July 28

Lake Wateree is at 96.7% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are around 84 degrees. 

Earlier in the summer tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden was still finding a good shallow bite, but now LiveScope imaging confirms that it’s basically a graveyard in shallow water. There are few bass to be caught. 

At the same time the fishing is still good on creek channel ledges, humps, and main lake points in areas with 10-25 feet of water.  The best spots have 20 plus feet of water nearby, even if the fish are shallower.  

While jigs and crankbaits should work, this week Dearal has had the best luck with Carolina rigs and shakey head worms. However, from what he is seeing it is more about having a lure in front of the fish at the moment they decide to feed than finding the perfect lure. He has noticed that fish will all of a sudden turn on when he marks a school of bait passing through. 

Dearal also notes that sometimes the fish will come up schooling over the deep spots. 

There’s not much change with crappie on Lake Wateree this week, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that catching smaller fish is still relatively easy as long as you fish near the river channel. 

Brush in 12-25 feet of water still seems to be holding the most fish, with some fish in the brush and others suspended a foot or two over the top of it. While jigs will work minnows may be better right now. 

There is very little action inside the creeks except for around bridges which are also still holding some fish.

The fishing for catfish is still good on Lake Wateree, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best action is coming fishing flats with Asian clam beds in 7-12 feet of water. Drifting shallow flats in the upper 1/3 of the lake will produce plenty of eating sized blues and channels in the 2-12 pound range.

To improve your chances of tangling with a big fish, the best pattern is to fish at night or early mornings on points and vertical breaks in 6-15 feet of water. Gizzard shad and bream heads are working well. 

July 22

Lake Wateree is at 96.7% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are around 84 degrees. Despite the rain at least the lower end still just has a normal amount of stain. 

For some time now the better bass bite on Lake Wateree has been shallow, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that – while some good fish can still be caught shallow, particularly early in the morning on topwater lures – the deep bite appears to be passing it. Fish are being caught on creek channel ledges, humps, and main lake points in areas near 20-25 feet of water. However, Dearal frequently finds that the feeding fish are suspended about 10 feet down off the depth break. They will also school on the surface at times and drift off the spots when they are chasing bait, and then they will return to the structure.

Carolina rigs, shakey head worms, jigs and crankbaits will all work, and it’s really just a matter of seeing what fish will eat on a particular day. 

There is no doubt that you can still catch numbers of crappie on Lake Wateree, and his last time out tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that he got a limit of fish in around two hours. However, they were mainly smaller ones and he really had to work to catch them. Even though the brush was loaded with fish according to his electronics, he had to finesse them to make them eat.  He was using Fish Stalker jigs but it may be that minnows would have worked a bit better. 

Brush in 12-25 feet of water still seems to be holding the most fish, with some fish in the brush and others suspended a foot or two over the top of it. Bigger fish should still be closer to the river channel but even there they are hard to find, and generally the main lake or outside the creek mouths is the best place to look.   

There is very little action inside the creeks except for around bridges which are also still holding some fish.

The fishing for catfish has picked up on Lake Wateree, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best action is coming fishing flats with Asian clam beds in 7-12 feet of water. Drifting shallow flats in the upper 1/3 of the lake will produce plenty of eating sized blues and channels in the 2-12 pound range.

To improve your chances of tangling with a big fish, the best pattern is to fish at night or early mornings on points and vertical breaks in 6-15 feet of water.  Gizzard shad and bream heads are working well.

July 8

Lake Wateree is at 96.8% of full pool and before the rain of the last 24 hours the lake was fairly clear from one end to another . Morning surface water temperatures are around 85 degrees.   

While tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden won’t say that numbers of bass couldn’t be found offshore by some anglers, he continues to only catch a random fish or two on deeper structure. Of course, with a good shallow bite he spends more time near the banks fishing.

In the mornings there is still a good bite with topwater lures off points or laydowns, and when the sun gets up you can catch fish around docks flipping craws, worms or jigs. Some people are also targeting grass with a frog.   

Right now there is still a pretty good bream bed bite as the spawn continues, and you want to look around flat spots in coves with a jig or Senko. 

The best action on Lake Wateree is still for crappie, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish continue to bite very well. Fish are on brush in 12-25 feet of water, with some fish in the brush and others suspended a foot or two over the top of it. 

