January 9
Lake Wylie is at 97.5% of full pool and the main lake is green/ slightly turbid. Morning surface water temperatures are about 48 degrees on the main channel.
The crappie bite continues to be excellent for anglers willing to brave the cold, and Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that this week he has found the best action fishing the main river channel. Spider-rigging with minnows is still the ticket, but now they are concentrating on 36-45 feet of water on the edge of the river channel as well as in it. The best depth has been the low 40s.
On the last trip they also managed to pick up several jumbo white perch and a lone, small blue catfish.
January 2
Lake Wylie is at 97.4% of full pool and the creek shallows are slightly dirty while the main channel is clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 46-52 degrees.
The fish on Lake Wylie are now in winter mode, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that the crappie and white perch are in pretty stable patterns right now. The bigger fish have migrated out of the creeks and staged up at the mouths in 25-30 feet of water. The best way to catch them is spider-rigging with double minnow rigs, and since fish are schooled up in specific spots it’s best to use electronics to locate schools of threadfin shad and fish before getting started.
At the same time, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that another group of crappie is on deep brush in 27-32 feet of water in the creeks, or even in the middle of the channel in 32-35 feet. Spider-rigging with minnows is also the best way to catch them.
He notes there also some big perch still in the creeks, but most of them are small and you really have to work through them to find the ½ to ¾ pound fish.
The catfish are also in stable winter patterns, and for Captain Rodger how he fishes is all about the wind. On calm days he prefers to anchor up in the creeks and present cut bait on vertical drops in 22-32 feet of water. These fish are generally running from 3-14 pounds, with occasional larger fish in the 20s.
When there is wind he finds the drift bite better on the main channel.
Meanwhile Captain Chris is pretty much drifting all the time, and he notes that the bigger fish are scattered from mid-creek to the mouths and he will drift baits like shad or white perch for them in 25-30 feet of water. The number of bites goes down with this technique in the cold, but the quality is generally solid with lots of 10-25 pounders.
He will also be drifting for the same main lake fish as Rodger, and notes that these fish are in the lower third of the lake migrating towards the dam for their winter home. Drifting the old river channel in 50-60 feet is the best way to target them.
There are big schools of shad holding in deep water, and so in both the creeks and main lake deeper is often better.
Overall black bass patterns remain similar on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that using LiveScope in the middle of the creeks and on the main lake in 20 plus feet of water and throwing swimbaits and jerkbaits at fish following bait schools is still consistent. However, Reid also notes that the Alabama rig bite has gotten really, really good, and a reliable source caught forty-five plus fish throwing it around channel points in 8-20 feet of water a couple of days ago.
December 19
Lake Wylie is at 97.7% of full pool and water conditions have normalized. Morning surface water temperatures are around 49.
It’s a good time to catch catfish on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that fish are biting in the major creeks on channel ledges and drops in 15-25 feet of water. Drifting is good, but look for diving birds and perch schools to locate the most productive areas.
You can replicate a similar pattern on the main lake in deeper water, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that fish are using the main channel to move south towards the dam. Drifting cut shad in the river channel and/or ledges in 25-50 feet of water will produce numbers of fish as well as the big ones.
The crappie and white perch are similarly heading deeper, and Captain Chris reports that many of the bigger fish have migrated out of the creeks and staged up at the mouths in 25-30 feet of water. The best way to catch them is spider-rigging with double minnow rigs, and since fish are schooled up in specific spots it’s best to use electronics to locate schools of threadfin shad and fish before getting started.
At the same time, Captain Rodger reports that another group of crappie is on brush in 20-30 feet of water in the creeks. Some of the best brush is off the ends of points where depths drop from about 27-32 feet. He notes there also some big perch still in the creeks, but most of them are small.
Finally, it’s a similar pattern again this week in black bass tournaments on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that the last CATT (forward-facing sonar allowed) took 19 pounds to win – and 15 pounds wouldn’t put you in the top five. While the Sunday series (no FFS) took 14 pounds to win.
