June 24

Lake Wylie is at 96.7% of full pool and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s.

It would be tough to pretend the bass fishing is strong on Lake Wylie right now when 12 pounds won the 50-plus boat Thursday night tournament last night, and 9 pounds was second, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in the morning there has been a decent buzzbait bite for the first hour or so around main lake riprap. 

Reid is out on the lake right now and there are also tons of bream beds everywhere and some bass are keying on them. Bass that are around bream beds will take bluegill imitators like prop baits and swimbaits, and you can also fish soft plastics for them. There are also some fish around docks feeding on bream. 

Offshore fish are being caught around points and humps at the major creek mouths or in summer main lake spots, and now 15-25 feet is the best depth range. Fish are oriented to the bottom, and crankbaits, swimbaits and big worms are all working. 

There are also a surprising number of fish getting around offshore brush right now. 

It’s still a tricky time for catching catfish on Lake Wylie with the spawn going on, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that he is still diverting most of his guide trips to Lake Wateree where there is a massive population of juvenile fish. However, he has caught some fish up to 15 pounds that had mostly likely already spawned or were still pre-spawn. 

The best pattern has still been taking wind-aided drifts in 25-35 feet of water. Cut gizzard shad has been the most effective bait to drag, and feeding fish are not confined to any particular section of the lake.

June 17

Lake Wylie is at 96.8% of full pool and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 80s. 

It’s still a tricky time for catching catfish on Lake Wylie with the spawn going on, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the last time out they only caught five fish over four hours. Most of the fish are still 10 pounds or less, but they have caught them up to 15 pounds. The bigger fish are almost certainly about to spawn or coming off the spawn, and they have caught some fish that are pretty beat up. 

The bite shouldn’t be off to much longer, but in the meantime Rodger is taking some of his parties over to Wateree where the bite for juvenile catfish is better.   

On Wylie the best bite has still been on wind-aided drifts in 25-35 feet of water. Cut gizzard shad has been the most effective bait to drag, and feeding fish are not confined to any particular section of the lake.

June 14

Lake Wylie is at 96.6% of full pool and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 80s. 

It’s full-on summer bass patterns on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that right now it’s either a matter of fishing shallow or deep. Winning weights have been in the 12-15 pound range in tournaments, and so neither is great, but bites have been relatively easy to come by. 

Offshore fish are being caught around points and humps at the major creek mouths or in summer main lake spots, and for right now 10-20 feet is the best depth range. Fish are oriented to the bottom, and crankbaits, swimbaits and big worms are all working. Later in the season after the fish have been hammered for a while they will get more cautious, but for now they are pretty aggressive.  

You can also target fish that are shallow around bream beds, and with the full moon today that pattern should be at a summer peak for the next few days. Bass that are around bream beds will take bluegill imitators like prop baits and swimbaits, and you can also fish soft plastics for them. 

There are also some random fish hanging in the shade of docks and so it is worth continuing to fish them.

June 10

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees. 

It can be a tricky time for catching catfish on Lake Wylie with the spawn going on, but Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the last few times out the fishing has been a little better than expected. Most of the fish are still 10 pounds or less, but they have caught them up to 15 pounds. The bigger fish are almost certainly about to spawn or coming off the spawn, and they have caught some fish that are pretty beat up. 

The best bite has still been on wind-aided drifts in 25-35 feet of water. Cut gizzard shad has been the most effective bait to drag, and feeding fish are not confined to any particular section of the lake.  

With the full moon coming up the bream bite should get even better on Lake Wylie, and this weekend Captain Rodger Taylor reports that he will be looking for beds. At the recent mayfly hatch there was a good bite, and this should concentrate fish even more. Look for protected sandy areas and throw crickets or worms to the fish. Unlike catfish bream are heavy eaters while they spawn!

A good bluegill on Wylie is about 2/3 of a pound, but you can also pick up some shellcracker in the pound range. 

Bass report to follow. 

May 25

Lake Wylie is at 97.1% of full pool and clarity is good. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s. 

The shad spawn bite is finally dying out on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that some of the best bass catches are starting to come offshore on the lake. Fish are being caught around points and humps at the major creek mouths, and for right now 10-20 feet is the magic depth range. Fish are oriented to the bottom, and crankbaits, swimbaits and big worms are all working. Later in the season after the fish have been hammered for a while they will get more cautious, but for now they are pretty aggressive.  

