February 19

Lake Russell water levels are up to 473.36 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 50-51 degrees.

The crappie bite is just starting to turn on at Lake Russell, and while Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that he fished hard and didn’t get a full limit yesterday he marked a ton of fish and the ones he caught were all big. He was trolling midways back in a creek, and the fish were 8-10 feet down in about 25 feet of water. For a while now the crappie bite has been so much better on Clarks Hill that he has been going there to fish for them, but now it appears that Russell is improving enough to target – although some stain to the water would certain help!

While Jerry has not targeted striped bass, it seems that a decent number of fish have moved back into the creeks based on the fish he is seeing rolling back there. 

At the same time black bass are moving shallower, and Jerry reports that they are pulling up onto secondary points and humps. The best depth range to target them in is now 10-20 feet of water, and on the artificial side shaky heads are as good as anything. 

That’s also where Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that they are starting to key on the bass, although he notes there are still a fair number of fish around deeper timber that have not started to make a move yet.

The next few days should progress everything forward, although the cold snap next week is likely to set them back at least briefly again. 

February 13

Lake Russell water levels are down to 472.25 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 47 degrees.

There have been some rough days this week on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that yesterday he trolled literally all day for crappie and managed one yellow perch. This is in stark contrast to Clarks Hill, where in the same time he is catching multiple limits of crappie despite the water being a couple of degrees colder. The extremely clear conditions on Russell must be a factor, as well as perhaps the population of fish. He did mark a decent number of crappie, but they were either moving fast or holding 10-12 feet down over 30 feet of water in timber. It seems like it’s still too cold to troll for them in the creek channels.   

Some big bags of black bass have come out of the underwater timber LiveScoping in tournaments, but Jerry reports they are no longer stacked up in deep water near the bottom where they have been. Consistent with that Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that on the lower end they are catching a few big spotted bass suspended 25-30 feet down around timber in 60-70 feet, while further up the lake they are more likely to be found off points in depths of 20-30 feet. But soon fish will move towards shallower points and humps. 

Finally, Wendell reports that the winter yellow perch bite does seem to be pretty much over and it seems to be the tail end of the winter striped bass schooling season. Still on cloudy, rainy days you can see striper under birds and cast at them, but on the sunny, pretty days we are getting more of there is typically almost zero action. Jerry did see one striper back in a creek swirling yesterday but it appeared to be a lone fish and wouldn’t bite.

February 4

Lake Russell water levels are down to 473.02 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 47 degrees.

Back on the water after the snow this weekend, Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports a better bite than a week ago when the fish had seemingly disappeared!  While he didn’t catch many black bass of any size he did manage a fair number of fish on a jigging spoon. They were in two distinct areas, with one group all the way in 70 feet on the bottom and another in just 20-25 feet on the bottom. There was one four-pound largemouth mixed in but the rest were spotted bass.

However, at the end of the trip a giant school of striped bass swam through that were, again, on the bottom. They caught three between 12-18 pounds on the spoon and broke off a much larger one. 

January 29

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.95 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 46-47 degrees.

This wasn’t the Lake Russell report we (or Jerry) expected to give this week, but after a full day of fishing on Lake Russell and riding over 30 miles yesterday Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that the fishing is as tough as he has seen it. He marked three fish on his electronics, including LiveScope, all day, and only caught one good black bass and one yellow perch. He saw no signs of striper, and only saw three gulls all day!

The water came way up in anticipation of the ice and sleet last week, and that may have moved the fish, and they may just not have been in the old or new spots he was looking at. He fished a variety of areas, including main lake humps where they could have moved out of the trees, but obviously couldn’t try everything in one day. He is essentially ruling out a shad kill that has the fish stuffed because he saw no signs of dead bait, but a possible theory is that fish are flat on the bottom.

Regardless, with more weather coming in this weekend it’s hard to think it will get much better – at least in the aftermath of the storm.

January 21

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.21 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 51 degrees.

Most everything seems to have moved a little deeper on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that now they are catching striped bass about 40 feet down over 70 feet of water in clean spots in the main lake timber. They are also catching some on Alabama rigs chasing the birds. Some black basshave been in the same areas but they are generally holding closer to the bottom. 

