November 20

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.68 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are about 65 degrees. 

It’s an exciting time to fish on Lake Murray, and BYA Fishing’s Eric Enlow of Union reports that there are schools of striped bass, black bass, and big white perch chasing bait from around Buffalo Creek up to the rivers in the river and creek channels. They are just in open water, and while the birds aren’t providing clues to locate them yet you can either mark them on electronics or look for fish crashing bait. They aren’t schooling but they will swirl on the surface at times. They will hammer a small swimbait, but even though Eric hasn’t tried it an Alabama rig may work even better. 

That’s consistent with the report from Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354), who acknowledges that there are some striper in creeks all over the lake but believes the bulk of the fish are above Dreher Island. Most of the fish are in the channel or at the mouths of creeks, and it’s really a matter of covering water until you find them. Free-lines and planer boards have been working the best. 

With a 3-day championship coming up this weekend tournament bass angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria hasn’t been able to be on the water since the lake went off-limits, but he’s literally prepared to fish anywhere on the lake. Normally this time of year one group of fish is going deep, but with persistently warm water temperatures he is prepared to fish shallow to deep from the rivers to the dam. With water temperatures just beginning to drop fish should be transitioning, and he also suspects all the new grass will affect how the fish position. 

Along those lines Captain Brad reports that water temperatures haven’t gotten quite cold enough to really stack the crappie up in the rivers, and they are sporadically on docks and bridges up that way. He also has one brush piles at the mouth of a creek that is absolutely loaded with 9-11 inch crappie, but they aren’t on other ones in identical locations. 

The better catches continue to come down the lake, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the better fish are still out near the channel but also moving into the mouth of creeks to about one-quarter back. They are still on brush in about 28 feet of water, although there is starting to be some action on 20-24 foot brush as well. Most of the fish are suspended about 14-16 feet down and they are biting best on minnows.

There is optimism that the cooler weather will really turn the catfish on, but Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that there have actually been some really big blues in the 40-pound range caught suspended on down-rods by striper fishermen! However, he expects this front to stack them up in 40-50 feet on the main channel up the lake where you can drift for them when there is some wind. While herring will clearly catch big fish gizzard shad are often the best option this time of year for a big bite. 

November 13

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.43 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 69-70 degrees. 

The striped bass are making their seasonal progression up the lake, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that there are now piles of fish from about Bear Creek and Dreher Island to Black’s Bridge. There is a fair amount of schooling activity, while at other times the fish are feeding sub-surface. Most of the fish are in the channel or at the mouths of creeks, and it’s really a matter of covering water until you find them. Free-lines and planer boards have been working the best. 

Gulls are just starting to show up and so things will get interesting very fast.

Meanwhile the black bass fishing is a little tough, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that while there have been few good bags in tournaments he has found the fishing to mostly be a grind. Fish are extremely scattered right now, and Andy hopes that colder weather will group them up better and standardize patterns. 

In fact, his last couple of times on the water he has not marked a lot of fish on cane, points, or anywhere else, and it seems like the suspended bite is pretty much done. There are some fish shallow that he has caught on a crankbait, but it’s hard to believe that’s where all the fish are. 

That’s consistent with the report from veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda, who isn’t seeing much suspended either and believes about the best thing going is dragging a football jig on secondary points out to about 10 feet of water. There is still a lot of grass, too, and throwing a frog, buzzbait, or lipless crankbait can generate bites. 

Up in the rivers Captain Brad reports that the crappie bite still isn’t where it should be, and temperatures really need to cool off a few degrees for things to turn on. A few fish are being caught on brush but it’s not really happening yet.

Some of the better catches are coming down the lake, where veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the better fish are still in 38-40 feet of water on brush or other cover. They are generally suspended 10-18 feet down, and in the clear conditions they really only want a minnow on a finesse presentation. They are spooky, and after you catch a couple of fish they will leave and swim in circles before eventually returning.  

Finally, the catfish anglers are also waiting for cooler weather.  Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that he has caught a few monsters anchored down up the lake, but for right now the fish are pretty scattered and not feeding very well. They are also moving around, and some days they are up on the flats and then the next day they can be in the channel. Right now drifting has mainly been catching channel catfish. Gizzard shad has been the best bait for big fish. 

October 30

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.20 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 69 degrees. 

The striped bass fishing was getting really good as temperatures dropped recently, but Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that when water temperatures jumped back up the fish scattered out again.  You can still catch them in most of the major creeks on the lake, including Hollow Creek, Big Beaverdam Creek, and on the lower side of Shull Island, and Captain Brad has been fishing in the rivers – but the bite is not as good anywhere as a few days ago. 

The best action has come on free-lines and planer boards, and depths vary greatly because fish are chasing bait and moving around so much. But generally, fish are up in the water column and there has also been a significant amount of schooling activity.  Brad notes that right now they are catching a pretty significant number of catfish, including big blues, channels and flatheads. Blues can be up in the water column while the other species are more likely to be close to the bottom. 

That’s consistent with the report from Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857), who advises that catfish are really starting to group up and get into a fall pattern. From what he is seeing most of the fish are pretty deep in 30-40 feet of water in the channel, but there are also times when they will be on the flats off the channel. The best concentrations of catfish are in the upper part of the lake which is where striper guides are intercepting them. 

At the same time the black bass fishing is tough, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that there doesn’t seem to be any clear pattern. This weekend in a tournament they had to fish a bunch of different patterns just to get a handful of bites, with the only consistency coming LiveScoping in open water and then finding a couple of fish on brush piles. About the only true pattern seems to be fishing a buzzbait in stained water, but it’s not going on everywhere.

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he also thinks the most consistent action is probably shallow, and fishing a buzzbait, frog or horny toad around shallow grass is probably the best way to catch decent fish. There are also some fish on submerged grass off points but nothing is very hot right now. 

The crappie bite is a little tricky right now, and Captain Brad reports that up the lake the fishing had gotten good around brush and docks. However, when temperatures rose again the fish scattered out and right now you have to do a lot of looking to find fish. 

October 16

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.46 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is clearing. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 70s. 

There are striped bass scattered all over the lake, including up the rivers, but Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the bulk of the fish are in the area around Dreher Island, Johns Creek and Beaverdam Creek. They are scattered through all those mid-lake creeks, and there is heavy schooling activity. Generally they are related to the channels, but depths vary from day to day. When fish aren’t busting on top then free-lines and planer boards are the best ways to locate them and covering water is the name of the game. 

The bass fishing has gotten a little tougher, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that from what he is seeing the suspended bite has petered out and it’s just not really happening anymore. The lake is almost fishing like it’s turning over, even though he isn’t sure what stage of the turnover we are in between the USGS gauge being down for dam repairs and the recent flood conditions.

This week everything he has caught has come fishing the banks, throwing crankbaits and topwaters or jigs around docks. 

At the same time veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there are still a few suspended fish related to the outer edges of the grass points, although that bite is dying off, and it may be better to look on the bottom with a shaky head or drop shot around the grass. He has also heard reports of some fish starting to be caught in 15-20 feet on a jigging spoon, which wouldn’t surprise Andy at all with the conditions he is seeing.  

On the crappie front, up the lake Captain Brad reports that the brush, bridges and docks seem to be kind of feast-or-famine right now. It’s not unusual to visit structure in 12-14 feet and find the crappie absolutely loaded and looking to eat, but then to fish several more places and not mark a fish. But when you get on the right spot you can really catch them. 

In the middle and lower lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that things are on the verge of changing with the cool snap, but as of a day or two ago fish were still on deep brush in 28-31 feet of water towards the main lake, suspended 12-16 feet down. Minnows and jigs are both working depending on the day and even time of day. 

Catfish report to follow from Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857).