There are still some fish hanging around docks for a variety of reasons, including guarding fry, but the best shallow pattern right now is the bream bed bite. Bass that are around bream beds will take bluegill imitators like prop baits and swimbaits. 

On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the spawn now seems to be underway and as a result fishing for blue catfish is only “fair”. Most of the fish they are catching are less than 10 pounds, and the best bite has been on wind-aided drifts in 25-35 feet of water.  Cut gizzard shad has been the most effective bait to drag, and feeding fish are not confined to any particular section of the lake.  

May 19

Lake Wylie is at 96.9% of full pool and clarity is good. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s. 

Some years the shad spawn is really quick and the bass fishing on Lake Wylie is really good for about two weeks around it. But tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that this is not one of those years.  The negative has been it has not ever been as wide open, but the upside is that it has gone on for longer. As a result in some isolated places you can still find shad spawning around riprap and docks very early. When you find fish feeding on the shad it does not really matter what you throw, but you can fish a spinnerbait, Chatterbait, Pop-R, buzzbait or other topwater lure.

There are also some post-spawn fish hanging around spawning pockets and guarding fry in areas like docks, but two summer patterns are also starting up. There are starting to be some bass around bream beds that will take bluegill imitators like prop baits and swimbaits. There are also starting to be a few fish offshore, but this bite has not really gotten good yet. 

Even though the spawn is getting close it’s still a really strong bite for catfish on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish continue to feed up in anticipation of spawning activity. He is catching them in spots all over the lake, but the common denominator has been that they are relatively shallow. He is generally anchoring in about 9 feet of water in coves inside creeks or on the main lake and casting from about 4 feet out to 15 feet. Most of the fish are blues in the 8-16 pound range but they are catching some blues and flatheads in the 20s and 30s. 

Cut white perch has been out-fishing everything else, even for flatheads, but at some point live bluegill or bluegill heads should pass them.

May 12

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and the water is green and slightly turbid. Morning surface water temperatures are about 72-74 degrees, down a degree or two from last week. 

Cooler weather has basically stalled the bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that there are still spawning fish on the lake. Whether targeting spawners or post-spawn fish, you can still get in spawning pockets and throw soft plastics at any visible cover or fish you see.  Wacky rigs continue to work and docks are also holding a lot of fish.  

The shad spawn is also still going on, and the best place to look for bass gorging on shad is around main lake riprap. Cast a spinnerbait, Chatterbait, Pop-R, buzzbait or other topwater lure.  This is an early morning bite and after the sun gets above the trees it is gone. 

It does not seem like significant numbers of fish have gone offshore yet, and so most patterns are still focused on shallow water. 

Even though the spawn is getting close it’s still a really strong bite for catfish on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish continue to feed up in anticipation of spawning activity. He is catching them in spots all over the lake, but the common denominator has been that they are relatively shallow. He is generally anchoring in about 9 feet of water in coves inside creeks or on the main lake and casting from about 4 feet out to 15 feet. Fish are moving around and seem to be coming up and feeding in waves, and they are catching (and usually releasing) about 200 pounds of fish on each trip. Most of the fish are blues in the 8-16 pound range but they are catching some blues and flatheads in the 20s and 30s. 

Cut white perch has been out-fishing everything else, even for flatheads, but at some point live bluegill or bluegill heads should pass them.

May 4

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s and lower 70s. 

While the shad spawn bite is very close to taking off on Lake Wylie, tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that for right now the bass fishing is still pretty much about targeting spawning fish. The pattern is still as simple as getting in spawning pockets and throwing soft plastics at any visible cover or fish you see.  Wacky rigs are very popular but a wide range of baits will work.

The shad spawn does seem to just be getting underway, but right now it’s only in a few places and the bass don’t seem to have really found them yet. The best place to look is around main lake riprap and then cast a spinnerbait, Chatterbait, Pop-R, buzzbait or other topwater lure.

There are some indications that a few fish could be starting to move towards their offshore summer spots but it’s very early. 

 

It’s a really strong bite for catfish right now on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish are in pre-spawn feeding mode and so they are biting very well. He is catching them in spots all over the lake, but the common denominator has been that they are relatively shallow. He is generally anchoring in about 9 feet of water in coves inside creeks or on the main lake and casting from about 4 feet out to 15 feet. Fish are moving around and seem to be coming up and feeding in waves, and they are catching (and usually releasing) about 200 pounds of fish on each trip. Most of the fish are blues in the 8-16 pound range but they are catching some blues and flatheads in the 20s and 30s. 

