April 10

Lake Wateree is at 95.1% of full pool and, while the lake still ranges from dirty to muddy, it is finally clearing. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 63 degrees on the main lake to 65 in the creeks. 

As most of the fish enter the post-spawn phase the crappie fishing has gotten tougher on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that they are getting a lot harder to find. At this time of year that almost always means that fish are laying on the bottom and recuperating from the spawn, but there are still some catchable fish roaming in open water on the main lake and in the creeks 10-12 feet down in 15-18 feet of water. There are also a few fish related to cover but they are smaller. 

Casting jigs at fish you can see on electronics is one technique, but there are also a fair number being caught long-line trolling. 

The bass are mixed between pre-spawn and a few spawning fish on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgersof Camden reports that the fishing has been a little tough. It has only taken about 13-16 pounds to win the most recent tournaments, but Dearal suspects with the warming weather it is about to get really good.

Fish are basically scattered between 1-2 and 10-15 feet of water, and right now the deeper patterns are producing better – as they did in the CATT ten days ago which Dearal won. But with warmer weather coming Dearal expects the banks to get very, very good in the next few days. Very soon you should be able to catch fish on about anything from spinnerbaits to soft plastics to jigs. 

March 27

Lake Wateree is down to 95.6% of full pool and the whole lake remains at least stained. Morning surface water temperatures were about 58 degrees this morning.

If anything the crappie fishing has only gotten better on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are eating it up everywhere.  Right now fish are mixed between pre-spawn, spawning and even post-spawn fish, as Will has caught a decent number that have already laid out.

While he knows people are catching them throwing around the banks Will has not been fishing super-shallow, and so he isn’t sure what those fish have done as water levels dropped a couple of feet in the last few days. But they are definitely towards the backs of all the creeks and coves, with long-lining the preferred technique for fish that aren’t on the banks.

However, strange as it may sound Will is actually fishing in 30 feet of water on the main lake for fish that are suspended 11-20 feet down chasing bait in open water. And they are good ones up to 2 pounds, mixed between pre- and post-spawn fish.   

The CBC on Lake Wateree is in the books, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that one team reallyfigured the fish out. The partnership of Brent Henderson and Heyward McCloud managed an impressive 26.55 pound bag anchored by an 8.92 pound big fish, surpassing their nearest competitor by over 6 pounds. There was only one other bag over 20 pounds and only seven over 17.

Dearal and his tournament partner finished in the 40s with 13+ pounds, and they (like most of the field) had trouble finding the big fish. It didn’t seem to help many people that water levels dropped so sharply, and fish that were stacked up in pockets beforehand pulled out.  Like many anglers they scrambled and caught fish around rocky, windblown points on a spinnerbait and Rattle Trap – but with a 132-boat field getting on points was a challenge!  There were no signs of bedding fish.

Much like the crappie, it may be that some of the best fish are still roaming offshore even when no one expects them to be there on a lake where they aren’t “supposed” to do that. There were reports that the winners were seen LiveScoping in 25 feet!  

March 20

Lake Wateree is temporarily at 97.9% of full pool and the whole lake remains muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are about 57 degrees this morning, but they have been in the low 60s before this.

It’s a fantastic crappie bite on Lake Wateree right now, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that you can still catch fish about any way you want.  The common denominator is that, even after this cold front, most of the fish are relatively high in the water column and/ or shallow, and Will was catching them as high as 2 feet down in 30 feet of water yesterday. They are also all over the banks.  And even though it was much cooler yesterday, after Noon the fish that been deeper disappeared and headed into shallow water.

Tight-lining, long-line trolling and casting around the banks are all working with fish mixed between pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn. LiveScoping has been impaired with so much pollen in the water, and in the next week it should get better again. 

While the fishing should continue to improve for a little longer, the only question mark is what dropping water levels will do to the spawn. They brought the lake up to 98% for construction reasons, but will be dropping it to 95% very soon. That will almost certainly affect the crappie even though the last front does not seem to have. 