October 10

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.70 (full pool is 360.00) and the lake is clearing. Creeks on the upper end are only dingy, not muddy, and it seems like so much water rushed through the lake that the main lake cleared quickly.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid to upper 70s. 

It’s an interesting striped bass bite on Lake Murray right now, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that it can really only be described as feast-or-famine.  If you find feeding fish you will have an outstanding day, but on days when you struggle to locate them you may only catch a handful. Because of water conditions over the last ten days the best fishing is below Shull Island, and fish are around a lot of the points off the main channel that they frequent in the early summer. Fish are generally 20-30 feet down although they could be over 60 or more feet of water, and lots of the time they are coming up and schooling. Free-lines and planer boards are working well right now. 

The bass are also schooling, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria says that it can be a fun time to catch them – but also challenging for tournament anglers trying to pattern the fish. On his last trip he caught a 6-pounder and several decent fish schooling, but they were in pretty random areas mixed in with striper.  He was sitting on a cane pile seeing a lot of suspended fish, but then out of nowhere they came up in a different area. While he did not mark concentrations of fish around offshore grass, some did come up schooling near it. 

Overall Andy rates the schooling bite as strong right now, but it’s pretty tough to call suspended fish up if they aren’t already feeding on top. Additionally, there is a decent bite around the banks with a Whopper Plopper or buzzbait. 

On the crappie front, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that surprisingly little has changed from a few weeks ago now that the lake has settled down. That’s most likely due to persistently warm temperatures, although cool nights will certainly change that going forward. He is still finding fish on deep brush in 28-31 feet of water towards the main lake. Fish are suspended 12-16 feet down. Minnows and jigs are both working depending on the day and even time of day. 

Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that most of his catfishangling friends have been unable to go as they help people recover from the storm, but if he were to get out there this weekend he would start up the river above Black’s Bridge and anchor. When a lot of water comes into the lake catfish and especially blue cats have a tendency to go upstream, and he would look no deeper than 25 feet.

Of course, channel catfish are still scattered all over the lake. Herring, assorted cut bait, and even dip bait will still work in the warm water. 

October 2

Lake Murray water levels crested at over 359 but have since dropped back to 358.68 (full pool is 360.00).  The whole lake is stained to muddy and morning surface water temperatures remain in the upper 70s. 

As everyone continues to deal with the devastation from Hurricane Helene, including the loss of power in the region, we don’t have first-hand fishing reports from our guides and experts to offer yet this week. However, we have heard that striper continue to school, and the best prediction is that many species have moved shallower due to water conditions. 

Updates to follow as soon as we have them.  

September 26

Lake Murray water levels are at 355.91 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity was normal before the rain started.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees. 

It’s anyone’s guess exactly what the striped bass fishing on Lake Murray will look like on the back side of Helene, but Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that going into the storms the schooling activity has still been pretty fantastic on the lake. It’s concentrated around or just below the middle section of the lake, from about Shull Island to Sandy Beach to Spence Island on the Lexington side and then from Pine Island to Goat Island to Burton Point on the Chapin side. This area has an incredible number of 60-80 foot channels, and generally the fish are running over those.

When fish aren’t breaking on the surface then Captain Brad’s preferred technique after marking them is to put out a few down-rods and then cast some free-lines out the back of the boat. But always have a topwater tied on and ready to go.

Information about the bass fishing on Lake Murray is limited since the lake has been off-limits to so many people because of the Skeeter Challenge Championship, but reports indicate that the fishing has been pretty tough. There are still some schooling fish that have been caught around points and grass, but that bite continues to be unpredictable. In fact, the best pattern may be a shallow buzzbait bite in main lake or main creek pockets right now. 

In any event, we will know more after this weekend. 

Also – be sure to check out our Lake Murray Bass T-Shirts, designed by one of the site owners.  They are a pretty good deal for original art work at less than $20!

On the crappie front, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that with persistently warm temperatures the patterns have not changed from last week – although they should change after this weekend. He is still catching fish in about 28 feet of water on brush that comes up about 10 feet off the bottom. The crappie are suspended about 12-16 feet down. While there are crappie feeding all over the lake the mid-lake area has been most productive for Tommy recently, with fish moving into creeks. Minnows and jigs are both working depending on the day and even time of day. 

Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that the storm may disrupt patterns for a few days, but after that he expects for catfish to continue to move deeper. He is still marking tons of big channel cats and some blues in 30-40 feet around Bear Creek and Dreher Island, mostly around humps, ledges and drops. There is so much bait in the area that it can be hard to get bites, but anchoring with cut herring and perch is as good as anything. Dip baits will also still work.

September 19

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.05 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 76 degrees. 

It’s one of the best times of the year for striped bass fishing on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that some pretty incredible schooling activity has broken out. It’s concentrated around or just below the middle section of the lake, from about Shull Island to Sandy Beach to Spence Island on the Lexington side and then from Pine Island to Goat Island to Burton Point on the Chapin side. This area has an incredible number of 60-80 foot channels, and generally the fish are running over those.

When fish aren’t breaking on the surface then Captain Brad’s preferred technique after marking them is to put out a few down-rods and then cast some free-lines out the back of the boat. But always have a topwater tied on and ready to go!

On the other hand the consensus from veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria is that the bass fishing is still really tough, and it seems that about the only good bite is very early (unless you go up the rivers and flip cover). They are still marking plenty of suspended fish, but it seems that in areas that have grass more fish are relating to it and less to cane. In areas without grass the cane is still covered up in fish, but getting them to bite is also still a challenge.

The best action is generally coming on flukes or topwater lures, although a few anglers do report that they are able to catch fish on the bottom offshore. Meanwhile Stan can’t even get a bite that way. 

On the crappie front, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the bite is starting to pick up with the cooler temperatures. He is now catching fish in about 28 feet of water on brush that comes up about 10 feet off the bottom. The crappie are suspended about 12-16 feet down. While there are crappie feeding all over the lake the mid-lake area has been most productive for Tommy recently, with fish moving into creeks. Minnows and jigs are both working depending on the day and even time of day. 

Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that as other species are moving shallower and up in the water column Lake Murray catfish are moving deeper. He is now marking tons of big channel cats and some blues in 30-40 feet around Bear Creek and Dreher Island, mostly around humps, ledges and drops. There is so much bait in the area that it can be hard to get bites, but anchoring with cut herring and perch is as good as anything. Dip baits will also still work.

September 5

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.63 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is very high.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees. 

The bass fishing is really tough on Lake Murray right now, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that in this weekend’s For Our Glory tournament pairing tournament anglers with veterans there were only five limits caught out of 56 boats! Wesley Sandifer’s boat had first with just over 16 pounds, Bryan New’s had second, and Stan’s finished in third.  For Stan the only good bite they could find was an early schooling bite around lower lake grass, and they caught four on their first stop around the outside edge of points with grass in about 10 feet of water. They couldn’t call them up but caught three breaking fish on a fluke and one on a Sammy. After that they could still mark the fish and see them following baits but absolutely could not get them to bite whether fishing on top, in the middle of the water column, or on the bottom.

The only way they way were able to finish out their limit and upgrade with a four-pounder was throwing a Texas-rigged Ole Monster up the river. 

Unfortunately that’s exactly consistent with the report from tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria, who says that there are a lot of fish suspended in 15-20 feet but they are very, very hard to catch.  The bite was decent until a few weeks ago and it should get better again soon – it’s not unusual to have a late summer slowdown. 

The striped bass are doing about the same thing as last week, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that most of the fish are still from Spence Island up to around Dreher Island. They are in deep channels in creeks on both sides of the lake, and most of the fish he is catching are 15-25 feet down over more than 100 feet of water. The bigger fish are still coming casting free-lines, but they are catching numbers of good fish on down-rods. 

