September 26

Lake Wateree is at 97.2% of full pool and the lake was clear on the lower end before the storm. Morning surface water temperatures were about 79 degrees yesterday.

As of yesterday the crappie bite was strong on Wateree, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that as they pulled the lake down (in preparation for the storm) fish moved out to deeper water. Instead of finding them on the main lake in 13-18 feet he could pretty much only find fish in 25-28 feet of water, around whatever structure from down trees to planted brush was in the water. The fish were also pretty tight to the bottom, again not uncommon when Duke is pulling water. While the fish would most likely take minnows, Will didn’t throw anything besides Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew to get his limit. 

It's a similar story with the bass, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that before the storm there were a good number of fish shallow, particularly around grass. However, as they drew the lake down in preparation for the storm the shallow bite dropped off. Instead Dearal started seeing a lot of fish suspended off of points or even on deeper ledges and other structure. 

As the water comes back up, and probably shoots much higher than before, the shallow bite should come on again and the offshore bite should get worse in the likely muddy conditions. More fish should also get around docks in addition to grass. 

Finally, Dearal reminds anglers to continue to look for fish in the front of creeks and main lake pockets around balls of shad. He has had the best luck around bait with a spinnerbait.  

September 19

Lake Wateree is at 97.6% of full pool and the lake has some stain. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 75 degrees. 

As anticipated cooler weather has significantly improved the crappie bite on Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are nowhere near as finicky as a few weeks ago. They are still in similar locations, with 99% of the fish on on some sort of structure (not yet roaming) and almost all of them on the main lake – from one end to the other. While some smaller fish have gone shallower, most of the better ones are still on brush or other cover in 13-18 feet of water.

The fish have turned back on to jigs and Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color are working well. 

The bass fishing has also picked up, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that as temperatures have cooled more fish have moved shallow. He is targeting fish that are chasing shad around the banks off the main lake, but others have moved into the creeks. Dearal has had the best success with a spinnerbait around bank grass in areas where there is bait, but first thing there is also a good topwater bite. For him it seems a little early for crankbaits but they should come on at any point. 

And as (almost) always on Wateree you can catch fish on a shaky head worm around docks. 

September 5

Lake Wateree is at 97.7% of full pool and visibility is returning to normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 81 degrees. 

There is every expectation the cooler weather will turn the crappie bite back on, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that for right now the fishing is still pretty tough. They are still finding very large schools of crappie and only catching one or two before the fish completely shut down. Fish are still on structure in the main channel, mostly in 13-18 feet of water, near the bottom. They are spread out on brush from dam to dam.   

There seems to be very little rhyme or reason to their feeding pattern, and sometimes the fish want jigs and sometimes they want minnows. You just have to experiment and spend a lot of time because they are very finicky. 

With only a couple of cool nights the bass fishing hasn’t fully turned on either, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that especially early and late you can find a lot more shad up top in coves and creeks and some fish are starting to key on them. The bite is best early and late, but at times (and on cooler days) you can also find fish around pods of shad chasing bait during the middle of the day. In the morning or on cloudy days a buzzbait or other topwater lure can be a good choice, while spinnerbaits and square-billed crankbaits should work most of the time. 

One other place to look with high water levels is around the grass with a spinnerbait or swim jig in white and chartreuse, and there are also still some fish being caught deep. 

August 28

Lake Wateree is at 96.9% of full pool and the lake is stained but no longer muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are back to around 83 degrees. 

The crappie bite is still pretty tough on Lake Wateree, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that all the freshwater inflow did move fish shallower (and temporarily created a thermocline around 21 feet). Now they are mostly in 13-18 feet of water, still on structure in the main channel, near the bottom. Unfortunately there seems to be very little rhyme or reason to their feeding pattern, and sometimes the fish want jigs and sometimes they want minnows. You just have to experiment and spend a lot of time because they are very finicky. Its not unusual to find a school with 300-400 crappie and only catch a couple before they completely shut down. 

Will notes that fish are all over and in the last week he has caught fish from one dam to the other. 