The best pattern is using LiveScope in the middle of the creeks and on the main lake in 20 plus feet of water and throwing swimbaits and jerkbaits at fish following bait schools. Of course, if you don’t have that option then the old-school pattern of following the birds and throwing swimbaits (or Alabama rigs) is probably your best option. Or targeting points in 8-15 feet the same way.
As temperatures drop, there are less fish around the banks but you can still pick up fish throwing Alabama rigs in front of deeper docks with brush.
Next week there will be no new fishing reports with the Christmas holiday, but regular reports will resume after the New Year.
December 12
Lake Wylie is at 98.4% of full pool and water clarity was high but there is now muddy water pouring into some of the creeks while the main lake is still clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 50s.
It’s a similar pattern in black bass tournaments on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that it takes about 13 pounds to win the no-forward-facing sonar events and about 18 to win events like the CATT which allow it. The difference is almost certainly the technology, and with the majority of the fish suspended out around bait it offers huge advantages.
Reid has caught fish around docks on jigs, and they also managed to pick up one or two fish going down the banks with a crankbait. There are also bass to be caught on Alabama rigs fished around docks that have some brush off the front of them.
However, the best pattern is probably locating the one or two creeks that are loaded with bait (and birds, and fish) and then targeting them with a variety of baits that imitate shad.
Finally, first thing on main and secondary points you can catch fish on an Alabama rig or jerkbait. 8-15 feet is still a good depth range.
As for the crappie and white perch, The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that now that temperatures have dropped even further both species are moving (with the shad) deeper towards the creek mouths in 20-30 feet of water.
The perch are generally in bigger schools near the bottom, while the crappie are more likely to suspend in smaller schools. Vertical fishing with minnows is hard to beat for both.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that this opportunity won’t last very long and pretty soon the majority of the fish will be returning to their normal winter patterns. However, for now muddy water entering the creeks offers an excellent opportunity for anglers to anchor on the mud line and experience a great bite.
Beyond that, if there is decent wind for a day or two fish will scatter out on the flats on the edge of the main river channel. Target your drifts in 15-25 feet of water and in breezy conditions no trolling motor is needed. Cut perch and gizzard shad are both working.
Once the mud settles out then in the creeks a normal pattern of anchoring in 6-20 feet will again work well, particularly in areas where there is a lot of bird activity and other signs of bait.
December 4
Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 55-57 degrees.
There have been a pair of black bass tournaments in the last week on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that in the no forward-facing sonar Lake Wylie Winter Trail event it took 16 pounds to win. Meanwhile the Black Friday tournament without that technology limit took 18. Essentially in the first tournament anglers are targeting areas they think have fish, while in the second they are casting at fish they can see.
Fish have clearly gotten into full-blown winter patterns after this Arctic blast, and they are highly related to bait. The primary patterns are fishing Alabama rigs and jerkbaits around points and secondary points, in both the creeks and main lake. 8-15 feet is a good depth range. There are also a lot of people throwing the same baits, as well as flipping jigs, at docks that they know have brush off the corners.
As for the crappie and white perch, The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that now that temperatures have dropped below 60 degrees and seem almost certain to stay there for months both species are moving (with the shad) deeper towards the creek mouths in 20-30 feet of water.
The perch are generally in bigger schools near the bottom, while the crappie are more likely to suspend in smaller schools. Vertical fishing with minnows is hard to beat for both.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that again you can catch fish in both the major creeks and the main river channel. In the creeks anchoring in 6-20 feet is working well, particularly in areas where there is a lot of bird activity and other signs of bait. If there is decent wind for a day or two fish will scatter out on the flats on the edge of the river channel. Target your drifts in 15-25 feet of water and in breezy conditions no trolling motor is needed. Cut perch and gizzard shad are both working.
November 20
Lake Wylie is at 97.3% of full pool and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 61 degrees.
The black bass are doing about the same thing as last week on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that he has been able to catch plenty of fish both related to cover and suspended on bait. There are still good numbers of fish around docks, and at the beginning of the week they would take a buzzbait while that may now be shifting to more of a flipping bite.