While it hasn’t really broken out yet, in the next few days Captain Brad looks for schooling activity to get really good with the weather we are having right now.  They could be about anywhere in the main lake or the front of creeks and so you just have to keep looking. 

On the crappie front, veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that the fishing is on the verge of getting really good but for now the bigger fish are mostly still hanging out on deeper brush near the channels. They are already suspending a little higher in the brush, but it won’t be until water temperatures cool further that they will start to move much shallower than about 30 feet below the rivers. In the very clear conditions down the lake small Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads or minnows on a downsized presentation are working the best. Up the lake you can fish medium-depth brush and deeper docks with minnows and jigs. 

Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that for bigger catfish he is looking in the middle to upper lake on the river channel or flats adjacent to it. During the day they will be deeper, while at night they will move shallower. But all over the lake channel catfish can be caught on points and humps, and with water temperatures still warm it’s still hard to beat prepared dip baits. 

August 27

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.97 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal.  Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 79 degrees. 

At least right now it seems that the traditional summer striped bass pattern on Lake Murray is done for the season, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish have left the lower lake and pretty much everything is from Spence Island up to around Dreher. They are in deep channels in creeks on both sides of the lake, and most of the fish he is catching are in more than 100 feet of water. However, they are holding about 15-25 feet deep. The bigger fish are coming casting free-lines, but they are catching numbers of good fish on down-rods. 

In this weekend’s Fishing for a Cause bass tournament, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that most importantly they had a 60-boat turnout and raised over $15,000 for A Place for Us Ministries. The fishing was pretty good, too, and Stan reports that there were eight or nine bags over 17 pounds and the winners Hampton Anderson and Tyson Alvanos had nearly 20.

While the tournament big fish was caught up the river flipping, most of the fish were caught on topwater lures including walking baits, hard flukes, and flukes around grass and the ends of points with grass. Some anglers saw fish schooling while others had to call them up, but what’s remarkable is (at least for right now) how grass has eclipsed cane as the primary pattern.  Like cane traditionally, it’s an all-day pattern.  

As for the crappie, Captain Brad reports that a few more fish are being caught up the lake around bridges, brush and docks in 15-20 feet, and they are generally suspended about halfway down. As water temperatures drop fish are getting more aggressive, and this will only get better in the coming weeks, too. 

That’s also true down the lake, and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that cooler temperatures have the fish chasing bait a little more. The second week of September through the first week of November should be the prime time for brush fishing on Murray.   

For now fish are still almost exclusively on brush beside the river channel or in the channel itself in 30 plus feet of water, but they are suspending higher in the brush as temperatures have cooled. 

Light Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads or minnows on a downsized presentation are working the best. 

Finally, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that there are very limited reports on the catfish right now. Between the returning heat and boat traffic not a lot of folks are targeting them seriously, but dip baits off humps and points in 5-25 feet should still be effective for channels. For now night fishing is probably still the most productive.  

August 13

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.30 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is pretty normal even after recent rains.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 82-83 degrees. 

After a week away from reports (our annual beach vacation, interrupted by the storm, was last week) we are excited to report that the striped bass fishing on Lake Murray is back on track, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the bulk of the fish have made their way into the mid-lake now. Since the storm ended there has been a lot of schooling activity, generally over ditches off the main channel. Yesterday the fish were in 40 feet and today they were in 70. Free-lines are working very well but you can also catch them on topwater lures.

Some fish may go back down to the dam area but most of them probably will not again this year. 

Even though it’s August there are signs of life with the Lake Murray bass, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the abundance of grass in the lake is positively affecting the bite. At the same time, it may change patterns. 

In areas where there is grass then early in the morning a frog or buzzbait can be very effective, and then during the day working the deeper edges of the grass with a drop shot or swimbait is a good pattern. But the best way to catch those fish recently has been with a hard fluke like the Glitch or Mad Shad. 

At the same time where there is grass fish are less likely to group up on cane and suspend offshore, but in areas without grass fish are just starting to load up on cane. It will be interesting to see what patterns are most productive in the upcoming August 24 Fishing for a Cause benefit tournament Stan is sponsoring. 