Cut white perch has been out-fishing everything else, even for flatheads, but at some point live bluegill or bluegill heads should pass them.

April 22

Lake Wylie is at 98.1% of full pool and the lake is stained in parts but not muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 60s. 

The cool nights have kept things from progressing as much as usual by this time of year, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that bass fishing is pretty much about targeting spawning fish right now. The pattern really is as simple as getting in spawning pockets and throwing soft plastics at any visible cover or fish you see. The top weights in a recent tournament were 19 pounds and 17 pounds, so some pretty good ones are being caught. The biggest bags are all coming bed fishing.

The next stage will be the shad spawn but that has not started yet. 

The fishing for crappie is good to very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish are being taken on shallow brush now that the spawn has gotten underway. You can catch these fish casting a jig to the banks or fishing a minnow under a cork. 

There is also still a good long-line trolling bite pulling jigs in 10-23 feet of water in the creeks.   

The blue catfish bite is still very strong fishing coves in 5-15 feet of water off creek channels using cut white perch. The bite has been particularly good in dirty areas when the water level is rising following recent rains. The action in the upper 1/3 of Lake Wylie is getting very good as fish move up the lake and the pre-spawn bite kicks off.

April 8

Lake Wylie is at 98.0% of full pool and there is a mud line coming down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 60s.   

While water conditions might interfere with the patterns, tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that it’s pretty standard spring bass fishing right now. Fish are mostly in pre-spawn and spawning mode, and basically all you need to do is fish any shoreline cover to get bites. Reid has been fishing a spinnerbait around visible targets, and inside the spawning pockets any soft plastic pitched to docks or wood will work. Wacky-rigged worms, shakey heads and floating worms are all very good. 

The only challenge has been getting a big bite, and most tournaments are taking about 15 or 16 pounds to win. It takes something like the 7-pounder caught in the first Thursday night tournament to push a limit towards double digits. 

Trolling for crappie remains very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best depth range is still fishing in 15-17 feet – with either jigs or minnows. Very soon the fish should move shallow around the banks. 

The blue catfish bite is still very strong fishing coves in 5-15 feet of water off creek channels using cut white perch. The bite has been particularly good in muddy areas when the water level is rising following recent rains. In the next few weeks the action in the upper 1/3 of Lake Wylie will get very good as fish move up the lake and the pre-spawn bite kicks off.

April 1

Lake Wylie is at 97.8% of full pool and the lake is less muddy this week but still has dirty areas. Morning surface water temperatures are around 60 degrees. 

There are mixed reports on whether the bass fishing got tougher on Lake Wylie this week, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that a high school tournament took 18 pounds while some club tournaments had extremely low weights. From what he has seen fluctuating water levels have overall put the fish off a little bit, but the pattern is still the same. Most any shallow cover is worth fishing because there are so many buck bass up shallow looking for spawning places, while the bigger ones seem to be holding a little deeper. 

Soft plastics are working the best for fishing in spawning pockets. 

Trolling for crappie remains very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that for the past week the best depth range has been in 15-17 feet with either jigs or minnows. Very soon the fish should move shallow around the banks. 

The blue catfish bite has been very strong fishing coves in 5-15 feet of water off creek channels using cut white perch. The bite has been particularly good in muddy areas when the water level is rising following recent rains. In the next few weeks the action in the upper 1/3 of Lake Wylie will get very good as fish move up the lake and the pre-spawn bite kicks off.

March 24

Lake Wylie is at 97.4% of full pool and the lake is still muddy in parts as Duke has been pulling a lot of water. Morning surface water temperatures are about 58-59 degrees.

It’s good bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that there are a couple of ways to catch fish. In the dirtier water in the main lake there are both spots and largemouth that can be caught shallow on spinnerbaits, crankbaits or Chatterbaits. While these fish should bite all day, the best action has come in the morning. 

There is also a really good bite in the pockets, and if you flip a worm or creature bait around docks or poles you can catch all the buck bass you want. The fish are in any spawning pocket from the main lake to the very backs of creeks.

While numbers are easy the challenge has been finding better fish, and it seems as if the big females have not moved up to spawn quite yet. 

Trolling for crappie remains very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that in 13-24 feet of water in the creeks his boat has been wearing out the fish for the last ten days. The fish are moving a lot but they are easily located on sonar. Some people are also catching them around the banks, but they move back and forth so much that the trolling bite is much more consistent. 

Rodger is only trolling straight jigs right now, but the colors they want varies. Yesterday afternoon they wanted chartreuse and green while this morning they favored bright pink. For this reason it’s wise to use a variety of colors. 

The best speed has been just under one mile per hour. 

The blue catfish bite is still good to very good in the creeks after recent rains. In 6-15 feet the fish are feeding very well on shad and cut white perch. 

March 17

Lake Wylie is up to 98.2% of full pool and the water is muddy in the creeks. Morning surface water temperatures are about 57-59 degrees.  

He’s not saying that there’s not a rogue bass somewhere on Lake Wylie that is spawning, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the vast majority of fish are in pre-spawn mode. He doesn’t expect a big wave of fish to move up until the first week of April, of course dependent on weather. Right now the bite is overall good to very good.   

For now one big group of fish is staging, and they can be found around secondary points in creeks. Jigs, worms and Alabama rigs will all work. Another group of fish is up shallow, either feeding or further along looking for areas where they will spawn, and they can be caught on spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits. There is also a good group of fish around docks, either staging or getting close to spawning depending on the location. The bite flipping jigs and worms is getting better. 

The crappie bite is still very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the fish are grouping up more and more in the creeks. They are being caught in 24-26 feet of water on minnows. On warm afternoons there is some good fishing around brush. There is also a very good white perch bite a little deeper in 27-32 feet with minnows. 

The blue catfish bite is still good to very good in the creeks after recent rains. In 6-15 feet the fish are feeding very well on shad and cut white perch. 

March 12

Lake Wylie is at 99.2% of full pool. 

The crappie bite is still very good on Lake Wylie, but Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the fish are moving into the creeks. They are being caught in 24-26 feet of water on minnows.  On warm afternoons there is some good fishing around brush.  There is also a very good white perch bite a little deeper in 27-32 feet with minnows. 

The blue catfish bite is good to very good in the creeks after recent rains. In 6-15 feet the fish are feeding very well on shad and cut white perch. 

Bass report to follow.

March 1

Lake Wylie is at 97.5% of full pool morning surface water temperatures have reached the mid-50s.

Whether because of their latitude or because they have blueback herring, in many South Carolina lakes the bass are approaching the spawn or already there. However, tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that on Lake Wylie that is not the case and bass are still very much in late winter mode and focused on bait. 

While fish are still being caught on Alabama rigs, jerkbaits and the like in 10-20 feet of water around points, channel swings, and other depth changes, the big change is that they are starting to leave the main lake and follow the bait towards the creeks. The best spots are now in the front parts of creeks. 

There is a little bit of a jig bite around docks, but the bulk of the fish are still well off the banks. Between inconsistent water levels, rain and where things are now, Reid expects fish to push further back in the near future but not to get anywhere close to spawning. 

The crappie bite is still very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that he is still slaying the fish tight-lining very slowly in deep water. He is working the middle of the creek channel and the edge of deep drops, in about 37 feet of water, dropping the bait to within 1-2 feet of the bottom under bait schools. A double minnow rig is working the best. 

Shallower trolling is not working well yet, but crappie can move quickly – especially with the warm weather predicted for this weekend. 

Schools of big white perch are now in 24-30 feet of water.

The blue catfish bite remains fair to good, and Rodger reports that there are still a couple of different patterns going. On warmer days and particularly afternoons there is a pretty good bite in the creeks anchoring in just 5-15 feet of water from the middle of the creeks to the backs. Numbers are improving in the creeks. 

But while warm weather is bringing more fish into the creeks, there is still a good bite drifting in 25-45 feet of water in the main channel when there is some wind. 

A variety of cut baits are working but gizzard shad are tough to beat.

February 17

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and the water is relatively clear.  They have been pulling a lot of water through the lake, creating significant current. Morning surface water temperatures are about 48-50 degrees.

Fish are just starting to come out of their winter patterns on Lake Wylie, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that from what he has seen most of the bass have not started to make the move fully into pre-spawn patterns. They can best be characterized as in late winter/ early pre-spawn mode.

