November 12

Lake Hartwell water levels are just below full pool at 659.73 (full pool is 660.00) and water temperatures are around 68-70 degrees. The lake remains pretty clear. 

The Lake Hartwell bass continue to be pounded by tournament pressure this fall, and fresh off a week on the lake practicing and then a 16^th place finish in the 141-boat ABA Ray Scott Championship Guide Brad Fowler can report

October 23

Lake Hartwell water levels have dropped to a “mere” 661.13 (full pool is 660.00) and water temperatures are down to the low 70s. The lake remains pretty clear. 

There is some better news with the hybrid and striped bass fishing on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports

October 7

Lake Hartwell water levels are back down to 659.90 (full pool is 660.00) and water temperatures have dropped to about 73 degrees. For the first time in a long time the lake has gone a week without rain, and so the water is very clear. Overall the regions’s annual rainfall is 26 inches above normal!

Fresh off a second place performance in a major multi-day team tournament, Guide Brad Fowler knows

September 22

Lake Hartwell water levels have risen to 660.82 (full pool is 660.00) while water temperatures have dropped substantially to about 76 degrees. The water is still very clear. 

It’s a zoo on Lake Hartwell right now, and Guide Brad Fowler (himself a competitor) reports

September 14

Lake Hartwell water levels have risen to 660.41 (full pool is 660.00) and water temperatures remain in the lower 80s. The water is still very clear. 

Even though fishing is still a little tough there are some seasonal changes starting to take place with the bass on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Brad Fowler reports

September 11

Lake Hartwell water levels are barely above full pool at 660.16 (full pool is 660.00) and water temperatures have cooled a few more degrees to 82-84. The water remains very clear. 

Fishing for hybrid and striped bass remains off on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports

August 26

Lake Hartwell water levels are slightly down from a couple of days ago to 660.87 (full pool is 660.00) and water temperatures have cooled several degrees to the mid-80s. While there has been lots of rain the water is still very clear. 

A good rule of thumb is to never trust a fishing guide who always reports an outstanding bite, while a guide who admits when the fishing gets tough is probably believable. With that in mind this week’s report offers compelling evidence that Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) is

July 29

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 660.22 (full pool is 660.00), and the water is very clear with little recent rain – although high boat traffic has stirred it up in some sections.  Water temperature are 87-89 degrees at daylight. 

There’s no doubt bass fishing is tough on Lake Hartwell, and tournament angler Joe Anders of Easley reports

July 17

Lake Hartwell water levels are all the way down to 660.39 (full pool is 660.00), and the water is very clear with no recent rain. The water is in the mid-80s.

Despite the Upstate temperatures being extremely hot, hybrid and striped bass fishing is still pretty good. The action is not amazing but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports

June 25

Lake Hartwell water levels are back up to 661.04 (full pool is 660.00), and morning surface temperatures are about 82 degrees. Clarity is very good. 

The hybrid and striped bass fishing has gotten a little more consistent on Lake Hartwell, but Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports

June 10

Lake Hartwell water levels dropped down to normal full pool but have risen back to 660.51(full pool is 660.00), while morning surface water temperatures are around 83 degrees. The lake is mostly clear but slightly dingy in places due to heavy boat traffic. 

The hybrid and striped bass fishing is still a tad inconsistent on Lake Hartwell, and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports