January 13

Lake Murray water levels are at 354.53 (full pool is 360.00). Even though the river is starting to clear there is essentially a mud line that runs down to about Buffalo Creek. Water temperatures range from the upper 40s to lower 50s. 

The river is a little clearer than last week, and as a result Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that a few striped bass have been caught in the Big Saluda in the past couple of days. However, he is doing the bulk of his fishing in the area between Dreher Island and Buffalo Creek where most of the birds are located. Although the mud line is around Buffalo the creek itself is pretty clear, and so they are also catching a lot of fish there.

The main pattern is casting at birds with double rigged fluke and ice flies, but they are also catching some fish on down rods in the same area. The bait is pretty deep and so they are fish herring down about 40 feet. 

Captain Brad notes that the white perch action remains really good, and generally the fish are in the same areas as the striper – but a little away from them. You can jig them up with a spoon, but dropping down a Kentucky rig with a bell weight and minnows on hooks off the main leader is hard to beat. 

Most of the fish are in about 30 feet of water, but you will not necessarily mark them until the school is activated because they are holding so close to the bottom. The best bet is to look for bait schools close to the bottom (where perch prefer to hold) in the belly of a ditch at the magic depth of 30 feet. 

For the same reasons that striper fishermen are focusing a little down the lake, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the best bass fishing right now is from the mid-lake down. He’s noticing a few different patterns right now, and people continue to catch them both shallow and deep. Deeper jerkbaits and Alabama rigs have been good off deep points, but you can also run the banks and catch fish with a square-billed crankbait. However, if you want to focus on shallow stuff you should stick to main lake pockets and the front section of creeks as fish are not way back.

While there’s no disagreement that there is a shallow and deep bite right now, in his estimation tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria believes that the deep bite is a little better than the shallow bite right now. Some good fish have been caught on jigging spoons.  

However, if you do want to fish shallow then steep banks are a bonus but the real key is rocky areas with some wind blowing on them. When there is some wind blowing the crankbait bite can continue all day.

With the water a little colder as well as dirtier up the lake Andy is also focusing on the mid-lake down. 

Check out the new Lake Murray Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Andy and Stan.

There have not been a lot of reports on crappie down the lake, and Captain Brad reports that right now the fish he is catching have been in the rivers where the fish have a little less of a case of lockjaw than a week ago. The key has been tight-lining very close to cover, be it stumps, brush or something else. Fishing in 12-15 feet very close to the bottom is the key.

Unlike some other species the catfish don’t mind the mud, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that the best bet is to do what the catfish are doing and follow the dirty water back into the creeks and coves.  Channel and blue catfish will be set up in 10-25 feet, with more blues on the upper end of the lake.  Anchoring with cut herring is the best way to catch them.

January 5

Lake Murray water levels rose after the rains but have now started to drop again to 354.84 (full pool is 360.00). Up the rivers the water is orange muddy but it gets clearer as you go down the lake. Surface water temperatures range from the mid-50s in the lower lake to the high 40s up the river.   

Tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that some people have found a really tough bass bite on Lake Murray, but a few people are making it look easy! Jimmy Vining won the Next Level Bass Anglers tournament this past weekend with a very impressive 24.34 pound bag, and there were two other bags over 18 pounds before weights dropped off.

Overall the fish still seem to be scattered between shallow and deep, but even though there are less fish up shallow they seem to be a little more catchable. Crankbaits and jerkbaits are both working. 

There are also some fish being caught out deep, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that they are catching bass in 17-18 feet around rocks piles on a jigging spoon and shakey heads. 

Check out the new Lake Murray Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Andy and Stan.

Basketball orange conditions up the lake have pushed the striped bass down the lake, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that he is heading to the mid-lake and tucking into creeks to get out of the mud. There are probably some fish in the extreme lower lake too.

The fish also seem to have moved a bit deeper into the 30-40 foot range where most of the bait is located, and he is catching them on down rods and weighed free lines. When there is bird activity you can also throw bucktails and ice flies under the birds.  

The white perch action remains really good, and in particular Buffalo Creek has been outstanding where there is a lot of bait in the back. You can jig them up with a spoon, but dropping down a Kentucky rig with a bell weight and minnows on hooks off the main leader is hard to beat. 