Fish are still feeding heavily on bait, and they are being caught on Alabama rigs and jerkbaits around points, channel swings, and other depth changes in the 20-foot range. Look for bait before fishing in an area. There are also some fish starting to stage around secondary points, a sign they are beginning to move. You can also find some bass shallow around rock that will eat a crankbait, especially in the dirtier water. 

The crappie bite is still very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that he is still slaying the fish tight-lining very slowly in deep water – even though he suspects they will start to move soon. He is working the middle of the creek channel and the edge of deep drops, in 40 plus feet, dropping the bait to the bottom under bait schools and then reeling one turn off the bottom. Some of the best fishing is in 45 feet, and if you pull the fish up quickly they don’t handle the stress well. A double minnow rig is working the best. 

Shallower trolling is not working well yet, but crappie can move quickly – especially with the warm weather predicted for this weekend. 

Some big white perch are mixed in with the crappie right now.

The blue catfish bite is fair to good, and Rodger reports that there are still a couple of different patterns going. As is normally the case at this time of year, on colder days you can catch fish drifting in 25-45 feet of water in the main channel when there is some wind. On warmer afternoons there is also a pretty good bite in the creeks anchoring in just 5-15 feet of water from the middle of the creeks to the backs. A variety of cut baits are working but gizzard shad are tough to beat.

Rodger expects the temperatures this weekend to bring more catfish into the creeks.

February 10

Lake Wylie is up to 98.3% of full pool and the water is slightly stained on the lower end creeks. Morning surface water temperatures are about 47 degrees. 

The best thing going right now on Lake Wylie is undoubtedly the crappie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that he is killing the fish tight-lining very slowly in deep water. He is working the middle of the creek channel and the edge of deep drops, in 40 plus feet, dropping the bait to the bottom under bait schools and then reeling one turn off the bottom. Some of the best fishing is in 45 feet, and if you pull the fish up quickly they don’t handle the stress well. A double minnow rig is working the best. 

Shallower trolling is not working well yet, but crappie can move quickly – especially with the warm weather predicted for this weekend. 

Some big white perch are mixed in with the crappie right now.

The blue catfish bite is fair to good, and Rodger reports that there are a couple of different patterns going. As is normally the case at this time of year, on colder days you can catch fish drifting in 25-45 feet of water in the main channel when there is some wind. On warmer afternoons there is also a pretty good bite in the creeks anchoring in just 5-15 feet of water from the middle of the creeks to the backs. A variety of cut baits are working but gizzard shad are tough to beat.

Fishing is such right now that you can usually scratch out a mess of fish, but on a given day you may have to check some different places and even techniques.  Overall the bite is fair to good. 

February 1

Lake Wylie is at 97.2% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the mid-40s. 

There continue to be some decent bags caught bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and this past weekend tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that there was a 15-pound bag winning bag as well as some others that were close to that. 

Patterns have changed, and for the first time in several years Lake Wylie is having a real winter and fish have gotten into true cold-weather patterns. Most of the fish have actually gone deep, and it’s almost exclusively a “bait bite” right now. Fish are biting the best on Alabama rigs and jerkbaits, with points, channel swings, and other depth changes in the 20-foot range most productive.  Look for bait in area before fishing because feeding fish are almost exclusively in areas where there are schools of shad. 

The blue catfish bite is a grind although Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports they are getting a good number of fish if they really work at it, but the crappie bite has been especially consistent in deep water on Wylie. Tight-lining minnows in 40 plus feet of water has been the winning pattern. 

More information to follow on catfish. 

January 20

Lake Wylie is at 97.1% of full pool and the lake has gotten more stained this week. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the upper 40s. 

The bass fishing continues to be somewhat improved on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the catch is still spot-heavy but they are also getting some largemouth. Numbers of fish can still be caught on Alabama rigs, and they have also caught some fish around points and channel swings in 10-20 feet with jerkbaits. 

However, the best fish – like those in the winning 15-pound bag Reid and his tournament partner had the previous weekend – have come shallow cranking in stained water. They have found a good bite on this pattern first thing, and then there also seems to be a mid-day feeding window. 

Before last weekend’s storms the catfish were biting really well on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) was still finding the best action anchoring and fan casting baits in 6-14 feet of water in the middle to upper creeks. Post-storm the fish may have moved out to a more normal pattern in the main channels, but so far that’s unclear.

More information to follow. 

January 6

Lake Wylie is at 98.7% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are back to the mid-50s after getting close to 60 degrees. The main lake is still very clear while the backs of creeks have some stain. 