It’s not unusual find a brush pile holding 800 or 900 fish, but they are mostly in the 8-10 inch range. While crappie can be found from just outside the mouth of creeks to the main lake, the bigger fish are out towards the river channel. 

Bridges are still holding some fish, but since the bridges are in the creeks as it has gotten hotter the fish around bridges have mostly gotten smaller. 

While other people are catching fish on minnows, Will is exclusively fishing Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Glimmer Blue. 

It’s still not a peak time for big catfish, but Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that there is still a really good bite for 2-6 pound fish drifting the shallow flats in 8-12 feet of water with cut shad. 

As the spawn winds down more big fish should start to be mixed in on the flats, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a big cat the best bet is still to go to the upper end of the lake, hope for some current, and fish large baits close to drops and other steep vertical depth changes.

June 24

Lake Wateree is at 97% of full pool and after recent rains the lake is getting stained. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s. 

There’s little doubt right now that the best fishing on Lake Wateree is for crappie, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish are biting very well. The trick is pretty simple – finding brush in 15-22 feet of water on the main lake. It’s not unusual to catch a limit off one brush pile right now.

Generally the fish have been suspended pretty high in the water column, and over brush in the 20-foot range they have usually been only 10-12 feet down. This could be because of recent cool weather and rains. 

Minnows will certain work, but Will has been fishing Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew, Glimmer Blue and black with a yellow tail. 

As they should all summer, Will also notes that bridges are holding some fish. 

The offshore bass bite has not been very good recently on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that with the water coming up a little and mild temperatures some shallow fish have been biting. First thing they are taking topwater lures off points or laydowns, and when the sun gets up you can catch fish around grass and docks flipping craws, worms or jigs. In the morning you can also get a reaction bite around the grass and docks with a spinnerbait, buzzbait or frog.

Right now there is also a pretty good bream bed bite, and you want to look around flat spots in coves with a jig or Senko. 

The offshore bite should come on again if they pull the lake down and/ or temperatures rise. 

It’s still not a peak time for big catfish, but Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that there is still a really good bite for 2-6 pound fish drifting the shallow flats in 8-12 feet of water with cut shad. 

As the spawn winds down more big fish should start to be mixed in on the flats, but if you want to improve your chances of catching a big cat the best bet is still to go to the upper end of the lake, hope for some current, and fish large baits close to drops and other steep vertical depth changes.

June 10

Lake Wateree is at 97.6% of full pool and after recent rains the lake is getting stained. Morning surface water temperatures have risen to about 82 degrees. 

Out on the water right now going after catfish, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that there is a tremendous bait in the water. He is still finding a really good bite for 2-6 pound fish drifting the shallow flats in 8-12 feet of water with cut shad.  

Even though the spawn is still going on, there also appear to be a few more big fish feeding than a couple of weeks ago and they are catching some blues into the mid-20s mixed in with smaller fish.   

Of course, if you want to improve your chances of catching a big cat the best bet is to go to the upper end of the lake, hope for some current, and fish large baits close to drops and other steep vertical depth changes.

Big catfish are feeding better on Wateree than they were two weeks ago, but trying to catch better bass right now is really tough. Tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in the CBC last weekend it took about 17 pounds to win.

About ten days ago the deep bite was pretty good, but recently it slowed down.  You can still fish offshore with worms, jigs and crankbaits around depth changes, but they are mainly catching small fish there.  

The better fish seem to be coming around grass, docks, or on points. The best pattern may be fishing mid-depth points with Carolina rigs as a lot of fish seem to be in an in-between stage right now. 

Overall it seems that the best action for numbers as well as big fish right now is in the crappie department, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are all over brush right now.  On recent trips it has been pretty easy if you know brush.   

Fish can be found over the entire lake from the mouth of creeks out to the main lake, and even though they will go deeper when it gets warmer right now they are still on some relatively shallow stuff. The best zone has been 12-18 feet of water. 

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Glimmer Blue have been working well, and some people are having success with plain minnows. 

Will notes that bridges are also holding some fish. 

May 26

Lake Wateree is pretty low at 96.8% of full pool and clarity is high for Wateree. Morning surface water temperatures have just hit 80 degrees. 

Anyone expecting to find an easy bass fishing bite on Lake Wateree this Memorial Day weekend is likely to be disappointed, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in the last couple of days he has not found a hot bite anywhere. He has caught a few small ones shallow around bank grass, a few small ones around mid-depth stuff, and a few small bass around deeper stuff.  But he has struggled to catch anything over 3 pounds.

Overall a decent pattern is to look for a shallow topwater bite early, and then try to find some fish around deeper docks or offshore structure when the sun is up. You can also target bream beds during the day with topwater lures or soft plastics. 

For offshore fish the typical baits of worms, jigs and crankbaits can all work, but Dearal notes that the fish have not yet gotten on the really deep offshore structure some of them inhabit in the heat of summer. Instead, they are more likely to be at the top of the shelf. 

If you know the location of some good brush and want to catch fish chasing crappie may be a better idea than bass fishing, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that two days ago he caught 20 fish in the first hour and a half on brush. He spent the rest of the trip culling until everything he kept was over a pound!

Fish are pretty well stacked up on brush now, but even as surface temperatures have risen they are still mainly on shallower brush in 12-16 feet of water.  He did catch a few fish deeper but not many.  Brush piles from one end of the lake to the other have crappie, but mostly out of the creeks in the main lake.  The one exception is that bridges are starting to hold some fish. 

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Glimmer Blue have been working well, and some people are having success with plain minnows. 

It’s a tale of two sizes with the Lake Wateree catfish, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that if you are looking for a trophy this is a tough period. At the same time it’s a very good time to catch numbers of 2-6 pound fish. This is a result of the spawn, and since water temperatures have passed the 78-degree mark which traditionally marks the beginning of the catfish spawn the larger class fish are occupied with reproducing. Meanwhile, the younger fish are still eating in hopes of reaching that size.

The best pattern for catching numbers of fish is to drift the shallow flats in 8-12 feet of water.  Fish under ten pounds are abundant, and they will take cut shad.

At the same time, if you want to improve your chances of catching a big cat the best bet is to go to the upper end of the lake, hope for some current, and fish large baits close to drops and other steep vertical depth changes.

While the spawn will last for a little while, anglers will get a sign that fish are coming out of the period when beat-up males start to show up in the catch again. 

May 20

Lake Wateree is down to 96.4% of full pool and water temperatures are in the lower 70s. 

The bass fishing on Lake Wateree may have gotten a little tougher, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that with the full moon coming up there should be some good fishing just around the corner. Between the effects of low water levels and a mild spring there are still fish in all three stages of the spawn, and he has seen females still full of eggs. Overall there are a few fish deep and a few fish shallow. The coming heat wave could push more fish deep, but the full moon should pull some shallow, so it’s unclear what the next week holds.

Overall Dearal suggests looking for a topwater bite early, and hopefully you can find some bass feeding on shad spawning around shallow grass, docks and other cover. Buzzbaits and spinnerbaits will both work. After that Dearal would look for bream beds and fish topwater lures or soft plastics, and then in the afternoon fish docks. 

There are already some fish setting up on offshore structure as well.  

The crappie remain in a similar stage, but tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that by now even more fish have gotten on brush. While some are still roaming in open water, more fish are now on shallower brush in 12-16 feet of water.  Deeper brush is not holding many fish.  Brush piles from one end of the lake to the other will have crappie, but mostly out of the creeks in the main lake.  The one exception is that bridges are starting to hold some fish. 

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Glimmer Blue have been working well, and some people are having success with plain minnows. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the bite remains very good in the upper lake when there is some water movement.  Cut shad anchored in 8-20 feet is producing lots of eating size blues from 4-6 pounds as well as occasional fish up to 20 plus pounds.  Fish are also starting to be caught in other sections of the lake as well, although the upper lake is still producing best.

May 6

Lake Wateree is at 96.9% of full pool and water temperatures are in the lower 70s. 

The crappie are coming out of a post-spawn lull, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish are really starting to migrate to brush.  Generally they are on shallower brush in 12-16 feet right now, and brush much deeper than that is not holding fish. As the sun gets up they sink lower in the brush. Brush piles from one end of the lake to the other will hold fish, but mostly out of the creeks in the main lake. And while not every piece of brush has fish yet, about half of them seem to. 

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Glimmer Blue have been working well, and some people are having success with plain minnows. 

