February 1

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 658.11 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake has typical clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are about 49-52 degrees. 

Very cold weather has done nothing to push bass shallower on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Brad Fowler reports

January 20

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.63 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is stained with the recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are around 50 degrees.  

Water temperatures are cold but not yet in the range where there is the danger of a major shad-die off, and as a result Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

January 20

Lake Greenwood water levels are at 434.43 (full pool is 440.0) and you can find any water color from muddy up the rivers to clear down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures are as low as 45.    

Any hope of a very early spring was walloped by the weather this past weekend, with more on the way, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

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

December 22

Clarks Hill water levels are at 326.85 (full pool is 330.00) and morning surface water temperatures are about 56 degrees.

The bass fishing on Clarks Hill is pretty weather dependent right now, and tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta reports

December 22

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 656.52 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is still clear. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 59 degrees.

With water temperatures surprisingly stable there’s not much change with the striped bass this week, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports

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

December 10

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 327.09 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity varies.   The South Carolina Little River and Big Hart are muddy, while much of the lake is still relatively clear even after recent rains.  Morning surface water temperatures are about 58 degrees.

Most of the Clarks Hill striped bass are in the backs of ditches, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports

December 3

Lake Russell water levels are down to 475.09 (full pool is 475.00) and the water is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 60 degrees.

Almost always a fan of colder weather for Lake Russell fishing, Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

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.

November 12

Lake Keowee is at 98.4% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid to high-60s over most of the lake.  

It’s still a really good time to fish for bass on Lake Keowee, and N&C Marine/Skeeter Team member Guide Charles Townson (864-324-2065) reports

October 21

Lake Hartwell water levels are still high but slightly down to 661.39 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear while the rivers are dirty to muddy. Morning surface water temperatures range from the low 70s to about 75 degrees depending on area. 

While there’s no doubt you can catch a lot of spotted bass around brush piles, Guide Brad Fowler reports

October 7

Morning surface water temperatures are around 78 degrees in Murrells Inlet.

Baisch Boys Bait and Tackle (843-651-1915) has regular and jumbo mud minnows, live finger mullet, live shrimp, live fiddler crabs (usually), blood worms, fresh head-on shrimp, and a full range of frozen baits. 

September 3

Lake Jocassee is at 94.2% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s on the main lake.    

Last night makes three straight first place finishes for tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley in the Thursday night bass tournaments on Lake Jocassee, and he reports

September 2

Morning surface water temperatures are still in the mid-80s degrees around Beaufort, and from mullet to menhaden to shrimp there is tons of bait in the area.

Our regular correspondent Captain Tuck Scott with Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250)

September 2

Inshore surface water temperatures around Little River have dropped to about 82 degrees and with all the wind clarity has dropped. 

Because the north end of the South Carolina Grand Strand pushes up against the North Carolina border, when it makes sense Captain Patrick “Smiley” Kelly (843-361-7445) likes

September 2

Inshore surface water temperatures remain about 85 degrees around Charleston and the creeks are still full of bait, especially shrimp.

Inshore fishing continues to be good in the Charleston area, and Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports

September 2

Clarks Hill water levels are at 329.98 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is pretty clear despite some rain Tuesday. Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees. 

It’s a still a very good, very early bite for hybrid bass on Clarks Hill, and William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports

September 1

Lake Wateree is down to 96.5% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s. Clarity is above normal. 

There’s not a lot of change in the crappie patterns on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports

July 28

Lake Hartwell water levels remain very high at 660.84 (full pool is 660.00) but the lake has cleared a little. Morning surface water temperatures are still in the mid-80s. 

There are a few more changes with the hybrid and striped bass bite this week, and one is that Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports

July 21

Lake Wylie is at 97.0% of full pool. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s. The rivers became extremely muddy after recent rains but that water has now moved down the lake. 

After a lull, the catfish bite on Lake Wylie has really picked up and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports

June 10

Santee Cooper water levels are high at 75.85 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around full in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The water remains clear and morning surface temperatures are around 80. 

There’s no doubt that catfish have provided the most exciting action on Santee for the last week or two, and the fishing has gotten so good that Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has

May 27

Inshore water temperatures have shot up to the mid- to upper 70s.  

It won’t surprise anyone who has gone outside in South Carolina in the last week, but Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports