July 17
Lake Jocassee is at 91.9% of full pool, and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures range from 80 to 84 degrees.
Thetrout bite remains outstanding on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Casey Jones withJocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that July is typically an excellent month for trout if you have a good game plan. For Casey, the key is following the trout as they move progressively deeper in the water column at Lake Jocassee.
Also, as reported recently, other species continue to be taken while trolling for trout, includingblack bass andcatfish.
Guide Casey Jones said big trout are still in play in July by fishing deep water.
Casey and his dad, Sam, are now targeting even deeper water than previously, with fish now being caught in 90-115 feet of water, and a recent check with a temperature sensor indicated that a trout-friendly temperature of 68 degrees didn’t register until it hit 80 feet of water. It’s important to check different depths because Casey said the fish will come up in the water column to feed, but most of the action is in the deep water.
Their best results are at the lower end of the lake, and all the fish they’re catching are caught by trolling Apex and Sutton spoons.
--Terry Madewell
July 1
Lake Jocassee is at 92.7% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 78-80 degrees.
The trout bite remains pretty fantastic on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Sam Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that now a ton of catfish and carp are joining the party. On one recent trip they also caught two black bass to go with twelve trout!
The fish are now coming in 60-100 feet of water, and a week ago when Sam dropped a sensor down he saw that it had to get to 80 feet to reach a comfortable 68-degree temperature. His deepest this year came at 95 feet while his son and guiding partner Casey managed one at 110 feet. Fish are generally coming up to feed.
They are pretty much only fishing at the dam, and they are catching everything trolling Apex and Sutton spoons.
June 16
Lake Jocassee is at 92.2% of full pool, and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 75-76 degrees.
The trout bite remains excellent on Lake Jocassee as it has throughout June, Guide Casey Jones withJocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports. The fishing over the past weekend was excellent, with some quality trout caught, along with plenty of smaller keeper-sized fish.
Casey said the bulk of the catches are from last year’s stocking, but they are fun fish to fight and great to take home. With no size limit from June 1 to the end of September, they don’t measure them, but Casey said all were good eating-sized trout.
Guide Casey Jones said some big trout are being caught at Lake Jocassee right now.
As the summer heat bears down, he said the fish are slowly moving deeper in the water column, and trout are orienting to forage, and the best depths to catch trout are now in the 80–100-foot range, with much of the action in the lower end of the lake.
He said trolling spoons have been the most productive pattern, with his favorite being the Apex, and his guiding partner, Sam Jones, prefers the Sutton spoons. The key is to present them at the right depth and speed.
Casey said they continue to catch a few black bass while trolling, along with other species, including catfish.
Terry Madewell
June 4
Lake Jocassee is up to 94.3% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 74 degrees.
Once again the trout bite is pretty fantastic on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Sam Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that yesterday they caught nine trout (pictured below). All were fish from last winter’s stocking, and with no size limit from June 1 to the end of September they don’t even have to measure them, but all were solid, healthy fish that will eat well.
Right now everything is coming from the dam area, and even though there is lots of bait up the rivers the bite has been very slow there. There are also some massive balls of bait at the dam which are clearly drawing in the fish.
Trolling spoons from 40-80 feet has been the best pattern, with Sam favoring Sutton spoons while his son and guiding partner Casey is also catching them on Apex spoons. The deepest fish they have caught so far this year was at 90 feet, and Sam is still trying for the first 100.
By the end of June they expect fish to be from about 60-100 feet deep, as even though the deeper water will be more comfortable for trout bait doesn’t like to go much below 60-70 so they have to come up to feed.
They have caught a few black bass and one 15-pound catfish.
May 27
Lake Jocassee is at 92.7% of full pool, and water clarity is extremely high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 76 degrees.
The trout bite continues to be productive at Lake Jocassee, and Guide Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports not much has changed recently except the fish are slowly holding deeper as the water warms. But the bite is still excellent on fish in the 14-17 inch class.