The bass fishing on Lake Wateree continues to be pretty good, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that with the spawn mostly finished most anglers are focusing on the shad spawn around shallow grass, docks and other cover. You can fish spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, square-bills and more in shad colors. 

In the morning there has also been a good topwater bite more generally, and right now it pretty much seems like if you fish shallow you will catch fish.  

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the bite remains very good in the upper lake when there is some water movement. Cut shad anchored in 8-20 feet is producing lots of eating size blues from 4-6 pounds as well as occasional fish up to 20 plus pounds.

April 29

Lake Wateree is at 96.6% of full pool and water temperatures are in the mid to upper 60s. 

The bass fishing on Lake Wateree has been really good recently, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that while there should be some fish still spawning most anglers are focusing on the shad spawn around shallow grass, docks and grass. You can fish spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, square-bills and more in shad colors. 

In the morning there has also been a good topwater bite more generally, and right now it pretty much seems like if you fish shallow you will catch fish.  

At the same time, tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the crappie bite has been a little tough on Lake Wateree recently. Certainly they are still catching some fish, but for the past few days fish have not eaten very well.   

The spawn is over and fish are roaming all over the place, except they have basically moved out of shallow water to deeper areas. They are just kind of floating around 4-12 feet down and have not really made their way out to brush yet. Most of the fish have been in 18-20 feet of water, and Will has seen very few shallower than 15 feet. They are in the mouths of creeks and coves, and making their way to the main lake.

Fish can be caught long-line trolling, and Will is chasing them with LiveScope technology. Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Glimmer Blue have been working well, and some people are having success with plain minnows. However, fish are not especially hungry and the bite is usually sporadic at best.  

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the bite is very good in the upper lake when there is some water movement.  Cut shad anchored in 8-20 feet is producing lots of eating size blues from 4-6 pounds as well as occasional fish up to 20 plus pounds.

April 16

Lake Wateree is at 96.6% of full pool and there is color throughout the whole lake but it is not muddy. Water temperatures were about 65 degrees this morning. 

After a spring where water levels were extremely high it’s ironic that low water levels are throwing a bit of a wrench into the Wateree bass fishing, but that is exactly what tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports is going on right now. It’s hard to fish some of his usual stuff.

As of earlier this week there were still plenty of fish staging for the spawn, and even though most of the fish are relatively shallow right now Dearal classifies them as staging based on how they are set up. When they are grouped up on the edge of a cove he considers them staging, and this Monday they caught eight females from 2-5 pounds in three to five feet of water off one dock at the entrance to a cove.  For staging fish Dearal likes a jig or shakey head around docks, and in between the docks he will throw a spinnerbait or crankbait.  There are some fish on the main lake but he is finding more in coves and pockets. 

Of course some fish are on beds but there are also some post-spawn fish around, and Dearal generally catches them one of two ways. First they can be suspended around docks where they will take soft plastics. The second is that they are feeding on shad spawning, which he has not yet seen but should be about to get underway around grass, dock floats, or anything else on the top of the water. Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and frogs will all work. 

As we head into the Great Falls Shriner Club Crappie Tournament this weekend it’s a bit of a transition period for crappie, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are biting but they are scattered all over.  The spawn is almost totally finished and some of the better fish are hanging out on the bottom recovering, while most of the active feeders are higher in the water column. 

There are still some good ones in the creeks that can be caught in 8-16 feet of water, but these numbers will dwindle as more fish head out to main lake points over the whole lake at the same depths.  Long-line trolling is one popular technique, and some people are targeting them looking at LiveScope and casting at individual fish. 

There are also a few better fish starting to gather on structure. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the bite is very good in the Cedar Creek area. His boat is anchoring baits on ledges and rock structure in 8-20 feet of water when there is some current. All cut baits are working well and the 4-12 pound fish are especially active.

April 2

Lake Wateree is at 99.9% of full pool but clarity on the lower end still looks surprisingly normal for water levels this high. Morning surface water temperatures were about 61 today. 

Just yesterday water levels were so high that water was spilling over the Wateree dam, but today water levels have dropped just below full.  However, despite quickly dropping water levels and temperatures, today tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden found a pretty good bite on the lake. Even though surface temperatures had dropped a couple of degrees in the last two days they still found a lot of fish on the banks. It was relatively easy to get bites fishing over the grass. 