You can also catch bass off points in 25-30 feet of water, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that these fish will take spoons, drop shot rigs, and live bait. But the really exciting bite they have stumbled across this week is in about 65 feet of water on the lower end of the main lake. That’s where the majority of the birds and the striped bass seem to be concentrated, and they would never have found them without the presence of gulls. 

Even though they are fishing over trees they can still get a medium minnow to the bottom, and on the last two trips they have caught 60-90 fish each time. Most of them are yellow perch up to 15 inches, there are a few channel cats and white perch, and a few bass. They have also hooked some striper but have not been able to land them in the timber.

The better pattern for catching striped bass is to cast an Alabama rig around the birds and over the timber when you see them diving. 

January 8

Lake Russell water levels are up to 473.22 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 54 degrees.

The fishing is good on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that he is catching a mix of striped bass and black bass (mostly spots) fishing clean spots 40 plus feet deep in the underwater timber. Bass are still taking spoons as well as live bait mostly near the bottom, and they continue to feed pretty well. 

The big improvement is with the striper, and they have caught twenty up to 20 plus pounds in the last three trips. The striped bass are generally much higher in the water column, usually 15-20 feet down, and they are catching them on a combination of bait, swimbaits, and Alabama rigs. 

The striped bass fishing has also picked up for Guides Luke and Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336), but for them the pattern is now as simple as following the birds. Some days they show a preference for Alabama rigs while some days they prefer herring.  

Meanwhile, for bass they are fishing shallower than Jerry off points in 20-25 feet of water with drop shot rigs, spoons, and live bait.

The crappie have also turned on a little, but Luke reports that they are suspended in open water and not related to anything at all – neither brush nor bait. Generally they have been about 12-14 feet down in 40 feet of water, and they are finding the best concentrations near the front of creeks. Obviously the key to finding them is electronics, but once located they will take minnows or jigs fished at the right depth.

December 23

Lake Russell water levels are down to 472.40 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 54 degrees.

Once again our guides are concentrating on different part of the lake but with similar results, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that they are still mostly fishing about halfway up the creeks around schools of bait now in 31-32 feet of water. There are they mostly catching yellow perch and spotted bass near the bottom on medium minnows, but drop shot rigs have also been picking up some bass. They are also catching a few yellow perch but more white perch and bass on jigging spoons. 

As anticipated, the one rainy day when they got to fish there were striped bass schooling on the surface all day. Other days they are harder to locate. 

Fishing the main lake again Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that he has been targeting the same species. There he is fishing in 40 feet of water on the bottom, generally fishing clean spots in the underwater timber. They are using a mix of live bait and spoons for bass and perch.

He is still not seeing that many striper but they did hook one that rolled on the surface yesterday. Landing it was a different story, and Jerry notes that if you are not prepared to immediately winch them to the top they will dive into the trees and break off every single time!

Jerry adds that he has also been marking big groups of flathead catfish which are mixed in with the perch schools that they are feeding on. 

December 17

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.01 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 53-54 degrees.

Our Lake Russell guides are fishing similar but different patterns this week, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that they are mostly fishing about halfway up the creeks around schools of bait in 30-35 feet of water. There are they mostly catching yellow perch and spotted bass near the bottom on medium minnows. It’s not unusual to catch bass at first and then for the perch to move in, likely feeding on regurgitated bait. 

While there a bunch of seagulls and loons Wendell’s boat has not seen a lot of obvious striped bass signs and so has not fished around them very much. The best action is usually on rainy and cloudy days and those have been rare. 

At the same time, Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) has been targeting the same species but doing it on the main lake. There he is fishing in 40 feet of water on the bottom, generally fishing clean spots in the underwater timber. They are using a mix of live bait and spoons for bass and perch.

There have been days where they have been able to throw Alabama rigs at diving birds but they are mainly catching spotted bass this way. They did manage a fifteen-pound striper yesterday on herring in the trees. 