Regular readers may not expect to hear that the bass fishing on Lake Wylie has actually been pretty good recently, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the catch is that it’s almost all spotted bass. In one spot he caught 15 spotted bass on back-to-back casts, and the last few times he has been out it’s been typical to catch 20-30 spotted bass for every one largemouth. Harvesting some of them he has noticed that they generally have eggs.

With such a spot-heavy catch it’s not surprising that the best fishing has been out on the main lake, and secondary points and docks have been the most productive. That could become a trend going forward since spots generally prefer the main lake. Reid has also noticed that the bite is much better when the sun is out, again to be expected with spotted bass. 

The trick is getting to be finding better fish, and Reid expects that as it gets colder some bigger fish should start to stage up in the places they move to before getting into pre-spawn mode. Points and channel swings should hold fish, and the ideal depth range should be about 10-20 feet. 

Don’t expect to see any more schooling fish now that it has gotten cold, but as of the first of the year fish were on the surface!

Lake Wylie catfish continue to follow an unusual pattern, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that right now the best action is still coming anchoring and fan casting baits in 6-14 feet of water.  This could change any day now, but right now the middle to upper creeks are fishing by far the best. The main channel is devoid of bait, and right now the bait is up the creeks with the birds. 

The best action has come on cut gizzard shad, and 14-20 pound fish are feeding pretty actively. Overall Rodger rates the bite fair to good.  

December 23

Lake Wylie is at 97.2% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are about 54 degrees. 

Lake Wylie catfish continue to follow an unusual pattern for early winter, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that right now the best action is coming anchoring and fan casting baits in 6-14 feet of water. This could change any day now, but right now the middle to upper creeks are fishing by far the best. The main channel is devoid of bait, and right now the bait is up the creeks with the birds. 

The best action has come on cut gizzard shad, and 14-20 pound fish are feeding pretty actively. Overall Rodger rates the bite fair to good.   

Up and down temperatures don’t seem to have helped the bass fishing so far, which isn’t a huge surprise to tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill. A good warm front in late February can usher in some great pre-spawn fishing, but this early in the winter it doesn’t typically help as much as could be expected. Perhaps that’s because Wylie is a shad lake, and even though one might expect some big bass to slide up and feed that never really materializes to the extent one might hope. But during warm spells it’s still worth throwing a jig around docks just to see. 

Overall catching larger fish is still pretty tough, although you can catch plenty of smaller ones. Particularly with the lake getting overrun with spotted bass you can catch lots of fish up to about a pound and a half. 

The best places to catch bass right now are points near the channel where fish periodically move up to feed, particularly early and late although there is also usually a mid-day feeding period. When they are sitting out in the channel they are more nomadic and harder to get to bite. 

Jerkbaits, Alabama rigs and single swimbaits are all working pretty well.

While there are a few reports of fish caught up shallow they seem to be extremely few and far between. 

December 16

Lake Wylie is at 97.3% of full pool and the lake is relatively clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 50s. 

There have been a couple of bags of bass over 15 pounds caught in recent tournaments, but in general tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that catching larger fish is tough right now. But at the same time you can catch plenty of smaller ones, and particularly with the lake getting overrun with spotted bass you can catch plenty of fish up to about a pound and a half. Last weekend Reid caught 20 spots on back-to-back casts out of one hole with a jerkbait, but none of them were over 1 1/2 pounds. Although he did catch two at a time that would have gone 2 ½!

Even though Wylie is only a couple of hours up the road from lakes like Murray it is much colder, and perhaps because of that all the bait is out in the front half of creek channels and main lake river channels. In 20 plus feet of water there is wall to wall bait. As a result there is basically nothing on the banks.

The best places to catch fish right now are points near the channel where fish periodically move up to feed, particularly early and late although there is also usually a mid-day feeding period. When they are sitting out in the channel they are more nomadic and harder to get to bite. 

Jerkbaits, Alabama rigs and single swimbaits are all working pretty well right now.

While there are a few reports of fish caught up shallow they seem to be extremely few and far between. 

The patterns for catching catfish this fall are still different than in typical years, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that right now the best bite is still coming deep in 40 plus feet of water out on the main channel ledge. When there is wind the fish have been feeding pretty well, and drifting with the wind has been the most productive pattern.

Shad continues to be the best bait. 

December 2

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and the lake is relatively clear.  Morning surface

water temperatures are down to 54 degrees. 