In better news, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that bass fishing has picked up a little as the shad have started to move shallower and the fish are following them. That’s not to say you can’t still catch a bass deep, but shad have moved up in the water column and made their way into the creeks. They could be at the very back of short creeks and coves off the main lake, while Dearal generally avoids the backs of major creeks as they have become so silted in.  You just have to look as the bait is often on the surface.   

The bite is best early and late, but you can also find fish around pods of shad chasing bait during the middle of the day. In the morning or on cloudy days a buzzbait or other topwater lure can be a good choice, while spinnerbaits and square-billed crankbaits should work most of the time. 

Finally, as the grass has come back a spinnerbait or swim jig in white and chartreuse can be a good choice shallow. 

August 14

Lake Wateree is down to 98.3% of full pool and the lake is very muddy. Morning surface water temperatures have likely dropped a couple of degrees into the low to mid-80s. 

Along the same lines, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that bass fishing was tough before the storm – but so much has happened in the last few days that changes in water conditions may offer a fresh start. While Dearal hasn’t been able to go the first couple of days this week, like Will with the crappie he says there is every reason to think the fishing will improve.

On the one hand high water levels make Dearal want to try some of the newly covered shallow stuff, especially with the lake having been down for as long as it has. That includes bank grass and other shallow cover, including new growth. But the fact that they have pulled the water back below full so fast adds another wrinkle, and when that happen it can make the fishing get a little “wacky”. But at other times having a lot off current running through the lake can be really good, and it can make the fish set up off points and humps. 

In the morning Dearal would throw a topwater walking bait, and in current crankbaits can also be a really good. It’s also worth trying Carolina rigs, jigs and shaky heads. Basically, when water levels do what they have done you kind of have to start from scratch – but when the fishing has stunk that can be a good thing!

August 13

Lake Wateree is down to 98.6% of full pool and the lake is very muddy. Morning surface water temperatures have likely dropped a couple of degrees into the low to mid-80s. 

On Saturday veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that Lake Wateree crested at about 102% of full pool, with water two feet over the dam and all the gates open. They are pulling water through the system so fast that it is basically already a foot and a half below full pool again, but the whole lake is chocolate milk and there is debris floating everywhere.  The water got so high that it was hard to get a boat in the water and so basically no one was fishing – and conditions obviously still aren’t especially inviting. 

Before the rain the crappie patterns were exactly the same – namely fish around deep structure on the main lake, but mostly lethargic and unwilling to bite. Will is very optimistic that the storm, subsequent flooding, current, and dropping temperatures will shake things up and soon improve the bite, but where the fish will be is anyone’s guess. 

More to follow. 

August 1

Lake Wateree is around 99% of full pool and the mid-lake up is dirty, but after recent rains conditions could get worse. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped from the 90s to about 87. 

One would hope the crappie would feed better after a slight drop in water temperatures, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that in the fact the bite is really, really tough. He can sit there and look at the fish on the screen, but often they will only half-heartedly chase baits for a minute before they give up on even that. It’s the worst fishing he’s seen in a while, probably due to a combination of heat and boat traffic, and the fish are just lethargic. Almost all of them are right on the bottom. 

Right now Will is only seeing perch and catfish on shallow humps, and all the fish which were in 12-18 feet have pretty much cleared out.  Even the small crappie are now in 20-30 plus feet over structure on the main channel, and they have shown very little interest in any jigs. It’s possible minnows could fare a bit better.   

It’s also tough sledding with the bass, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that neither deep nor shallow is very consistent between the heat and the traffic. Early and late when it’s a little cooler and there are less boats on the water is a bit better, but nothing is good. 

Dearal rates the deep bite better than the shallow bite, but the deep fish have been beat on so much that he advises using smaller worms or hopping a jig in hopes of making them react.  And points out that with rising water levels it’s still worth looking shallow. 

Another possibility is to target suspended fish using electronics, as the oxygen levels may be better off the bottom. 

July 17

Lake Wateree is at 97.5% of full pool and conditions have normalized. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 86 degrees or more.

The Lake Wateree crappie are biting well, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the better fish are still holding in deep water. They are 18-25 feet down over structure in 30 or more feet on the main channel, and they will take both jigs and minnows. There are still fish on the main lake in 12-18 feet, but again these are generally smaller fish. And except for deeper bridges in the creeks, with heavy shade, almost all the fish remains on the main lake. 

