Join AHQ Premier for unlimited Free Shipping & access to the AHQ Report. Click here for 30 day free trial! Or enjoy Free Shipping on orders over $50!

Reel in the big fish with one of our handpicked fishing reels. Shop by brand or reel type.

Shop our collection of fishing rods to find the one that best matches your needs.

AHQ INSIDER Lake Keowee (SC) Winter Fishing Report – Updated January 16

  • by Jay

Please note that the newest Lake Keowee fishing report can be found at http://www.anglersheadquarters.com/ahq-insider-lake-keowee-sc-winter-fishing-report/

January 16

Lake Keowee is at 96.8% of full pool. Water temperatures vary greatly across the lake, but generally range from the mid- to upper 50s on the lower end to the lower to mid-60s in the 6-Mile Area.  Clarity is very good.

Guide Brad Fowler reports that there is little change in the bass fishing on Lake Keowee.  The pattern is very similar, but on one recent trip they found the fish holding very tight to the bottom.  Spoons and drop shots caught a few fish, but fishing a worm on a jighead very close to the bottom was more effective.

Captain Bill Plumley (864-287-2120) reports that this is the season where he typically spends less time on Lake Hartwell chasing striper and more time fishing for spotted bass on Lake Keowee, and on recent trips his boat has caught good numbers of spotted bass fishing live bait.  In a typical morning they have caught 15-30 fish on down-lines, including some nice fish in the 3 ½ pound range. Bill has been concentrating on 40-60 feet of water and marking fish on his graph.  He has found the best concentrations of fish by following long coves back until they hit the 40-60 foot depth.  Note that he downsizes to 10-pound line on Keowee.

December 28

Lake Keowee is at 95.9% of full pool. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper-50s in the majority of the lake and clarity is very good.

Bassare finally starting to settle down in their deep holes on Lake Keowee, even though Guide Brad Fowler reports that water temperatures are still a little behind where they usually are at this time.  The fish are slowly getting into a typical winter pattern, and there is a decent bite with good numbers of fish.  Fish are being found in 50-60 feet of water around drops, ditches and other depth changes, and there are also some fish as deep as 70-90 feet.  Brad reports that birds will sometimes offer clues about where fish are located (even though there isn’t much surface activity on Keowee in the winter), and dropping baits under the birds is usually a good area.  Finding bait and fish on the Lowrance is even more productive but can take a little more looking if you don’t know the lake.  Drop shot rigs, spoons and fish head spins will all catch fish.

Brad Fowler with a cool weather Keowee spotted bass
Brad Fowler with a cool weather Keowee spotted bass

Search