The patterns for catching catfish this fall have been different than in typical years, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that right now the best bite is still coming deep in 40 plus feet of water out on the main channel ledge.  When there is wind the fish have been feeding pretty well, and drifting with the wind has been the most productive pattern.

Shad continues to be the best bait. 

More information to follow.

November 19

Lake Wylie is at 97.1% of full pool and the lake is normal color.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 61 degrees. 

There are a few positive signs with the bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and in the most recent CATT tournament at least the winning weight was in the teens. However, tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill points out that when people are getting excited about 13 pounds that’s tough.  

Another minor sign of improvement is that catching numbers of small fish is getting easier, and tons of smaller spotted bass have been showing up. There has also been some schooling activity, and in a creek an angler caught 20 or 30 spots yesterday – with nothing over 2 pounds.

When temperatures finally drop Reid still expects the Alabama rig bite to come on and he hopes that some better bass will be caught. The best place to look is in 8-15 feet of water around drop-offs, creek channels and pockets where bait is piled up. Water temperatures are already where they need to be to start throwing an A-rig, although the action will get better once they drop into the 50s. 

The catfish bite has dropped off a little this week on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the best fishing has moved from the creeks back out to the main channel. They are getting the best fish in 44-48 feet on the channel ledge.

There are also some fish that can be caught in the creeks but that bite has gotten a lot less consistent. 

Threadfin shad have been the best bait, and overall Rodger rates the bite fair to good.

November 11

Lake Wylie is at 96.9% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 60s. 

The catfish bite remains very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that up-and-down weather hasn’t really hurt the action. You can still catch good fish drifting in 28-34 feet of water on the main river channel or deeper flats just off the channel, and there is also a really good bite in the creeks where a lot of the bait has migrated. They are anchoring in 15 feet of water or less in the creeks and fishing with cut shad. 

The bass fishing remains pretty tough on Lake Wylie, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill hopes that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel with the  Alabama rig bite approaching.  The fall shad bite with buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits has not been as good in the creeks as hoped, but traditionally once temperatures drop enough for an Alabama rig to be effective some of the better bass are caught.  The best place to look is in 8-15 feet of water around drop-offs, creek channels and pockets where bait is piled up.  Water temperatures are already where they need to be to start throwing an A-rig, although the action will get better once they drop into the 50s.

November 4

Lake Wylie is at 96.6% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures have dropped overnight from about 68 to 64-65 degrees. 

The catfish bite is very good on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that out on the water today they are still killing the fish even after the hard cold snap. You can still catch good fish drifting in 28-34 feet of water on the main river channel or deeper flats just off the channel, but for right now the bite has migrated to more of a creek bite. They are anchoring in 15 feet of water or less and fishing with cut shad. 

That makes sense because tournament bass angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the creeks are full of bait, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean the bass fishing has really turned on. In the Sunday Winter Trail winning weights are still barely in the double digits, even with some of the best fishermen on the lake fishing. Overall the conventional wisdom is that the fish are still in a weird transition period. 

Most of the action is coming in less than 10 feet of water on buzzbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

October 20

Lake Wylie is at 96.4% of full pool and the lake is still relatively clear although the water is stained brown in places. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 70s. 

Even though temperatures are cooling the fall turnover is not especially helpful for bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that with the turnover underway that’s just the latest reason why the fishing has been tough. 

The best pattern right now is to look for the cleanest water that is not tannic and try to fish docks in the area. Jigs were fishing pretty well, but shakey heads or something similarly finesse-oriented now seem to be working better. 

After a blip where the bite dropped to merely “good”,  Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the catfish are feeding very well again and he has found lots of nice 12-18 plus pound fish while drifting in 28-34 feet of water on the main river channel or deeper flats just off the channel. The drift bite has consistently been better (and of course easier) when there is some wind blowing, and when conditions are calm anchoring has been working pretty well. Concentrate on ledges and try to stagger baits between about 6 and 25 feet of water. 

Cut shad has been hard to beat. 

For now the creek bite has not been very good, but any time it should come on and so anglers should continue to drift in the creeks as shallow as about 15 feet.

 

October 7

Lake Wylie is at 96.8% of full pool and the lake is still relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 79-80 degrees. 