The news is less positive on the bass fishing front, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that it only took 10 pounds to win on Saturday! The shallows are super hot and deep water has not been producing either, so it’s hard to know exactly what to do right now. It’s hard to know if fish are suspending around the thermocline or if they just aren’t biting very well. 

July 11

Lake Wateree is at 98.2% of full pool and even though water levels are still up the lake is clearing, and certainly there is now less debris floating than a day or two ago. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 86 degrees or more.

Even though water levels are way up, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that from what he has seen and heard the bass have not moved back shallow. There could certainly be some fish caught in the grass, but if anyone is catching them that way they aren’t telling people!

Even though the bulk of the fish are offshore they have been out there long enough, and it has gotten hot enough, that the action has slowed way down. Fishing brush or depth changes next to deep water with deep-diving crankbaits, big worms, and jigs can catch fish, but anglers may find better luck by down-sizing to more finesse-oriented soft plastics. 

July 10

Lake Wateree is up to 98.3% of full pool and the lake has gotten muddy with lots of debris floating after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees or more.

The Lake Wateree crappie still are doing some of the same things in the summer heat, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that there are a number of changes in the bite this week. Location is not one of those, though, and the majority of the bigger fish are still out in 30 or so feet of water. There are still some smaller fish closer to the bank in 12-18 feet, but the majority of the better ones have moved towards the main channel. They also remain structure oriented – be it brush, stumps, timber, etc. And again, except for bridges in the creeks almost all the fish are on the main lake. 

But in the summer heat the bite has slowed, and instead of catching limits off a single brush pile you have to move around more. The fish are still there but they have just gotten more stubborn.  Boat traffic is also a major factor, and Will says during the day on weekends it can feel like fishing in a washing machine! Early or during the week is definitely the best time to fish.

Finally, Will is still having success with Fish Stalker jigs but as the water has gotten more stained Mountain Dew is working much better than pearl white again. 

More to follow.  

June 26

Lake Wateree is at 95.6% of full pool and the lake is clear for Wateree. Morning surface water temperatures are up to 85 degrees or more.

Predictably the bass fishing has gotten tougher on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that between low water levels and the heat the better bite has moved offshore. A lot of those fish are suspended and in the morning they will come up somewhat shallower to feed off points, and you can catch them with a topwater, crankbait or spinnerbait when there is some wind. But Dearal is seeing very few bass or even bream on shallow flat areas right now, especially with a lot of the grass high and dry. 

While nothing is good the offshore bite around brush or depth changes next to deep water is better than the shallow bite, but between bath-tub water and weeks of pressure the fish are more finicky. The best bet is to have a bunch of baits tied on including deep-diving crankbaits, jigs, shaky heads, Carolina rigs and a drop shot. 

The crappie are “deep” in their summer patterns on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that by far the majority of the bigger fish are out in 30 or so feet of water. There are still some smaller fish closer to the bank in 12-18 feet, but the majority of the better ones have moved towards the main channel. By now pretty much all the fish are on some sort of structure, be it brush, stumps, timber, etc. They are chiefly related to the bottom. 

The one exception is that there are still some fish in the creeks around bridges, but you have to fish the darkest, shadiest water to get bites. It’s an interesting dynamic because other than that the creeks are pretty devoid of crappie. 

Will is exclusively fishing Fish Stalker jigs, and, while Mountain Dew is still working, in the clear conditions pearl white has also been good. With baitfish hatches he continues to have the best luck with the smaller 1.5 inch baits. 

June 12

Lake Wateree is at 95.3% of full pool and the lake is fairly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are up to 84 degrees or more.

The crappie are making a predictable summer move on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that most of the bigger fish have headed out to 30 or so feet of water. There are still some smaller fish closer to the bank in 12-18 feet, but the majority of the better ones have moved towards the main channel. By now pretty much all the fish are on some sort of structure, be it brush, stumps, timber, etc. 

Will is exclusively fishing Fish Stalker jigs, and, while Mountain Dew is still working, in the clear conditions pearl white has also been good. With baitfish hatches he continues to have the best luck with the smaller 1.5 inch baits. 