Some fish are spawning, lots are pre-spawn, and there are probably even a few post-spawn fish. Today they caught everything on spinnerbaits. 

It’s uncertain exactly what this cold front will do to the crappie, but as of mid-week tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish had mostly gone to the banks. About three-quarters of the fish that had been suspended out in the creeks had disappeared and headed to shallow cover. Shallow, spawning fish can be found around most any shallow cover but they have an affinity for pea gravel banks and shallow limbs where they can rub their eggs out. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish should still be in a transition to the upper lake.  Next week will be fishing the upper end below the Cedar Creek dam for big blues.  More information to follow.

March 19

Lake Wateree is at 97.4% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 50s. Before this week’s rain the water was clearing but wind and rain are dirtying it up again.     

One year we may get a spring where the water temperatures smoothly and gradually transition warmer, but this is not that year!  Tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that recently water temperatures warmed up and then cooled back down, and as a result it seems to have set the fish back. He found some better females up shallow before the last tournament, but by the time the cool front arrived they could only find males and the bigger ones were not up there. The fish they did catch were relatively near spawning pockets but on docks. Rocks and grass were not holding fish. 

The jig bite has not been on recently, and Dearal has had to recent to a Senko to catch fish. A few also came on crankbait. 

More consistent weather after this weekend should bring more fish shallow.

The wind is blowing so bad that it’s hard to get out on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the crappie are in all the creeks from one end of the lake to the other as well as off points on the main lake. There are also some males that have moved up shallow on the banks, and a very few females could also be spawning. 

For fish that can’t be caught with a jig/ minnow under a cork around the banks, trolling in the creek runs 6-12 feet down over 12-22 feet of water is the best bet.  Jigs, jigs tipped with minnows and plain minnows are all catching fish. It’s a good bet to present them all and let the fish tell you what they want on a particular day. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish are in a transition to the upper lake and the shallows are starting to produce well. There are also some fish being caught on ledges in the 15-20 foot range in Wateree Creek and above. 

Gizzard shad are hard to come by but white perch are working very well. 

March 10

Lake Wateree is at 97.3% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s. The water is clearing.   

Last weekend they expected the bass fishing to bust open on Lake Wateree, and certainly there were some fish caught in the CATT and Wateree Open tournaments, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that they weren’t able to find the better fish up shallow and moving around in the creeks yet. Instead he and his tournament partner fished on the main lake with crankbaits around rock to catch a decent limit.   

However, after a week of 70-degree temperatures there is little doubt that by this weekend fish will be solidly in the pre-spawn stage and in the morning females should be ganged up around points, rocks, docks, grass, and other shallow cover close to spawning areas. In the afternoon Dearal expects the groups to break up and for the fish to move around. A lot of different baits will catch fish right now, including crankbaits, jigs, and spinnerbaits.

The crappie are just a little ahead of the bass, and this week tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are being caught pretty much everywhere including the mouths of creeks, inside creeks and coves, and even in the backs. The majority of the fish are in 8-10 feet of water or less, and some have come up in 3-4 feet of water to warm themselves. Both long-line trolling and tight-lining are working, and jigs, jigs tipped with minnows and plain minnows are all catching fish. It’s a good bet to present them all and let the fish tell you what they want on a particular day. 

The shallow bite should turn on very soon for catfish on Lake Wateree, but Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that he is still finding better action anchored in the middle of the creek or in the main channel in 15-31 feet of water. Cut gizzard shad still seems to be the best bait and they remain easy to net in the creeks.

March 5

Lake Wateree is way down to 97.0% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s. The water is clearing some but still pretty muddy.

Water levels on Lake Wateree are genuinely down this week, and tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that because of the combination of a lot of factors he expects the fishing to really be good this weekend. Fish are solidly in the pre-spawn stage, and in the morning females should be ganged up around points, rocks, docks, grass, and other shallow cover close to spawning areas. In the afternoon he expects the groups to break up and for the fish to move around. Cooler weather could push them deeper and make them suspend, but this time of year they won’t stay out for very long. 

A lot of different baits will catch fish right now, including crankbaits, jigs, and spinnerbaits. 