Most of the fish are in about 30 feet of water, but you will not necessarily mark them until the school is activated because they are holding so close to the bottom. The best bet is to look for bait schools close to the bottom (where perch prefer to hold) in the belly of a ditch at the magic depth of 30 feet. Again, look in Buffalo Creek this week.

Muddy conditions have messed up the crappie fishing up the rivers, and Captain Brad reports that when the water is cold and muddy the fish get glued to some piece of structure and virtually refuse to feed. He has found the better fishing now to be from Rocky Creek down to about Dreher Island, and the most consistent pattern has been casting jigs for fish suspended around deep docks with 18-20 feet of water. This pattern can probably also be replicated further down the lake.

There are also some fish on brush, but it has been so erratic that you sometimes have to check 20 or 30 brush piles before catching 10-15 fish off one. 

Catfish report to follow from Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857).

December 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.51 (full pool is 360.00) and surface water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s.  Clarity is pretty good.  

It’s still a tale of deep and shallow on Lake Murray, and B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that they are still catching about half of their bigger bass shallow and about half deep.  In the last tournament his father Steve weighed a 5-pounder from each. Crankbaits and jerkbaits have been working on the shallow side, and out deep jigging spoons and jigs are both producing. 

While he doesn’t doubt that some good fish can be caught out deep, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda has been concentrating on the shallow side and has caught fish in 4-5 feet of water recently in main lake and creek pockets. The boat has been sitting in 10-20 feet of water near a drop-off, but they have been casting shallow right at the depth break. Fish are up there feeding on shad and so they are fishing with jerkbaits and square-bills. Stan adds that you can also drag a jig on rock. 

Perhaps the most exciting bite right now on Lake Murray is for striped bass, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that literally all over the lake fish are schooling like crazy under the birds right now. In his area up the rivers the action has been really good, but just yesterday someone had a huge school of fish to themselves at the dam.

While Brad isn’t saying you couldn’t catch a fish on a traditional topwater plug, the fish are feeding on bait that has been killed and is fluttering down and so the best way to approach them is with a bucktail/ ice fly double rig that looks like an injured fish. 

Watch for the birds to locate the fish, which are schooling over both deep and shallow water. If you can find them in shallower areas it is usually easier to target them since they are more concentrated.

While you can pull free-lines and planer boards, when fish aren’t on the surface but Brad knows they are in an area they are catching plenty of fish by randomly casting. 

While schooling striper may be the most exciting bite, the most productive fishing right now is for white perch. The action is phenomenal and Captain Brad reports that they are catching about 70 fish per hour, and while you can jig them up with a spoon dropping down a Kentucky rig with a bell weight and minnows on hooks off the main leader is hard to beat. 

Most of the fish are in about 30 feet of water, but you will not necessarily mark them until the school is activated because they are holding so close to the bottom.  The best bet is to look for bait schools close to the bottom (where perch prefer to hold) in the belly of a ditch at the magic depth of 30 feet. Fish are undoubtedly also in the lower lake but Brad is catching them in the mid to upper lake.

While Captain Brad has not targeted them too much the last couple of weeks, there have been some good reports on crappie tight-lining in the mouths of creeks. Looking in about 12-15 feet up the rivers and 20-25 feet mid-lake is the best bet. The fish are pretty scattered since the bait schools are so busted up right now, but structure (including but not exclusive to brush) at the right depth is holding small groups of catchable fish. 

The catfish bite has been off-and-on on Lake Murray, but Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that generally the action has been pretty strong. He is still finding the best bite anchoring in 20-30 feet of water up the Little Saluda River in the main channel or on ledges.  With fish still fairly scattered fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option. Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options.

November 24

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.17 (full pool is 360.00) and morning surface water temperatures range from the low to mid-60s, hitting 67 or 68 on sunny afternoons.  The river is no very dirty and the lake is generally getting fairly clear again. 

Fresh off a first place finish in the TBF winter trail tournament Saturday out of Shull Island with his father Steve, B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that fish can be caught both shallow and deep right now. They managed a 23 plus-pound bag on the strength of a 6.8, a 6.4 and a 5.5 pound fish, all of which came deep, but there were also plenty of fish – including some good ones – caught shallow.  In fact, Andy says they didn’t have anything by 10:00 and if he’d know that the shallow bite was as good as it was he would have been up there throwing a buzzbait, Spook or Whopper Plopper for the first few hours.

While fish aren’t yet set up on their hardcore winter spots, they caught the three big fish in 15, 21 and 30 feet, respectively. Those all came on a jigging spoon and jig. However, they only caught six fish all day in a sign that better numbers are still shallower.

Throwing a crankbait around the banks can also be productive. 

Like the bass Lake Murray striped bass can be found both shallow and deep, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that overall fish are pretty spread out. Most of the action is above Dreher Island right now, although all of the creeks can produce, and today they have a found a pile of fish in Buffalo Creek. There are also a ton of fish up the river. 

Weighted planer boards have been working, but down-lines in the 30-foot range have also been good. There is even a little schooling activity, and the birds have started to arrive, but they are not especially helpful yet. 

Regardless of location, Captain Brad reports that crappie have been on a pretty specific pattern recently.  He has been finding good numbers of fish up the lake close to the bottom over 15-20 foot brush on minnows and jigs, but the same pattern has been reported all over the lake. 

The influx of freshwater changed the fall catfish bite on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that even though the lake didn’t get especially muddy it still pulled the fish shallower. Instead of fish being out in 40 or more feet of water, the bite got better anchoring in 20-30 feet.  The best area is still the Little Saluda River in the main channel or on ledges and there have been a lot of blues caught recently. 

Since fish are spread out fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option.  Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options.

November 12

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.26 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 70 degrees. Before the rains clarity was normal but a two-day monsoon is changing that.

The bass bite has been pretty good on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there have been some good weights in recent tournaments. High for the fall it is often taking almost 20 pounds to win. 

With water temperatures well above normal there has been a really good topwater bite on buzzbaits and frogs, and from one end of the lake to the other fish are biting shallow. There may be a few fish out on cane but that action is mostly finished, and the other major pattern is heading into the creeks and fishing a Rattle Trap or spinnerbait in areas where there are shad. Right now they are from the mouths of the creeks to about halfway back and you can spot the pods of shad on the surface on calm days. If there is no bait in an area the bass probably are not there in numbers, either. 

On the striped bass front, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that he is spending most of his time fishing from Buffalo Creek up the rivers, but there are also fish back in all of the creeks. You just have to start in the mouths and work your way back as the fish are moving around so much from day to day.  Covering water is key.  

Depths also vary daily, but in general down-lines have been disfavored.  Between fish being higher in the water column and the ability to cover water free-lines and planer boards have been working the best. 

While most people are certainly fishing with herring live bream have also been working well.

Similar to the striper, Captain Brad reports that to catch crappie right now you need to a cover a lot of water as they are still very scattered. The fish are certainly on brush, but you need to fish a lot of different spots and depths to find them. The best general depth is 10-20 feet of water, and anglers should not waste time on one brush pile if you don’t quickly get bites. Clouds Creek and the Little Saluda have both been good and both minnows and jigs are working.

A few anglers are long-lining in the creeks, but you have to wade through a lot of white perch fishing that way. 

The fishing will improve once water temperatures drop, but the fall catfish bite remains pretty good on Lake Murray.  Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little Saluda River in the main channel or on ledges they are still catching a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels.  The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option.  Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options.

October 21

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.26 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 73-75 degrees. The water is dingy but not too bad.  

The timing is a mystery to anyone who was trying and usually failing to catch bass on Lake Murray a couple of weeks ago, but the suspended schooling bite seems to be getting good several weeks later than usual. B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that they are now catching fish on topwater lures over cane piles that should have been feeding a few weeks ago, and there is also some good schooling activity driving around and looking. Most likely it is somehow related to the fall turnover, and there is speculation that the lake started turning over but settled back out when it got warm again. 

To confirm that, on a recent striped bass trip Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) ended up having to leave Buffalo Creek because they wanted striper and couldn’t stop catching schooling bass. 

Brad has found the best striper fishing up the rivers, and fishing with free-lines and planer boards has been the best technique. There has also started to be some schooling activity for striper up that way.