The CBC is coming to Lake Wateree this weekend, and since tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden will be fishing he hasn’t been able to get after the bass since last weekend. Then he found a slower than expected bite but there were a lot of males looking around in pockets.

CBC tournament director and CATT owner Brett Collins of Ridgeway believes the spawn is still a couple of weeks away, and he says that on Wateree bass never start bedding until the first or second week of April. While there could be some fish cruising around in places where they will eventually spawn, like the males Dearal saw, he thinks fish will be caught in the back half of coves off the main lake on spinnnerbaits and jigs. 

March 14

Lake Wateree is at 95.0% of full pool and the whole lake remains muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are about 60 degrees.

The crappie continue to move shallower on Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that they are biting very well as they get into pre-spawn mode. You can find fish literally anywhere in the creeks right now, and the biggest fish that Will is targeting seem to mostly be in the mouths of creeks. There is also some really good action long-line trolling for a mix of fish in the middle to backs of the creeks, and there are also plenty of males around the banks. There could even be some fish spawning, and if there are not today it could change tomorrow! 

Will is catching his fish casting Fish Stalker jigs, but you could also long-line troll with jigs.  

The bass are headed the same direction, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the fish have gone full-on into pre-spawn mode. He does not think any are actually bedding yet from what he has seen, but they could be by this weekend. 

It’s basically about picking your favorite shallow targets now, and fish can be caught anywhere in the creeks or coves off the main lake anywhere along the bank. Fish are headed towards, or already in, spawning pockets. 

While you can certainly catch fish on soft plastics, they are pretty aggressive and spinnerbaits and jigs are both fishing well. 

March 6

Lake Wateree is at 94.4% of full pool and the whole lake is still muddy and will likely get worse. Morning surface water temperatures are about 54 degrees.

Water levels got as high as 96.4% of full pool a few days ago, but probably in anticipation of a new round of rain tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that Duke has pulled them back down again. Nonetheless, water temperatures have gotten where they need to be where Dearal doesn’t expect bass to turn around and head back out to deep water. A wave of fish came up by the beginning of this week, and they can now be found on flatter main lake areas as well as about halfway back in the creeks. Rain and water level fluctuations might move them around a little, but they are unlikely to head deep again.

Fish are also starting to bite a lot better, and by the beginning of this week Dearal says the change was noticeable. He is still looking for bigger bites with a spinnerbait and a jig, and Dearal is also getting more action with a crankbait as fish get more active. 

The crappie are also on the move on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that while there is a still a group of fish out in 30 feet on the main lake he is starting to find more fish moving into the creeks. As a general rule the bigger females are still hanging more out towards the creek mouths, while the males are starting to get further back in as little as 14-15 feet of water.  They are all suspended up in the water column, “floating and eating”.  There could even be some fish that are pulling up towards the banks, particularly in the late afternoons, but Will has not looked for them.  He is catching his fish casting Fish Stalker jigs, but you could also long-line troll with jigs.  

Overall it’s getting to be a time when you can catch fish about anywhere as some fish move towards spawning and others remain basically in late winter patterns.  

February 29

Lake Wateree is at 93.7% of full pool and the whole lake is still muddy – with rain last night and then predicted for this weekend that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Morning surface water temperatures are about 51 degrees.

There’s relatively little change with the crappie fishing on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish are still out deep, either related to the main channel or in very deep sections of major creeks, and Will is finding the most fish in about 30 feet of water. While most of the time they are suspended 10-20 feet down, on sunny late afternoons he is finding them 4-6 feet below the surface – but still over deep water. The best action has come on Fish Stalker jigs with a brown body and chartreuse tail. 

Will has been targeting the lower end of the lake where the water is ever so slightly cleaner. 

In bass news, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that it’s a funny time to be fishing for bass on Lake Wateree. With the water cold and muddy the fish are concentrated on main lake rock in areas that drop off steeply right now, but that rock is so exposed and easy to find that it’s getting beat to death right now. While good fish are coming there with a crankbait (particularly in the morning on Lake Wateree), sometimes you have to do something different simply because of fishing pressure.