While the crappie are not yet up against the banks on Lake Wateree, tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that they have gotten into pre-spawn mode and are starting to move shallower into the creeks and coves across the lake. He is finding them suspended 8-12 feet down over 15-25 feet of water. Will is mostly casting to them with LiveScope technology, but tight-lining or long-line trolling will both work.  Will has been using plain jigs but jigs tipped with minnows will also catch fish.

The shallow bite still does not seem to have turned on for catfish on Lake Wateree, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that he is still finding better action anchored in the middle of the creek or in the main channel in 15-31 feet of water.  Cut gizzard shad still seems to be the best bait and they remain easy to net in the creeks.

February 26

Lake Wateree is down to 99.7% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures range from about 51-52 on the main channel to 54 in the backs of creeks. The water is muddy. 

After peaking at several feet above full pool with water rushing over the dam, tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the lake is now “merely” full and people are finally able to get out on the lake again. Still, high muddy water at this time of year usually makes for tough fishing on Lake Wateree, although it will be interesting to see what happens in the first CATT this weekend.

While there has been some warm weather Dearal doesn’t think a couple of warm days will be enough to totally change the bite, and he still suggests sticking to steep, rocky banks on or near the main lake. Docks, grass points and brush could also hold some fish, but again he would stay close to main water. The most catchable fish are likely to be in less that 6-10 feet and red crankbaits with a subtle wobble or jigs should be good choices. A slow moving spinnerbait could also be good. 

It’s still tough conditions for crappie on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the best fishing has come tight-lining in coves off the main lake on the lower end around Clearwater or Colonel Creek.  Fish are getting out of the current, and they have been suspended 15-18 feet down over 25-30 feet of water.

On warm days this weekend the fish may well start to go shallow, and as the shallows warm faster than deeper water some could even be caught very shallow in only a few feet of water. Very shallow tight-lining out of the front of the boat is probably the best way to approach these fish. 

The fish don’t always read the same books and articles that we do, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that with all this muddy water the catfish should have gone shallow.  However, as on Lake Wylie he has found a shallow bite almost non-existent and yesterday they only caught a couple of small blues near the banks.  Moving back towards deeper water they caught some decent 2-8 pound catfish anchored in the middle of the creek, but it wasn’t until they got back to the main channel and set up in 15-31 feet that they found some better blues in the teenage class.  Cut gizzard shad seems to be the best bait and right now they are easy to net in the creeks.  Overall Rodger rate the bite fair to good.

February 18

Lake Wateree has shot up to 101.7% of full pool and water temperatures remain in the upper 40s. Once again the lake is very muddy even before today’s rain. 

While he would love to give an on-the-water fishing report, tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that last weekend the CATT Trail had to cancel its tournament because of very low water levels, while this weekend he feels almost certain they will have to cancel because of extremely high water! The lake is already well over full pool with water pouring over the dam and is expected to crest at 103.  

When it’s finally fishable again he still advises sticking to steep, rocky banks on or near the main lake. Slow moving baits fished close to the bottom are still the best bet, including jigs and spinnerbaits. 

There haven’t been a lot of breaks in the weather, but when he has had a chance to fish tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the crappie have been exactly where they “should” be with all the mud and current running through the lake. He has found the fish on the lower end from about Colonel Creek to the dam, and with water temperatures still very cold they have been out on the main lake.  Fish have been suspended about 8-12 feet down over 30-34 feet of water. 

While you could probably fish for them by trolling, Will has been chasing them with his LiveScope and casting at them with jigs. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best bet is still to anchor gizzard shad on deep ledges earlier in the day. You can fish this way at the mouths of creeks or on drops in the main river channel. 

Then, in the afternoon look for active fish in only a few feet of water.  When picking a shallow spot to anchor lines look for areas with bird activity. 

February 4

Lake Wateree is back up to 96.2% of full pool and water temperatures remain in the upper 40s. The lake is already pretty muddy, from one end to the other, with more rain on the way.   

The water coming up a bit is a good thing for bass fishing on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that is about the only positive. In the cold, muddy conditions fishing is extremely difficult. The best bet is still to stick to steep, rocky banks on or near the main lake. Slow moving baits fished close to the bottom are still the best bet, including jigs and spinnerbaits. 

Check out the newLake Wateree Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Dearal.

Not at a lot of people are chasing crappie right now on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports the best bet is still to get out of the muddiest, swiftest water up the river and try to fish more protected pockets on the lower end.  Tight-line minnows and jigs in black or other dark colors, perhaps with some chartreuse, in 16-24 feet on the bottom. 