The same pattern can be found in creeks down the lake, and while Hollow Creek and Crystal Lake have both produced any creek where you see balls of bait on the surface will have striper. The fish are primarily feeding on threadfin shad right now. 

While the crappie are very scattered right now Captain Brad reports that there have been some good catches – you just have to keep moving and looking like the fish are. They are eating the same threadfin shad that the striper and perch are following and so you have to cover water until you find bait. Long-line trolling is catching fish, and there are also some on brush and on docks. The 10-foot range is a good depth to target. 

While it’s unclear what effect the warming trend will have if temperatures don’t fall soon, for now the fall catfish bite remains strong on Lake Murray.  Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little River in the main channel or on ledges they are still catching a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels. The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option. Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options. 

October 9

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.05 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 73-75 degrees. The creeks are pretty stained, probably from the fall turnover.  

There’s no way around the fact that the bass fishing on Lake Murray is brutally tough right now, and reportedly one national touring pro who came down here to shoot a video for his sponsors this week did not get a bite. A lot of the anglers who fished the Big Bass Tour event last weekend would say that sounds about right.  

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda concurs that it is very hard to get bit on Murray right now, and as one of the original masters of the offshore cane pile fishing when Stan says it’s hard to catch fish off cane it’s worth listening. That’s not to say there are none out there, but it’s very slow. Stan says that a random fish can be caught if you invest a great deal of time throwing a buzzbait around the banks in the creeks, but from what he has seen probably the best way to get bit is to head up the rivers and throw a Texas rig. There have also reportedly been a few fish caught on topwater up the rivers. 

There’s no disagreement that the fishing is tough from B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria, and while he knows there are still a few fish on cane – particularly now that the turnover has started – Andy thinks the best bet to get a bite is to fish shallow with a topwater. He has the most confidence in Whopper Ploppers or buzzbaits right now. 

Fortunately there is better news on the striper front, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there are a good number of fish starting to move up the rivers that are being caught on free lines and planer boards. Generally they are from Dreher Island up following the channels, and the quality has been pretty good. Keep a topwater plug out because there is schooling from time to time.

Of course a number of fish will stay in the creeks and never move up the rivers, and so starting at the mouth of the major creeks and working your way back in the channels fish can be found. Striper will be following bait but if you start looking at depths in the 40s they could be suspended anywhere. 

Some of the best action is starting to come with the crappie, and Captain Brad reports that the better reports are still coming in the Bear Creek/ Crystal Lake/ Dreher Island area.  But the fish have moved shallower, and they are now over brush in 12-18 feet. Minnows have been working the best and there have been some excellent catches. 

The fall catfish bite has officially kicked off on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that anchoring up the Little River in the main channel or on ledges they are starting to catch a healthy mix of blue catfish and big channels. The fish are not at any one particular depth, and so fan-casting and covering shallow to deep water is the best option. Herring, bream, white perch and gizzard shad can all be the bait of choice on a given day, so it’s best to have an assortment of options. 

September 25

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.06 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped into the mid-70s. Up the lake is pretty muddy and there is a lot of current.

A week ago it looked like the offshore suspended/ cane pile bass bite was about to peak, but after the recent rains and lots of moving water veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the bottom has fallen out on this pattern.  He did the full rotation of all his spots this week with barely a bite, and reports from other anglers were the same.  One day he fished there was no wind and cloud cover, neither of which helped, but he isn’t marking as many as fish as earlier either. 

Still, this bite should rebound perhaps once the water clears and current drops off and then anglers should still look from the mid-lake down on the main lake and in the major creeks. The fish should be around offshore structure in 15-20 feet of water, and they should take any topwater lure from a fluke to a pencil popper. 

B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria has been a little tied up this week and hasn’t gotten to fish Murray, but he reminds anglers that when the suspended bite is not working the other top pattern is to fish a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper around the bank in the mid-lake. This pattern is very random and it’s often hard to figure out a rhyme or reason to where the fish are holding – but it’s usually a big fish pattern. 

However, from what Stan has seen the shallow pattern has been off, too. 