For Dearal that has meant fishing rock in flatter areas that are getting less pressure, as well as other types of cover including brush and the sides of certain docks. He’s also tucking into the creek a ways where there are some fish.  And overall he’s been having better luck on a spinnerbait than a crankbait, although he knows some people are catching them on Shad Raps and more.  

Overall, you can definitely catch bass right now on Lake Wateree, and there are some very good sacks being caught, but between the time of year and fishing pressure 6 or 7 bites is a good day. 

February 22

Lake Wateree is down to 93.5% of full pool and the whole lake is still muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are about 50-51 degrees.

Out on the water as we write, veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the whole lake is still basically chocolate milk – but the crappie are biting! They are still deep, either related to the main channel or very deep sections of major creeks, and they are generally suspended from 10-22 feet down. Will is finding the most fish in about 30 feet of water, and they aren’t moving very shallow yet, but particularly on warm days they will move up in the water column. Yesterday he found them as shallow as 6 feet sunning. The best action has come on Fish Stalker jigs with a brown body and chartreuse tail. 

When water levels were higher a week or two ago there were some fish back in Beaver Creek behind the bridge, but even with some warm weather water levels have dropped so low he doesn’t think many fish want to be back there right now.

As for the bass, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in the last CATT there were three bags over 20 pounds and people caught them pretty well. With the water low it’s easy to target main lake rock because it’s so obvious and visible and it’s certainly holding fish, but as Brett Collins said recently fish seem to be on all different kind of points. Dearal has been throwing spinnerbaits in the highly stained conditions but some of the bigger bags may be coming on crankbaits. Finally, from what Dearal is seeing fish have certainly moved up on the main lake but between temperatures and water levels they don’t seem to have headed back in the creeks yet. 

February 14

Lake Wateree is at 94.2% of full pool and the whole lake is still muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are about 49-51 degrees.

Not many people figured them out, but in some pretty brutal conditions Saturday CATT owner Brett Collins of Ridgeway and his tournament partner managed 20.60 pounds. They fished the bank and concentrated on points, and Brett says that – surprisingly – it didn’t matter if the points were rock, dirt or clay. In fact, they caught their two biggest on clay points. While they were often fishing in six feet or less, by sticking to the main lake there was always deep water nearby. It is usually a while before fish move back into the creeks on Wateree.

Everything they caught came on red and crawfish-colored crankbaits, including Shad Raps, a Red Eye Shad, the Spro Rock Crawler, and the SK 1.5. They heard that some other boats caught fish on Rattle Traps. 

Finally, Brett notes the fish were so fat they looked like they had been pulled up out of deep water and so they are obviously eating. 

Cold, muddy water still hasn’t moved the crappie on Lake Wateree much, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish are still mostly down the lake near the river channel in 30-35 feet of water. Generally they are suspended 18-30 feet down, but depths vary day to day based on temperatures. You can also find some fish at the mouths of creeks staging to get out of the current. For now it’s a slow bite for inactive fish and so you at least want to have minnows on your jigs – or fish plain minnows.

Between dropping water levels and no real rise in temperatures there hasn’t been a move into the creeks yet, but Will still points out that warm days will be here before long and should pull fish shallower into areas like Beaver Creek first. 

February 9

Lake Wateree is at 93.8% of full pool and even though the water has come down it has not cleared much. Morning surface water temperatures remain in the upper 40s.

Cold, muddy water hasn’t moved the crappie on Lake Wateree much from last week, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish are still mostly down the lake near the river channel in 30-35 feet of water. Generally they are suspended 18-30 feet down, but depths vary day to day based on temperatures. You can also find some fish at the mouths of creeks staging to get out of the current. For now it’s a slow bite for inactive fish and so you at least want to have minnows on your jigs – or fish plain minnows.

Between dropping water levels and no real rise in temperatures there hasn’t been a move into the creeks yet, but Will still points out that warm days will be here before long and should pull fish shallower into areas like Beaver Creek first. 

As expected the bass fishing has picked up just a little on Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that he has been catching a few fish on the main lake in 5-10 feet of water. Fishing rocky, wind-protected areas with a jig has been his best pattern. 

January 31

Lake Wateree is at 96.6% of full pool and the water is still chocolate milk from one end of the lake to the other. Morning surface water temperatures remain in the upper 40s.

Without much change in conditions the crappie really aren’t doing anything different on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish are still mostly down the lake where there are more current breaks and they are on the main lake in 30-35 feet of water. Generally they are suspended 18-30 feet down, but depths vary day to day based on temperatures. You can also find some fish at the mouths of creeks staging to get out of the current. For now it’s a slow bite for inactive fish and so you at least want to have minnows on your jigs – or fish plain minnows.

With the next warm spell some fish could move shallower, and Beaver Creek is always a good place to look when there is a warm spell in early spring.

By no means is it good conditions for catching bass on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that from what he has seen the bite has improved just enough where there is actually a chance of catching fish on the lake. In particular the water has gone down just a little and visibility has increased in some places, and Dearal is now seeing more bait up in the water column. 

Fishing shallow, rocky areas close to deep water and protected from the wind increases your chances of getting bites, and working bigger baits slowly is the best bet. Slow-rolling a spinnerbait, dragging a jig, or pulling a dark Senko on a Carolina rig are all good options. You might could get bites on a crankbait but in Dearal’s experience on Wateree temperatures need to warm a couple degrees for that. 

January 22

Lake Wateree is at 97.7% of full pool and the water is muddy from one end to the other. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 40s.

With mud from dam to dam, cold weather, and wind veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt has mostly used the last couple of weeks as the time to do some boat repairs and maintenance, but from what he’s seen the crappie have moved down the lake where there are more current breaks and they are on the main lake in 30-35 feet of water. They are generally suspended 18-30 feet down. You can also find some fish at the mouths of creeks staging to get out of the current.  For now it’s a slow bite for inactive fish and so you at least want to have minnows on your jigs – or fish plain minnows.

With the warm spell coming some fish could move shallower, and Beaver Creek is always a good place to look when there is a warm spell in late January.

If anything bass fishing conditions have gotten worse on Lake Wateree since our last report, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the combination of high, cold and muddy water means the fish just aren’t biting. 

When things settle down Dearal will again be concentrating on rock in 5-10 feet of water with crankbaits, especially near deeper water and on steep banks, but for right now he’s still just staying off the lake.

January 3

Lake Wateree is at 101.0% of full pool and the water is muddy and filled with trash. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 50s.

It’s brutally tough bass fishing conditions on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the combination of high, cold and muddy water means the fish just aren’t biting. 

When things settle down Dearal will again be concentrating on rock in 5-10 feet of water with crankbaits, especially near deeper water and on steep banks, but for right now he’s just staying off the lake.

But if you are interested in catching giant catfish that would be a big mistake, as shown by the 94-pounder caught this week on Wateree! The combination of muddy water and strong current puts the biggest blue cats in feeding mode, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that with white perch heads or whole gizzard shad in the 5-8 inch range you can catch multiple 25-50 pound fish in the right areas. Anchor up on main lake structure or creek mouths in the current and hold on!

One time in similar conditions Captain Chris caught four big cats in the 40-pound range in one spot at the state park area. The water was so muddy you could have planted corn in it!

The crappie fishing is somewhere between the awful bass fishing and outstanding catfishing, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that with the muddy water the fish are more scattered and more of them are suspended higher in the water column. More fish are 15-22 feet down at a variety of depths, instead of mainly being on the bottom in 24-26 feet, but they are still concentrated along the river channel and good numbers are still on the upper end. With the whole lake muddy there’s not really a section to go to in order to escape the mud.

If you don’t have LiveScope then tight-line drifting is the best pattern. Minnows or jigs tipped with minnows are working the best.