Guide Casey Jones reports some big trout are still being caught at Lake Jocassee.
Plus, they’re still catching some bigger trout as well, and the biggest change in the pattern is that the fish have moved a little deeper, and the best action is in water 40-80 feet deep. Trolling Apex and Sutton spoons have been the most successful tactic and lure combination this week, and that should continue to produce.
Casey hasn’t caught any black bass recently while trolling, although this is the time of year when it typically begins to occur. He did report that, in a bass tournament over the weekend on Lake Jocassee, it took 21 pounds to win, so the black bass action is indeed improving on Jocassee.
Terry Madewell
May 14
Lake Jocassee is at 91.9% of full pool, and water clarity is extremely high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees.
The trout bite continues to be excellent at Lake Jocassee, and Guide Casey Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that a lot of trout from last year’s stocking are being caught and are ranging from 14-17 inches in length.
Casey also said they’re catching some holdover trout in the 20-plus-inch class, and his clients are catching some quality fish. He reports his client caught a 5-pound brown trout on Tuesday of this week. Trolling in 35-70 feet of water with Apex and Sutton spoons has been the most successful tactic and lure combination this week. He believes this pattern should hold for a while. The fish may change depth preferences, but the bite should hold up well.
He hasn’t caught any black bass recently, and no update is available at this time. Typically, bass begin to show up offshore after they come off beds. In the post-spawn phase, anglers often catch spotted bass by trolling in open water.
Terry Madewell
April 29
Lake Jocassee is at 92.4% of full pool and water clarity is extremely high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees.
The trout bite is pretty fantastic on Lake Jocassee, and Guide Sam Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that while they are only getting occasional big fish they are catching outstanding numbers of keepers from last winter’s stocking as well as a few short fish. (An 8 ½ pounder won Saturday’s Friends of Jocassee tournament, but the second and third place fish were 2 ½ pounds). Fish are scattered all over the lake and, although the dam continues to be a hotspot, other areas are good too.
Right now fish are mostly being caught trolling spoons in 30-60 feet, and Sam predicts that won’t change much in May. Usually it’s not until June that fish go much deeper than 60 feet, although if it gets very hot some could push towards 70 or 80 feet this month.
One change in May should be that more black bass will start to show up offshore after they come off of beds, and spotted bass in particular will be caught trolling in open water. They are bedding now, and the water is so clear that in about 12-15 feet of water by the dock at the main boat ramp Sam saw a spot on a bed – not a very concealed location!
April 23
Lake Jocassee is at 92.1% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 66-67 degrees.
The trout bite is staying hot on Lake Jocassee, with Guide Sam Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reporting a very consistent bite. They are getting numbers as well as plenty of good fish. They continue to catch some fish up the rivers but more are still coming in the dam area, and the peak depth has been 30-70 feet. Both Sutton and Apex spoons are working well.
Black bass are still absent but they are picking up some catfish and carp.
April 16
Lake Jocassee is at 92.7% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 65 degrees.
The trout bite continues to get better and better on Lake Jocassee, with Guide Sam Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reporting that in the recent tournament a 7 ½-pound fish won Saturday and the day before the same angler caught a 10! While both of those fish apparently came on herring, Jocassee Charters has been having great success trolling spoons. They are still catching some fish up the rivers but more are coming in the dam area, and the peak depth has been 30-60 feet.
Black bass have been absent but they are starting to pick up some catfish and carp.
April 3
Lake Jocassee is at 93.0% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s.
Just in time for Easter weekend and then spring break for a lot of families, the Lake Jocassee trout fishing has turned on and Guide Sam Jones with Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that they have had some really good days this week. One day they caught eight fish with a couple over four pounds, and in general both numbers and sizes have gone up recently. With water temperatures still fairly mild fish can be about anywhere, but the best action is coming fishing 30-55 feet down. Spoons are out-fishing live bait right now.