While it’s still warm, with days getting shorter and the lake starting to change Captain Brad reports that the crappie bite on the river is on the verge of getting very good. Already anglers are picking more fish off brush and docks up the river, but he expects that very soon the crappie will turn on over brush in 15-20 feet. 

At the same time down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish are still almost exclusively on brush beside the river channel or in the channel itself in 30 plus feet of water.   The bite is early when fish are suspended over top the brush, and after about 8 am they sink down into the brush and basically stop biting.  One note, however, is that if the water in an area has color from the rains the fish may bite better and in longer windows.   

Light Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads or minnows on a downsized presentation are working the best. 

Finally, Captain Brad reports that up the lake they are still finding a pretty fantastic shellcracker bite in 4-8 feet of water over shell and rocky bottoms which don’t have a lot of weed. They are fishing worms on a Carolina rig, and in the same areas and a little deeper they are also picking up a good number of channel catfish on the same bait. Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that by now the spawn does appear to be over and reminds anglers that in warm water dip bait is often hard to beat. 

August 1

Lake Murray water levels are up to 357.88 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is below average for summer.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 84 degrees.    

As widely reported there has been a pretty significant striped bass kill on Lake Murray recently, and Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that it’s a normal, natural cycle when the water quality drops in late summer heat, especially when you have a lot of cloudy weather (which reduces oxygen levels) and they have to displace good quality water with lower quality water in releases. The result, especially in an unnatural environment for striped bass, is a bunch of dead fish. 

To better understand the current conditions on Murray, check out this informational video from Taylor Outdoors about the recent fish kill.   

While there are still some big striper deep in the lower lake, they aren’t biting and so Captain Brad is instead catching limits of 15-17 inch fish in the Shull Island area along  ridges off the channel about 20-30 feet down in 70 feet of water. 

After that he is moving on to other species, and luckily up the lake they are finding a pretty fantastic shellcracker bite in 4-8 feet of water over shell and rocky bottoms which don’t have a lot of weed. They are fishing worms on a Carolina rig, and in the same areas and a little deeper they are also picking up a good number of channel catfish on the same bait. Interestingly, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that there have also been a surprisingly high number of fish caught off points on the lower end that are still spawning. They are coming on cut bait, and of course you can also still catch channels with dip baits off humps and long points in 5-25 feet of water. At night they often bite better and move to the shallower end of that range, while during the day they will be on the deeper end.

As would be expected at the beginning of August, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter reports that the bass fishing has slowed down but again there have been a surprising number of fish schooling off points and over grass. This is more likely to take place first thing, but it can happen all day. There are also some suspended fish on cane, but Stan notes that with so much grass in the lake he can already tell that it is affecting the cane bite.  For cane topwaters are working the best right now, while around grass he recommends a frog or buzzbait (especially early and late) and a drop shot on the outside edges.  

While there is the potential to catch fish, 16-18 pounds is a very good day right now and it’s not uncommon to struggle to get any bites. 

While Captain Brad isn’t messing with the crappie right now, down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish are almost exclusively on brush beside the river channel or in the channel itself. They are on brush in 30 plus feet of water.   The bite is early when fish are suspended over top the brush, and after about 8 am they sink down into the brush and basically stop biting.  

Light Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads are working the best, and if you use minnows you should also downsize your presentation. 

July 17

Lake Murray water levels are back down to 357.37 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is normal.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 80s.   

The striped bass fishing dropped off last week as the water quality went down after last week’s rain, but Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that the fishing has picked right back up this week.  Fish are in the lower pool, and most people are catching them 50-70 feet deep off the end of ridges on the bottom. There are also some suspended fish at about that depth over deep water near the towers, but as you can see driving over the dam on a typical weekend day these fish are highly pressured which can affect the bite. In fact, if you are willing to fish in the wee hours the night bite has probably been the best thing going. 

