May 7

Lake Russell water levels are way above full at about 476 (full pool is 475.00) although the lake remains very clear.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees. 

It is still an excellent time for bass fishing on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

April 29

Lake Russell water levels are above full at 475.03 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear except for some floating debris and pollen.  Water temperatures are in the upper 60s. 

The bass fishing is still really good on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

April 16

Lake Russell water levels are up to above full at 475.26 (full pool is 475.00). Surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s. 

The bass fishing remains strong on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

April 2

Lake Russell water levels are down to 473.91 (full pool is 475.00). Morning surface water temperatures were about 63 or 64 degrees in the creeks before the cold snap but have dropped. The main lake is pretty clear but the creeks have a good stain to them.

The bass fishing has really picked up on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

March 19

Lake Russell water levels are almost full at 474.88 (full pool is 475.00). Morning surface water temperatures have fall to about 59 degrees. Water clarity is a little stained after the rain this week. 

 Most bass anglers love spring warming, but on Lake Russell Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) often finds

March 10

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.50 (full pool is 475.00). Morning surface water temperatures are about 54 on the main lake and in the upper 50s in the creeks. Water clarity is normal.

The bass fishing is picking up again on Lake Russell, and tournament angler/ Guide Brad Fowler of Pendleton reports

March 5

Lake Russell water levels are at 472.99 (full pool is 475.00). Morning surface water temperatures are about 53 on the main lake and 57 in the creeks. Water clarity is normal.

Lake Russell offered perhaps the best bass fishing in the state through the winter, so perhaps it’s karma that at least this week as the fishing turns on around South Carolina the action on Russell lags behind. Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

February 26

Lake Russell water levels are down to 472.88 (full pool is 475.00). The main lake is clear while the creeks are fairly stained. Surface water temperatures are about 50 degrees in the morning. 

Even though water temperatures are still cool in the morning, Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

February 18

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.03 (full pool is 475.00). Water temperatures are in the upper 40s and before today’s rain clarity was still fairly good.

He’s not expecting it to last much past this weekend, but Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

Tournament results will be posted here as they become available. 

February 13

American Bass Anglers Open Series SC Division 9 Tournament on Lake Keowee from South Cove

BFL South Carolina Division Tournament (bass) on Lake Murray from Dreher Island State Park

February 4

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.09 (full pool is 475.00). Water temperatures are down to about 48-49 degrees and the lake is pretty clear. 

There has been some really good fishing recently on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

January 21

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.83 (full pool is 475.00). Water temperatures are down to about 50 degrees and the lake is clear. 

Lake Russell remains a really good place to catch bass, and Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports

January 13

Lake Russell water levels are down to 473.77 (full pool is 475.00). Water temperatures are down to about 51 degrees and as of yesterday most of the lake is clear. 

The bass fishing is similar again this week on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

January 7

Lake Russell water levels are back down to 474.14 (full pool is 475.00) after reaching a foot above full pool on January 4. Still, the main lake and front of creeks remain clear and water temperatures are about 53 degrees.

There’s a couple of different bass patterns going on right now on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

December 20

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.66 (full pool is 475.00) and water temperatures are in the mid-50s.   

Winter is usually a great time to fish on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

November 24

Lake Russell water levels are close to full at 474.78 (full pool is 475.00) and water temperatures are about 65-67 degrees. The water is pretty clear.  

Even though they have not gotten stacked up in deep water the bass fishing is still strong on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

November 12

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.39 (full pool is 475.00) and water temperatures are in the upper 60s. As of yesterday the lake was clean but the rain should mess it up. 

The bass are the main event again on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

October 23

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.35 (full pool is 475.00) and water temperatures have warmed back up to 73-74 degrees. Even though it looks okay the water seems to be turning over now and at times it can be hard to read a depth finder. 

The striped bass fishing has coming roaring back on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

October 8

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.74 (full pool is 475.00) and water temperatures range from about 70-74. The water has been dingy from turning over but it just beginning to clear.

It was an uncharacteristically tough few weeks on Lake Russell and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

September 25

Lake Russell rose after the storms but water levels now dipped back below full to 474.40 (full pool is 475.00), while water temperatures have dropped more than 10 degrees in the past two weeks to the lower 70s. In addition to being muddy in certain areas (including some that don’t usually get muddy), much of the water is coffee-colored and the lake appears to be turning over. 

It’s still an uncharacteristically tough bass bite on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

September 15

Lake Russell is just below full pool 474.66 (full pool is 475.00) and water temperatures are around 82-83 degrees on Lake Russell. The water seems to be a little off-color, and anglers are wondering if the lake could be turning over early. 

In the last couple of days the bass bite has fallen off on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

August 27

Lake Russell is above full pool at about 475.25 (full pool is 475.00) as they try to lower Lake Hartwell levels, and morning surface water temperatures range from about 80 on the main channel to 84 in the creeks. Even though the water is very high it is still clear. 

The late summer bass bite on Lake Russell is pretty good, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

July 29

Lake Russell water levels are still high at 474.58 (full pool is 475.00), and morning surface water temperatures vary from the low 90s in the creeks, to about 86 on the main lake, to the lower 80s on the upper end. The main lake is relatively clear although with recent storms some of the creeks are dirty. 

It’s one of those times of year when a number of species are mixed together on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports