like the Toxaway and occasionally off the end of main lake points. Targeting them is about locating schools of baitfish on your electronics, or with the help of birds, and then counting down baits to the right depth. Fish could be 20 feet down over 120 feet of water.  

The Alabama rig can be a good way to cover water, and counting down swimbaits is also effective.   

At times fish will also be caught on a jig offshore, and with a limited numbers of points that reach out into the lake you can narrow down the places to fish it.

November 11

Lake Jocassee is at 93.8% of full pool and the lake is even clearer than usual. Morning surface water temperatures are around 67-68 degrees. 

The trout bite on Lake Jocassee has slowed a little bit more, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that fishing is typical for November with only occasional bites. With several warm days this week surface temperatures have held steady and fish are still super deep in the 100-120 foot range of the big water.  Sam is marking fish at Whitewater and near the dam, but due to time of year and perhaps with contribution from an over-abundance of bait they just won’t eat very often. Spoons, plugs and minnows are all working about the same. 

Fortunately Lake Jocassee also has bass, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that they are starting to suspend and feed up in the river channels, at the mouths of rivers like the Toxaway and occasionally off the end of main lake points. Targeting them is about locating schools of baitfish on your electronics, or with the help of birds, and then counting down baits to the right depth.  Fish could be 20 feet down over 120 feet of water.  

The Alabama rig can be a good way to cover water, and counting down swimbaits is also effective.   

At times fish will also be caught on a jig offshore, and with a limited numbers of points that reach out into the lake you can narrow down the places to fish it.

Finally, Sam notes that some bass are being caught burning a fluke just under the surface way up the rivers. 

November 5

Lake Jocassee is at 93.3% of full pool and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 67-68 degrees. 

The trout bite on Lake Jocassee continues to be slow, which Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports is par for the course in November. Many years ago they stopped doing a trout tournament in November because so few keepers were weighed in. Even though surface temperatures are dropping fish are still super deep in the 100-120 foot range of the big water, and they are only picking up a fish here-and-there. A combination of time of year and the over-abundance of bait is probably weakening the bite. Sam is marking the most fish around Whitewater, although there are still fish at the dam too. Fish still aren’t showing much preference between Sutton and Apex spoons and live bait isn’t working any better.

While they are still picking up a few bass trolling for trout in very deep water, or while pulling lures back up to the surface, the deep bass bite is slower than last month. 

Full bass report to follow from tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley.

October 21

Lake Jocassee is at 94.6% of full pool and they are pulling so much water through the lake that water clarity is unusually high despite all the rain, even in areas that are not usually clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 74 degrees. 

There aren’t many surprises in the fall trout bite on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that the fish are doing almost exactly what he expects for this time of year. Fish are still super deep in the 100-120 foot range of the big water, and they are picking up a fish here-and-there but not great numbers. It usually isn’t until water temperatures drop in December and they stock more fish that the bite really gets hot again, although the full moon isn’t helping since so many fish feed at night.  

For now the fish aren’t showing much preference between Sutton and Apex spoons, and they are willing to eat bigger and more normal-sized spoons again. There is an incredible amount of bait in the water and no one is really fishing live bait right now. Surprisingly the catch has been almost all rainbows recently while the browns have been absent.

While they are still picking up a few bass trolling for trout in very deep water, or while pulling lures back up to the surface, the deep bass bite has slowed down a little since all the rain.

Full bass report to follow from tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley.

October 8

Lake Jocassee is at 95.9% of full pool and clarity has been unusually high – although the rains are beginning to reduce it. Morning surface water temperatures are still around 76-77 degrees. 

Despite pouring rain that kept him off the water, tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports that it still took 19 pounds to win the Thursday night bass tournament last night on Lake Jocassee, with the big bags coming shallow. The winning team had a sack of largemouth that came just going down the bank and throwing topwater lures. This is not unusual in the fall when it gets close to the turnover, and Joe says that at that time fish customarily go shallow or very deep. 

That is exactly consistent with the report from Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056), who says it has been a little tricky to get the trout to bite but luckily spotted bass have stepped in to provide the action and some good eating.  All of a sudden a lot of bass have showed up in the 80-120 foot range where they are still marking the trout in the big water near the dam or at the mouth of the Whitewater.  Bigger Sutton spoons have been best for both trout and bass right now.

September 30

Lake Jocassee is around 95.4% of full pool and clarity is extremely high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 77 degrees. 

Water temperatures have not cooled off enough for the trout to move shallower, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that the fish they are catching are still coming in 100 plus feet of water by the dam or in the main body of water where the Whitewater River comes in. There have been some bigger ones but most of the fish are in the 3-4 pound range, and they are also catching a good number of spotted bass deep right now. For some reason big Sutton spoons are working the best at the moment. 

New bass fishing report to follow from tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley.

September 17

Lake Jocassee is up to 95.4% of full pool and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 80-82 degrees. 

Last night makes 5 out of 6 Thursday night bass tournaments on Lake Jocassee that tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley has won in a row, with the off-week being last week when another team landed a monster 9.77 pound largemouth to go with some other impressive fish. The bite was a little slower last night and Joe only had about thirteen pounds, with the second place team just under 11. 

While there are still some fish being caught out deep in 40-45 feet on a jig, from what Joe is seeing it looks like the fish are moving shallower again and the offshore bite is slowing down as some of the shad appear to be transitioning away from the depths. His main weapon in the evenings has been a jerkbait, while if he were fishing in the mornings he would probably spend more time with a buzzbait in low light conditions. It gets dark so fast now that the low light window is really short in the p.m. Flukes are also working well. 

There’s not a lot of change in the trout fishing, and Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that they are catching a few big ones but overall the bite has been pretty slow.  It’s about right for the season.  All of the fish that they are catching are still in 100 plus feet of water, either by the dam or in the main body of water where the Whitewater River comes in.  Sutton and Apex spoons both seem to be working about the same.

September 3

Lake Jocassee is at 94.2% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s on the main lake.    

Last night makes three straight first place finishes for tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley in the Thursday night bass tournaments on Lake Jocassee, and he reports that fish are being caught on a combination of shallow and deep patterns. Last night he caught a monster 7.86 pound largemouth on a buzzbait in two feet of water, and lots of other anglers are also fishing topwater lures around the banks. 

However, what seems to be separating the top bags is that they are comprised of fish caught both shallow and deep. Last week Joe’s bag was anchored by a monster spotted bass (his personal best) weighing 6.88 pounds, and these fish are coming suspended offshore in schools in up to 90 feet of water. The huge spot came almost 70 feet down, and like most of the offshore fish it was in a big group of 30 or so others. Often they are over timber, and you pretty much have to mark them on your electronics to target them. From there it’s a matter of counting a spy bait or swimbait down to the right depth, and usually the bass will take it on the fall. 

Joe has found the best action at the mouths of the rivers. 

Usually at this time of year the trout fishing slows down on Lake Jocassee until it really cools off, but Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that typically if you put the hours in you can catch a big fish. That hasn’t been the case for the last couple of weeks, but after 20 years of guiding on the lake Sam isn’t worried. Sam knows there are plenty of big ones swimming around and they could turn on at any point.

All of the fish that they are catching have been in 100 plus feet of water, either by the dam or in the main body of water where the Whitewater River comes in. Sutton and Apex spoons both seem to be working about the same.