It's a similar story from Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857), who reports that this weekend he found a pretty good bite for fish 55 deep suspended in 75 feet of water. All of his fish came from herring on down-rods in Yacht Cove. 

While Captain William has not targeted the channel catfish this week, all the reports he hears indicate the bite continues to improve post-spawn with fish being caught around humps and long points in 5-25 feet of water. At night they often bite better and move to the shallower end of that range, while during the day they will be on the deeper end.

While a variety of baits will work, dip baits are out-fishing everything else right now. 

The crappie have gotten a little finicky on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad reports that he is consistently marking hundreds of fish on brush in about 15 feet of water off the side of the main channel up the lake. However, some days they are devouring jigs and then other days they won’t even sniff at a minnow or a jig. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish have moved even further into a summer pattern, and by now he is pretty much only finding them on the edge of the river channel or in the channel itself. Big fish over a pound are stacked up on brush in 30 plus feet of water.   The bite is early when fish are suspended over top the brush, and after about 8 am they sink down into the brush and basically stop biting.  

Light Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads are working the best, and if you use minnows you should also downsize your presentation. 

The author was still catching numbers of fish around deep shaded marina docks in at least 20 feet of water on the lower end as of last week, but in the last few days the bite has really slowed. Either the fish have left or they have gotten very finicky and will only bite in small windows. 

Finally, in addition to the suspended bass that are on cane in 15-25 feet, and the fish that will eat a worm dragged around deep brush, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there is a surprisingly good bite around grass in just 4-8 feet of water. In the morning the fish are most aggressive and they will eat a frog or fluke fished over the grass, but they don’t leave and will take a Texas rig, swimbait or drop shot fished around the edges all day. Most of the grass is located from the mid-lake down. 

July 10

After falling below 357.20 water levels are back to 357.68 (full pool is 360.00) and water clarity is high, especially before boat traffic gets up during the day.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s.   

The bass fishing is surprisingly good on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that there is a little bit of everything going on right now. They finished third in a night tournament last night but caught their best fish before dark around cane in 15-25 feet, which is consistent with recent results. The fish are suspended but generally eating subsurface baits instead of topwaters. However, in the mornings there has been a pretty good schooling bite before about 9:00 in the same areas for the same fish.  Some of these bass are at the mouths of creeks but most of the best fishing for suspended fish is on the main lake.

After dark they are catching all of their fish dragging a worm around deeper brush and rock, but in the morning (again until about 9:00) there has been a good buzzbait bite around grass and in big pockets and coves. 

The striped bass fishing has been day-to-day on Lake Murray, but Captain Brad Taylor with Taylor Outdoors (803-331-1354) reports that fish are stacked up on the lower end. There are some fish as far down as 100 feet, where there is very little oxygen, but Brad is finding most of the fish off the end of ridges in 50-70 feet with some suspended and some on the bottom. The trick has been getting them to eat, and some days they will take down-rods pretty well but at other times they are having to work hard to get them to bite. 

There are plenty of striper shallower but they are mostly small fish. 

 

Up the river the crappie bite remains strong, with Captain Brad reporting that most of the fish still holding within a few feet of the bottom in 12-14 feet because of oxygen levels. Most of the fish are around brush right now. 

Down the lake veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin reports that fish remain in a summer pattern, and he has been catching them on brush in 30 plus feet of water (with the exception of a few fish in heavy shade at marinas or the like). Almost all of the fish are close to the river channel or at the mouths of creeks on steep drops.   The bite is early when fish are suspended over top the brush, and as the sun gets up they sink down into the brush and basically stop biting.  

Light Fish Stalker jigs on 1/64 ounce jigheads are working the best, and if you use minnows you should also downsize your presentation. 

As we get past the peak of the spawn the channel catfish are feeding better on Lake Murray again, and Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857)reports that fish can be caught around humps and long points in 5-25 feet of water. At night they often bite better and move shallower. While a variety of baits will work, dip baits are out-fishing everything else right now.