Jerry notes that there are also striper in the creeks but, with so few breaks in the timber, unless they are up in the water column they are hard to target. 

December 4

Lake Russell water levels are up to 473.25 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 58 degrees.

As it’s gotten colder the fishing has picked up on Lake Russell, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that a few days ago they were finding wads of bait back in the creeks about 25-35 feet deep on the bottom. Large white perch, yellow perch, spotted bass, channel catfish and even some striped bass were around the bait and bit well.   

They may still be there, but yesterday on the water Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that he was surprised by how deep everything he saw seemed to have gone. He fished from the mouths of the creeks back, and the better concentrations of bait and in turn fish that he marked were now in 50-60 feet of water. They were near timber on small clean spots that Jerry returns to over and over. The bass and striper were mostly suspended about halfway down at 30 feet, while the perch they caught were right on the bottom. They fished both live herring and minnows. 

Overall Jerry rates the bite as strong.

Neither guide has picked up any crappie this week so they expect they are around brush, while to increase your chances of getting largemouth instead of spots try fishing shallower in the creeks. 

November 20

Lake Russell water levels are down to 472.65 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 61-63 degrees.

Unseasonably warm weather is making for pleasant fishing conditions on Lake Russell, but Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that it’s doing nothing to help the bite. Bait is not ganging up in deep water yet, and fish feel more of a need to feed up when temperatures are falling.

Nonetheless they are catching plenty of fish, almost all spotted bass with a few yellow perch just starting to mix in. They also had a 4-pound largemouth yesterday. The majority of fish seem to be in the creeks right now, and the basic pattern is fishing around schools of bait in twenty-something feet of water near the bottom. The bulk of the action is coming halfway back in the creeks and sometimes more, and they are finding the steadiest bite mid-lake.

Minnows, drop shot rigs, and jigging spoons will all catch fish. 

Another boat reported fishing brush hard for crappie and only catching two spotted bass, and so perhaps they have left the brush – or maybe they just weren’t on that brush. Wendell’s boat has not targeted crappie this week. 

They have also not seen signs of striped bass yet or caught any, but small groups of gulls as well as some loons are just arriving. However, if this year is anything like last year then it will be a while before the birds actually start showing them where the fish are. 

November 5

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.54 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 64 degrees.

When Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that the black bass fishing is “pretty good” it’s worth taking note, as Jerry has very high standards for the bite. He reports that his boat is fishing at the mouths of the creeks and on the main lake in 20-25 feet on the bottom around brush piles and standing natural wood. They are exclusively using herring and so they have only picked up a few very large crappie, but they are marking tons of schools with 50-100 fish.

There are also some striped bass in the same areas, and twice this week they have hung very large fish. However, since they are only fishing a few feet from timber it doesn’t take the striper long to evacuate into the trees and break them off on bass gear. 

Another group of bass is ganged up in the middle of coves and about half-way back in the creeks, and Guide Luke Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that on their last trip they caught 40 fish with one catfish and the rest spotted bass.  At first the fish were positioned near the bottom in 17-25 feet of water around bait schools, but once they started biting they would move up. They caught fish on a combination of jigging spoons and minnows. 

October 30

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.28 (full pool is 475.00) and morning surface water temperatures are down to about 66 degrees.

While Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) is still catching good numbers of fish beside timber in the mid-lake area, they are only picking up a few striped bass which seem to have mostly moved on.  With limiting fishing days this week due to weather they have not had time to reconnect with them, but they have been catching very good numbers of black bass and catfish on live bait and even jigging spoons beside the timber about 25-30 feet down in 50-60 feet of water. 

Meanwhile Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) is still on a creek pattern, and they are having excellent results trolling #5 Shad Raps for spotted bass. There are tons of fish and bait in the very backs. They have also caught a good number of crappie on brush in about 15 feet of water, although at times the crappie have been a little finicky. It actually seems like the best brush for catching crappie also has spotted bass and the catch is about 50/50 on minnows and jigs. 

October 23

Lake Russell water levels are bouncing around 473.0 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still clear except for the turnover giving the water a tea-colored tint.  Morning surface water temperatures are down to 69 degrees on the main lake and about 70 in the creeks.