We are getting to the time of year when the bass fishing on Lake Wylie should be improving, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill says that this weekend’s CATT event should be a good test of whether that is actually happening. With water temperatures still-high there are reasons to be pessimistic, but we will see. After an 11-pound daily average took first place in the 2-day BFL last weekend it wouldn’t take much for there to be some improvement. 

For now cranking 8-15 foot mid-depths leading into creeks and fishing a jig around docks have been the most effective ways to catch fish, and earlier this week Reid didn’t see signs of many bass in the creeks. However, that has to change soon and as fish move all the way back into creeks following bait a buzzbait or topwater plug should be productive. There should also be some fish caught fan-casting a Rattle Trap on flats with bait. 

On the other hand, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the catfish bite is still very good. Catfish are starting to make a move into the creeks to gorge on small shad moving back. They are feeding very aggressively, and the best pattern has been drifting early to mid-morning with fresh gizzard shad. 

Fish sizes are slightly up with many fish in the upper teens and few in the low 20s, and they are also getting a nice mix of blues and channel catfish. 

September 30

Lake Wylie is at 96.7% of full pool and the lake is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 80 degrees.  

It’s been a tough few months of bass fishing on Lake Wylie, and anyone expecting that to change with this past weekend’s two-day BFL on Lake Wylie was sorely disappointed. Tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that 22 pounds over two days took first place, and anyone who cracked a double-digit bag really achieved something.  There are bass to be caught but right now big ones are few and far between. 

It seems that the winning patterns involved a mix of cranking 8-15 foot mid-depths leading into creeks and fishing a jig around docks, but very soon some new patterns should open up. As water temperatures finally cool bass should move all the way back into creeks following bait, and a buzzbait or topwater plug should be productive. There should also be some fish caught fan-casting a Rattle Trap on flats with bait. 

Luckily something is hot, however, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the catfish bite is still very good. Catfish are starting to make a move into the creeks to gorge on small shad. They are feeding very aggressively, and the best pattern has been drifting early to mid-morning with fresh gizzard shad. 

Fish sizes are slightly up with many fish in the upper teens and few in the low 20s, and they are also getting a nice mix of blues and channel catfish.

September 17

Lake Wylie is at 96.9% of full pool and water temperatures have dropped to about 81-83 degrees. 

The bass fishing is still very tough on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in the big 2-day Thursday Night Tournament Trail Championship only three boats were able to average ten pounds each day. And this was over an eight-hour stretch each night. 

It still seems that you have to be willing to do a little bit of everything to put together a bunch of bites, varying from fishing to offshore with finesse-oriented soft plastics to working the shallows with Pop-Rs, frogs, worms or jigs. 

Hope is on the horizon, however, and when water temperatures drop another five degrees into the mid-70s the shad should start to migrate into the creeks and the bass will follow them. The topwater activity should pick up and there should be a lot more fish caught on buzzbaits. 

Luckily something is biting, however, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the catfish bite is still really good. Fish remain scattered and on the move, and drifting (either aided by the wind or controlled by the trolling motor) is generally the best way to target them. Right now Rodger is really only anchoring at night and in the early morning, although that window will expand as the water cools.  

The best areas to fish are still main channel points in 15-25 feet of water and mid-lake flats in the 15-20 foot range. 

Cut gizzard shad is working very well, but some reports indicate chicken is just as effective.

September 2

Lake Wylie is at 96.9% of full pool and water temperatures are still in the mid-80s. 

The good news is that the catfish bite on Lake Wylie is very good, with Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reporting that they are catching lots of smaller blues in the 6-12 pound range as well as the occasional larger fish in the 20-30 pound range. The best areas to fish are main channel points in 15-25 feet of water and mid-lake flats in the 15-20 foot range. Both drifting and anchoring will work, with the choice of tactic dependent on both time of day and whether the wind is manageable. Cut shad is working the best. 

The bad news is that the bass fishing is brutally tough on Lake Wylie, and in the last two Thursday night events the winning weights were 6.61 pounds and 11.17 pounds. The big fish were 2.33 and 3.86, respectively. 

There’s no consensus on why the fishing is so bad, but tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that there is general agreement that you can’t really put together a limit fishing justshallow or just deep. You have to do both to scratch anything together.

Offshore you can fish soft plastics and hope for bites, and in the shallows you can try to catch fish with Pop-Rs, frogs, worms or jigs. 

The low weights are not the result of a lack of anglers fishing the tournaments, and for now they continue to get plenty of boats despite the conditions.