But probably the easier way to catch fish (for anglers with forward-facing-sonar) is to look for bait suspended in the creeks in 15-30 feet of water. The fish around these schools of shad are aggressive right now and they will take underspins, minnow-style baits on jigheads, and jigging spoons. As temperatures drop the schools are generally in the guts of the creeks.
Interestingly, FFS has been banned for the Lake Wylie Winter Trail this season.
At the same time the crappie and white perch are leaving the creeks, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that by now the crappie have pretty much all pulled off the shallow piers and brush as water approaches 60 degrees. Both species are now grouping up in the creek mouths as they head towards the main channel.
The perch are in big schools at the creek mouths in 25-35 feet, while the crappie are starting to suspend in smaller schools 10-15 feet deep over 20-30 feet of water.
Vertical fishing with minnows is hard to beat.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that it is a variable bite depending on weather conditions.
Deep drifting in the main channel in 23-32 feet of water is very productive when there is wind. When the water is moving they are getting some powerful strikes from big fish.
However, in calm conditions Captain Rodger is fishing at anchor in the major creeks on points and ledges in 6-24 feet of water. Look for birds and bait sign before setting up.
A variety of cut baits are catching fish.
November 14
Lake Wylie is at 96.9% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 61 degrees.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that they are catching blue cats from 12-32 pounds on two primary patterns. First, deep drifting (aided by the wind) in the main channel in 23-32 feet of water is productive. Second, fishing at anchor in the major creeks on points and ledges in 6-24 feet of water is working. A variety of cut baits are catching fish.
November 13
Lake Wylie is at 97.1% of full pool and water clarity is pretty normal again. Morning surface water temperatures are around 62 degrees.
As water temperatures drop crappie and white perch are transitioning to their early winter patterns, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that they have by-and-large left the creek channels and made their way towards the creek mouths. The vast majority of the fish are now in 25-30 feet of water. If the fish are biting well then they usually suspend about 12 feet down, but when the bite is slower they will hunker down on the bottom.
Use electronics to figure out the appropriate depth. The most efficient way to catch fish is spider-rigging minnows.
The black bass fishing has gotten tougher on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that weights in the low teens are winning big tournaments. As temperatures drop the topwater bite is slowing down.
There are basically two ways to catch fish right now, and one group of fish is oriented to cover and particularly docks. They can be caught on crankbaits, jigs and worms.
Another group of fish is suspended on bait and roaming in open water, particularly in the creeks. At times these fish can be seen boiling on bait, and they can also be located with electronics. Jerkbaits, underspins, and small swimbaits will all catch fish.
Catfish report to follow from Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828).
October 30
Lake Wylie is at 97.2% of full pool and water clarity is pretty normal again. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s.
Without drastic weather changes the black bass patterns are similar on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that fish are basically stuck in early fall patterns. Buzzbaits and topwater lures are still working well in creeks and on the main lake, and particularly in the creeks there is sporadic schooling activity. There is also still a fair amount of current in the lake and so fishing points with crankbaits continues to be productive.
Additionally, as usual on Wylie a good number of fish are being caught on docks.
With still-mild water conditions the crappie and white perch are in similar patterns, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that both are bunched up in the creek channels 20-30 feet deep at the mouth of major creeks – largely because the shad are so thick in there. Most of the fish are suspended 12-15 feet deep, and you can catch them spider-rigging minnows.
Additionally, until the water temperatures hit about 60 you can find them on docks.
In a similar vein, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that he is finding a very good crappie bite in the morning and evening casting 1/32nd ounce chartreuse Charlie jigs to brush in 6-10 feet of water.
Finally, in catfish news Captain Rodger reports that the bite is fair to good using cut bait and particularly gizzard shad. The better bite is in the creeks slow-trolling baits on ledges in 15-25 feet of water, while the action in the main channel is hit-or-miss with fish holding on deep flats in 32-34 feet of water.