This week Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) is doing about the same thing for black bass and striped bass, namely fishing deep beside the timber in the mid-lake area.  The fish he is on are still about 25-30 feet down in 50-60 feet of water. However, the striper (and hybrids) seem to be scattering out more, and – while they are still getting some big ones – they are getting less bites.

But Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that they are doing something completely different this week, namely heading back into the creeks from halfway back to the very backs. The bait seems to be accumulating in that zone, and there they are finding both largemouth and spotted bass, crappie, some white perch, and channel catfish. Mainly they are drop-shotting minnows in 12-18 feet of water, mostly on the bottom. Of course the crappie are on brush.

They also marked a lot of suspended fish around the schools of threadfin yesterday and figured out that they were mostly spotted bass. Trolling Shad Raps was very effective once they got on this pattern.

October 16

Lake Russell water levels are bouncing around 474.0 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still clear except for the turnover giving the water a tea-colored tint.  Morning surface water temperatures are down to 71-72 degrees. 

This week our other Lake Russell guides have mainly been on Hartwell and Clarks Hill, but Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that the black bass and striped bass fishing has been fair to good. The fish he is catching are suspended deep beside the timber in the mid-lake area, and they have generally been 25-30 feet down in 50-60 feet of water. They have been mostly fishing with live bait, although jigging spoons have generated some bites. The biggest striper this week have been a pair of 15-pounders, but they have broken off some much bigger fish.

There is also a good early topwater bass bite, particularly for largemouth. In both the creeks and the main lake fish are feeding around the banks, but there is only about a 45-minute window before the action stops. 

While Jerry has not been after them, there should still be crappie around brush piles about halfway up the creeks as well as in main lake coves. The key depth range is about 15-20 feet in both areas, and the only question has been whether the fish are willing to eat. They have been loaded up on brush.

October 9

Lake Russell water levels are bouncing around 474.2 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is still clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are down to 74-75 degrees. 

The best thing going on Lake Russell this week is the striped bass, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that fish have moved up a little in the water column but they are still on the lower end over very deep water. They are now 20-35 feet down around bait schools, and they will take herring on down-rods. Soon they should start to begin a migration but for now they are still comfortable and bait is abundant near the lower dam.  

Beyond that everything else is a bit spotty this week, and they are essentially catching a mixed bag of crappie, black bass, and white perch around brush piles about halfway up the creeks as well as in main lake coves. The key depth range is about 15-20 feet in both areas, and that seems to be where the bait is holding.

Bass are also related to clean points about halfway back in the creeks, and of course on Russell there are almost always spotted bass on main lake points that will take a shaky head worm.

October 2

Lake Russell water levels are down to 474.46 (full pool is 475.00) and the main lake is very clear although it does appear that the lake is early in the turnover process.  Morning surface water temperatures have dropped from 81 to 76 in just a few days with cooler temperatures and a steady east wind.  

The crappie fishing has really turned on at Lake Russell, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that they are catching some really nice fish in the backs of short creeks off the main lake. They are on brush piles in about 16 feet of water, and they are catching them 10-12 feet down. 

Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports the same, and he notes again that the size of the fish has been very strong. He has also been fishing in the creeks but in a little deeper water, and his boat has found them 15-20 feet down on brush in about 25 feet of water. There also seem to be a decent number of catfish in the same general area that he has picked up on minnows and even jigs. With cut bait you could probably do very well. 

Wendell reports that he thinks the second-best thing going is the striped bass, which are still in a summer pattern although that should be changing soon. Essentially that means you can catch them on both ends of the lake. On the lower end they are catching them on down-rods fished 28-30 feet deep over about 100 feet of water, while on the upper end they are fishing free-lines in about 10 feet of water in the Hartwell Tailrace. 

The black bass are still doing about the same thing for Jerry’s boat, and he reports that they are mostly catching them in 50-60 feet of water around timber, with the fish holding about 20-25 feet down. They will take live bait and drop shot rigs, and while they haven’t been using spoons those would probably work, too.