Unfortunately Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports the striped bass fishing has also gotten tough, with the one bright spot being that some schooling is getting started. The power company has pulled at lot of water and so fish are going into the Ballentine area and Beaverdam Creek seeking refuge from current and dirty water. There is an area from Burton Point to Goat Island to Salem Church where fish can be found schooling, and then the same phenomenon at the mouth of Beaverdam. 

When fish aren’t up, shallow down-lines or free-lines are the best options.

On the crappie front Captain Brad reports that there have been some really good catches in the Bear Creek/ Crystal Lake/ Dreher Island area. The fish are on 25-foot brush. 

The channel catfish action remains very strong on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that dip baits, worms, cut bream, cut herring, and more will all catch fish. During the day you want to target long points or humps in 20-35 feet of water, while in the evening and at night fish will come shallower in the same areas and be caught in 1-15 feet of water. 

The fall drift bite should pick up soon.

September 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.19 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped to around 80 in the big water. Clarity dropped with yesterday’s rain. 

It’s hard to know how long this pattern will last, but right now Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that there are a lot of striped bass shallow around the towers. They have been pulling water hard and so there is a lot of current down there which has effectively sucked bait and in turn fish to the towers. They are suspended shallow at 20-30 feet and can be caught on free-lines or down-lines. There is also some schooling activity and so anglers should be sure to have a topwater tied on.

While the tower bite may be relatively fleeting, there are also a lot of fish at the mouths of major creeks from Dreher Island to the dam which will likely be there for a while. They can be caught 25-40 feet down and time of day does not seem to make a big difference.

Finally, a big group of 14-16 inch fish has moved up the river and they are schooling in the evening.  These can provide some exciting action.  

The offshore suspended/ cane pile bass bite has gotten better on Lake Murray in the last week, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish can be found on this pattern from the mid-lake down on the main lake and in the major creeks. Fish are around offshore structure in 15-20 feet of water, and they will take any topwater lure from a fluke to a pencil popper. 

The report is about the same from B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria, who notes that the cane pile bite usually turns on around now at the first significant temperature drop. In this case the storm and a long day of rain are likely to be just what is needed to create some awesome fishing conditions this weekend. 

For anglers who don’t want to fish for suspended fish or if it’s not working, the other top pattern is to fish a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper around the bank in the mid-lake. This pattern is very random and it’s often hard to figure out a rhyme or reason to where the fish are holding – but it’s usually a big fish pattern. 

On the crappie front Captain Brad reports that the fish are starting to set up to feed on young of the year bait that is just getting big enough to be a meaningful food source. There are a few around bridges, but up the lake the fish are holding on any structure along the creek channel or river channel. This could be brush piles or a dock. Fish are generally suspended over 12-25 feet of water, and the further down the lake you come the deeper they get. Overall the bite is pretty good. 

The channel catfish action remains very strong on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that dip baits, worms, cut bream, cut herring, and more will all catch fish.  During the day you want to target long points or humps in 20-35 feet of water, while in the evening and at night fish will come shallower in the same areas and be caught in 1-15 feet of water. 

While there are probably some blue catfish in the lower lake, they seem to only occasionally be picked up by striper anglers. However, up the Little River there are still some good ones being caught on cut bait anchored relatively shallow.

September 11

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.05 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped into the lower 80s. Clarity is a little below normal after recent rains.

The offshore suspended/ cane pile bite is just getting started on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that from the mid-lake down on the main lake and in the major creeks the bass fishing is about to get good. This pattern never really works up the lake. The fish are around offshore structure in 15-20 feet of water, and they will take any topwater lure from a fluke to a pencil popper – with a lot in between. 

There are also some fish being caught on buzzbaits and frogs around bank grass, but the better overall bags will probably come offshore for a little while. 

The channel catfish action remains very strong on Lake Murray, and Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that dip baits, worms, cut bream, cut herring, and more will all catch fish. During the day you want to target long points or humps in 20-35 feet of water, while at night fish will come shallower in the same areas and be caught in 1-15 feet of water. 

While there are probably some blue catfish in the lower lake, they seem to only occasionally be picked up by striper anglers. However, up the Little River there have are still some good ones being caught on cut bait anchored relatively shallow. 

More information to follow on striper and crappie.