July 19

Lake Jocassee has dropped to 95.8% of full pool and water clarity is very high. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 80-84 degrees.

July 11

Lake Jocassee is at 97.5% of full pool and water clarity is very high. Morning surface water temperatures have shot up to 81 degrees on the big water and as high as the upper 80s in the backs. Luckily there has been a good breeze to make angling comfortable. 

June 28

Lake Jocassee is at 98.7% of full pool and water clarity is very high. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 78 to 82. 

June 11

Lake Jocassee is at 98.8% of full pool and water clarity is very high. Morning surface water temperatures are up to 74-75 degrees on the main lake and higher up the rivers. 

May 29

Lake Jocassee is at 95.6% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are up to 74-76 degrees on the main lake. 

May 23

Lake Jocassee is at 96.1% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are still in the low 70s on the main lake but around 75-77 degrees in the rivers. 

May 15

Lake Jocassee is at 95.0% of full pool and water clarity is normal on the main lake but the creeks are a big dingy. Morning surface water temperatures are still around 70 degrees on the main lake but a good bit warmer in the rivers. 

May 9

Lake Jocassee is at 95.6% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees on the main lake. 

May 1

Lake Jocassee is at 95.0% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 65-66 degrees on the main lake. 

April 25

Lake Jocassee is at 95.2% of full pool and water clarity is normal although up the rivers it has been a bit dingy. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake are around 65 degrees but as high as the 70s in the rivers.

April 11

Lake Jocassee is at 94.9% of full pool and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake are around 58 degrees.

March 28

Lake Jocassee is at 93.4% of full pool and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake range from about 53 or 54 in the morning to 57 during the day. 

March 21

Lake Jocassee is at 98.3% of full pool and water clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake range from about 53 or 54 in the morning to 57 during the day. 

March 6

Lake Jocassee is at 98.4% of full pool and before today’s rain water clarity was high. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake range from about 52 in the morning to 55 during the day. 

February 23

Lake Jocassee is at 98.8% of full pool and most of the lake is clear but there is some dingy water in the very the backs of creeks. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake are around 51 degrees. 

February 12

Lake Jocassee is at 98.4% of full pool and most of the lake is clear but there is some dingy water in the very the backs of creeks. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake are around 49 degrees. 

February 1

Lake Jocassee is at 98.3% of full pool and the backs of creeks are dirty. Morning surface water temperatures on the main lake are around 52-53 degrees. 

January 23

Lake Jocassee is at 98.0% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are down to about 52 degrees. 

January 4

Lake Jocassee is at 97.9% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 50s. 

December 21

Lake Jocassee is at 93.6% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 50s. 

December 15

Lake Jocassee is down to 93.4% of full pool and the lake is extremely clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 59 degrees. 

November 30

Lake Jocassee is down to 90.0% of full pool and the lake is extremely clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 62 degrees. 

There are still good numbers of trout in 70-80 feet of water, but Guide Casey Jones of Jocassee Charters (864-280-9056) reports that even those fish are moving up at times and overall fish are moving shallower. Yesterday they caught a nice rainbow on a spoon trolled about 15 feet deep in open water, and more fish are now in 40 or less feet. We are approaching the period where fish can be at any depth. The best concentrations of fish are in the rivers rather than the main lake, and they are also still picking up some big yellow perch.  

While he hasn’t been on the water in the last three days, veteran angler Chip Cranford of Boiling Springs reports that with this first polar plunge it would not be unusual for the bass to stop biting for a few days but then they should settle down again. He has still been finding everything in about 18-30 feet of water in the river channels, but depending on what the bait does the fish could go shallower. It would not be unusual for the bass to push up on the flats in 5-10 feet of water off the sides of the river and they should certainly start to school up tighter as temperatures drop.  

Finally, Casey notes that with the low water levels they are seeing all sorts of wildlife roaming the shores!

November 17

Lake Jocassee is down to 90.7% of full pool and the lake is extremely clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 65 degrees.