It may be a couple of weeks but when the water starts to warm anglers will want to look in the middle part of coves and creeks and tight-line in 12-22 feet of water. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that other species are more affected by the mud – while catfish keep right on eating!  The best bet is still to anchor gizzard shad on deep ledges earlier in the day. You can fish this way at the mouths of creek or on drops in the main river channel. 

Then, when the afternoon sun warms the water look for active fish in only a few feet of water.  When picking a shallow spot to anchor lines look for areas with bird activity. 

January 20

Lake Wateree is at 94.4% of full pool and water temperatures are in the upper 40s and lower 50s. The lake remains pretty muddy. 

It’s still tough fishing conditions on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that most people seem to agree that it’s hard to catch bass right now on the lake. Cold, muddy water makes for a slow bite, and because the water levels are also low Dearal advises sticking to steep, rocky banks on or near the main lake. Slow moving baits fished close to the bottom are still the best bet, including jigs and spinnerbaits. 

Check out the new Lake Wateree Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Dearal.

There’s not a lot of change in the crappie patterns, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are still trying to escape the worst current and dirty water by moving to pockets on the lower end. The best way to catch them is tight-lining minnows and jigs in 16-24 feet on the bottom. Black and other dark colors, perhaps with a flash of chartreuse, are the best bets. 

In catfish news, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best bet is still to anchor gizzard shad on deep ledges earlier in the day.  You can fish this way at the mouths of creek or on drops in the main river channel. 

Then, when the afternoon sun warms the water look for active fish in only a few feet of water.   When picking a shallow spot to anchor lines look for areas with bird activity.

January 13

Lake Wateree is down to 94.1% of full pool and water temperatures are in the upper 40s and lower 50s. The lake is muddy. 

Anyone looking for an excuse not to go fishing on Lake Wateree right now has a pretty good one – the lake is muddy, conditions are rainy, and it’s cold. Apparently a lot of people are using that excuse, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that there is little fishing activity right now.

Still, with cold, muddy water being pulled hard through lake not much has changed with the crappie, and they are still trying to escape the worst current and dirty water by moving to pockets on the lower end. The best way to catch them is tight-lining minnows and jigs in 16-24 feet on the bottom. Black and other dark colors, perhaps with a flash of chartreuse, are the best bets. 

If and when the flow settles down then try the same pattern around the state park at the same depths as fish make their way back up. 

Even though conditions are really tough for bassfishing right now, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden does reports that there have been a few fish caught on slow moving baits fished close to the bottom. The best bet is to fish steep, shallow rocky areas that are close to deep water, and the best reports recently have come on a spinnerbait and a jig. 

Check out the new Lake Wateree Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Dearal.

In catfish news, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best bet is still to anchor gizzard shad on deep ledges earlier in the day.  You can fish this way at the mouths of creek or on drops in the main river channel. 

Then, when the afternoon sun warms the water look for active fish in only a few feet of water.  When picking a shallow spot to anchor lines look for areas with bird activity. 

January 7

Lake Wateree is back up to 96.2% of full pool and water temperatures are down to the lower 50s. While the lower end is decent the upper end is muddy. 

A couple of weeks ago Wateree was so low that it was hard to get a boat in, but now tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that high and muddy conditions up the lake are changing things. There may still be some crappie on the upper end of Lake Wateree, but more fish seem to be escaping the mud and current by coming down the lake. Will is fishing pockets on the lower end where the water is cleaner, and he is tight-lining minnows and jigs in 16-24 feet on the bottom. 

The majority of the bass tournament activity is in a lull on Lake Wateree, and the upper end is muddy, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that water conditions around Clearwater Cove are decent. Fishing rock is the key, and he suggests fishing crankbaits, jigs, Carolina rigs and shakey heads. While there may be greater numbers of fish deeper, the most catchable fish are also likely to be relatively shallow. 

Check out the new Lake Wateree Catch ’Em Kits with lures hand-picked for each season by Dearal.

In catfish news, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best bet is to anchor gizzard shad on deep ledges earlier in the day. However, when the afternoon sun warms the water then active fish can be caught surprisingly shallow in only a few feet of water.  When picking a shallow spot to anchor lines look for areas with bird activity.