While there are still bass scattered between shallow and deep water on Lake Wateree, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that with the recent bream spawn on the new moon the shallow bite was actually better last week. Bream-colored jigs, Senkos, topwater lures, and creature baits were all working in areas with bream, but as we get away from the spawn the pattern is likely to reverse itself in a trend that can repeat throughout the summer depending on moon phases. When the better action is deep then fishing offshore brush or depth changes next to deep water with a jig is always a good pattern.  When the sun is out deep-diving crankbaits are working well offshore. 

Of course some fish will be deep and some will be shallow all summer long. 

On Wateree for a youth fishing day, Captain William Attaway with Slick Willie’s Guide Service (803-924-0857) reports that from what he is seeing the catfish are pretty heavily in spawning mode right now. However, not all of the fish spawn at once and his boat was still able to catch good fish around mussel beds, particularly those located on flats close to the deep channel.

May 29

Lake Wateree is at 95.1% of full pool and the lake is fairly clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 80 degrees.

The bass are making a big move on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that a really large wave of fish has moved onto offshore structure including ledges, humps and points. Two days in a row his son caught 30 plus fish in about 10-12 feet of water on depth changes next to deep water. Some of them came on a jig but most of them were on a crankbait.

Still, there are a lot of fish that are around docks where there are bream and/or bream beds. While Dearal used to head for deeper docks in the summer, he has now realized that a fair number of fish will hold around shallow docks where the bream prefer to be. In fact, some of the biggest fish will be on this pattern while a lot of the smaller fish are the ones that are offshore. 

Finally, with some grass in the water don’t overlook fishing it early. 

  

Even though surface temperatures have risen, water temperatures further down the water column haven’t changed enough for veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt to report much movement with the crappie. A few fish are still swimming around in open water, but the majority have moved to some sort of cover whether it is brush, trees, or stumps. Fish can be found on structure as shallow as about 8 feet and as deep as about 18 feet on the main lake. It has not yet gotten hot enough for fish to go to the bottom and so they are suspended over the top of the structure. 

Will is exclusively fishing Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color, and with baitfish hatches he is having the best luck with the smaller 1.5 inch bait. 

May 22

Lake Wateree is at 95.8% of full pool; the upper end is pretty muddy and there is debris and trash floating. Morning surface water temperatures are about 74 degrees. 

The shad spawn is winding down if not finished on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that he is still finding the best bass bite either at mid-depths or shallow. He can’t find anything going on out deep yet. There are still a lot of fish that can be found around shallow points, and with the water up a bit docks and shallow grass can both be productive. There are even some fish being caught back in the creeks. 

Spinnerbaits, jigs, shaky head worms and square-billed crankbaits are all working, and there is also a decent topwater bite in the morning. You can also catch fish around bream beds all day on a bream-colored Pop-R or a buzzbait. 

Since the rain and cool weather over the weekend has kept temperatures down, the crappie have not moved very much this week. Tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that a few fish are still swimming around in open water, but the majority have moved to some sort of cover be it brush, trees, or stumps. Fish can be found on structure as shallow as about 8 feet and as deep as about 18 feet on the main lake. It has not yet gotten hot enough for fish to go to the bottom and so they are suspended over the top of the structure. More fish remain lower down the lake because of the water conditions. 

Will is exclusively fishing Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color, and with baitfish hatches he is having the best luck with the smaller 1.5 inch bait. 

May 15

Lake Wateree is up to 97.6% of full pool and the upper end is now muddy after recent rains while the lower end is stained. Morning surface water temperatures are about 73 degrees. 

The big picture that Lake Wateree crappie are moving to brush is still the same, but tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that changes in water conditions have also changed the bite. As the upper end has gotten very dirty and the lake has flooded fish have moved down the lake some with the rain. 

While a few fish are still swimming around in open water, the majority have moved to some sort of cover be it brush, trees, or stumps. Fish can be found on structure as shallow as about 8 feet and as deep as about 18 feet on the main lake. It has not yet gotten hot enough for fish to go to the bottom and so they are suspended over the top of the structure. 

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and other bright colors are working the best again.  

By now it’s almost completely if not completely a post-spawn bass bite on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that very high water levels seem to be holding most of the fish relatively shallow. In the early morning you may still find the very tail end of the shad spawn bite on rocky points with spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, white jigs, and crankbaits. But more fish are around now-submerged grass, docks and shallow brush. Bream beds continue to be important, and topwater lures and bream-colored worms and Senkos will both work around them. 

While fish can still be found on points where they are holding before moving towards deeper water, from what Dearal has seen they are now closer to the bank on those points in less than 10 feet of water. Topwater lures early, and then crankbaits, jigs and Carolina rigs will all work. In windy conditions a spinnerbait can fish well off these main lake points. 

While he has not looked Dearal does not expect fish to have moved onto deep structure this week. 

May 9

Lake Wateree is up to 96.4% of full pool and the lower end is still relatively clear while the upper end is getting dirtier again after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are about 74-75 degrees. 

By now only a few crappie are still suspended on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the vast majority of the fish are moving to structure including brush. The creeks are pretty much done but in the main lake fish can be found on structure as shallow as about 8 feet and as deep as about 18 feet. It has not yet gotten hot enough for fish to go to the bottom and so they are suspended over the top of the structure. 

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew are working well, and in the clearer water glimmer blue is effective. 

Again there are still a few bass on beds on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that it is definitely moving towards a post-spawn bite. In the early morning you can still find the tail end of the shad spawn bite on rocky points with spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, white jigs, and crankbaits, but spawning bream are starting to become more important than shad. Topwater lures and bream-colored worms and Senkos will both work around bream beds.  

There is also starting to be a good post-spawn bite off points as fish stage from the banks to about 10 feet before moving towards deeper water. Topwater lures early, and then crankbaits, jigs and Carolina rigs will all work. In windy conditions a spinnerbait can fish well off these main lake points. 

So far Dearal has not found fish on offshore structure.

May 1

Lake Wateree is at 94.9% of full pool and clarity is good. Morning surface water temperatures are about 70 degrees. 

It’s a mixed bag for the crappie on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that there are still some post-spawn fishing “floating” around in the creeks that can be caught long-line trolling in 18-20 feet of water. Others are pulling up on brush or other structure at the mouths of creeks or on the main lake, with the best structure generally in about 12-15 feet of water. However, these fish are usually only about 6-8 feet below the surface. Will is having the best luck with Fish Stalker slab tail jigs in Mountain Dew color. 

While there are still some bass on beds it’s mostly a post-spawn bite on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the best thing going is still the early morning shad spawn bite on rocky points with spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, white jigs and crankbaits. There are also lots of bream shallow, and that means largemouth are up there feeding on them. Poppers, Senkos, shaky head worms and jigs will all work. While Dearal has not had much luck around docks there should be some fish around them – if you can find docks with water.

Finally, between rising temperatures and low water levels there should be some fish moving offshore. For now Dearal has only found them off points, but some fish should also be starting to suspend on structure.   

April 25

Lake Wateree is at 94.8% of full pool and the lake has cleared significantly. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 68 after some cooler nights. 

Fresh off second place by .04 ounces (the weight of a penny) in a 78-boat crappie tournament with his partner Tommy Slice, tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt definitely has a good read on the Wateree crappie. Will reports that fish are moving all the time but they are just beginning to stack up on brush in 12-15 feet of water closer to the banks. There are still some fish in the creeks, mainly smaller males, but the best brush is in the main lake. They are not on all of the brush in that range yet, and it has also not gotten hot enough for fish to get down in the brush so they are suspended above it.

The bite is fairly finicky, and they really don’t seem to want minnows right now. Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Monkey Milk are working the best. 

With the mostly warm weather we have had tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that about all of the good Lake Wateree bass patterns have busted open -with some caveats. There are some pre-spawn fish, tons of spawning fish, post-spawn fish and then pre- and post-spawn fish concentrating on the shad spawn. There are also bream spawning and bass hanging around those!

The best thing going is probably the early shad spawn bite, and on rocky points spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, white jigs and crankbaits are all catching fish. But unfortunately it’s hard to target a lot of the shallow fish since they are in flat areas and water levels are low, and a lot of cover including docks can be hard to reach. So right now even though there is a lot going on it can be hard to access it all, and big fish in particularly have been tricky.  

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.