October 16
Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool and overall the lake is clearing from the recent floods and most of the debris is gone. Morning surface water temperatures are around 73 degrees on the main lake.
It remains a very good bass bite on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that it’s still as simple as fishing points with a Frittside crankbait or a DT-6, but in the “chalky” water conditions they have also been catching fish on a Chatterbait on pretty much any type of point. You can even catch fish on a shaky head around points because the fish are just there.
The bite is also improving around docks, and casting a spinnerbait or flipping docks is getting productive.
Water temperatures are going to have to drop a few more degrees before the crappie and white perch bite changes very much, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that you can find both species stacked up at creek mouths in 20-25 feet. Crappie have also moved further into the creeks and you can catch them spider-rigging minnows at the same depth. Additionally, casting jigs around docks and brush is a good pattern for eating-sized crappie. Hand-tied hair jigs have been working the best for shooting docks.
The catfish bite has picked up a little on Lake Wylie, and Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that he now rates the bite fair to good. The best bite is in the major creeks drifting in 14-24 feet of water, but when the wind gets up then the best action can shift to the main channel drifting 32-34 feet of water with the aid of the wind. Fresh cut shad and white perch have been working the best.
October 11
Lake Wylie is at 97.2% of full pool and overall the lake is now slightly stained greenish-brown. Morning surface water temperatures are around 75 on the main lake.
Fresh off a full-day on the water, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) reports that overall the bite is fair. They caught fish up to 20 pounds on fresh cut shad but they had to work for them. Typically the fish feed really hard while the lake is flooding, but after a few days and when water is receding the action can slow down.
Captain Rodger covered water from the middle of creeks out to 40 plus feet on the main lake, and while they marked a ton of bait and fish most of them weren’t biting. The best action came drifting the main channel in 30-35 feet.
The wind will be lighter today and Rodger may try anchoring early.
October 10
Lake Wylie is at 97.1% of full pool and the lake is still dingy but the creeks are clearing as fresh water flows in. The south end of the main lake is dirtier than the north. Morning surface water temperatures are around 77 in the creeks.
It’s still a very good bass bite on Lake Wylie, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that he has caught some pretty outstanding numbers of bass the last two times he got out. There is so much current that fish are stacked up on the points and waiting for bait to come by, and so cranking pretty much any main lake, secondary or even further back point will catch fish. He has been catching them on a Frittside and a DT-6.
The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) adds that early they will take a topwater on those same points.
With dropping water levels Captain Chris reports that crappie and white perch have returned to slightly deeper water in the creeks, but the fish that left the main lake in the flooding have basically stayed there. You can find both species stacked up at creek mouths in 20-25 feet. Crappie have also moved further into the creeks and you can catch them spider-rigging minnows at the same depth. Additionally, casting jigs around docks and brush is a good pattern for eating-sized crappie.
Expect both species to be creek-oriented until temperatures drop below about 60 degrees.
Catfish report to follow from Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828) – on the water today.
October 2
Lake Wylie is at 97.9% of full pool and the lake is a mess with docks, trees and debris floating everywhere. Up-river entire marinas with boats still attached broke loose. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s.
We’re lucky to have reports from a couple of anglers on Lake Wylie since Helene, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that the main lake is a lot muddier than the creeks and coves and so everything moved back that way seeking slightly cleaner water. Shad are thick in the backs of creeks. Perch, crappie and everything else is now in less than 15-20 feet of water, but it’s the bass fishing that has really turned on. With a spinnerbait or Chatterbait you can wear them out around all the trees that have fallen into the water, and Captain Chris even managed this flathead catfish on a Chatterbait. It seems that everything has moved up to eat.
That’s exactly consistent with the report from tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill, who says that in the high muddy water the fish are biting. Reid dropped the trolling motor in the first creek and never left yesterday, finding fish right on the bank eating. He also threw standard dirty water reaction baits like spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits and crankbaits, and with so much current fish were congregated around any point or cover that creates a current break.
There is so much debris floating that there is talk that Duke will shut down public ramps.