Lake Greenwood is located near the towns of Greenwood and Ninety Six, about an hour to the northwest of Columbia and around forty-five minutes to the southeast of Greenville. The waters of the Saluda and Reedy Rivers come fromthe northwest and feed into Lake Greenwood, which was created between 1935 and 1940 with the construction of Buzzard’s Roost Dam.
Lake Greenwood has 212 miles of shoreline and 11,400 surface acres of water, and today it is owned by Greenwood County. A relatively shallow lake, Lake Greenwood averages 18 feet deep and is 60 feet deep at its deepest point. The Greenwood County Lake Management Department controls permitting, camping, upkeep and maintenance on the lake, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources helps to manage the fishery resource.
Fishermen target Lake Greenwood’s healthy populations of largemouth and now spotted bass, black and white crappie, bream and catfish, and channel and flathead catfish. DNR also stocks striped bass in the lake, although not in the quantities which they put into Lake Murray, Clarks Hill and other major striper fisheries. White bass are also present in Greenwood, although they are increasingly being displaced by the white perch population. The most significant forage fish on Lake Greenwood are threadfin and gizzard shad.Read More
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Morning surface water temperatures are roughly 89 degrees around Hilton Head. Bait is prolific.
There are certainly some redfish and trout that can be caught on shrimp, mullet or menhaden inshore around Hilton Head, but overall Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) reports
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.60 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.47 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5).Water temperatures are in the upper 80s to lower 90s, and overall clarity is good.
Even though bass fishing is seasonally tough on the Santee Cooper lakes, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports
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
Lake Murray water levels are at 357.45 (full pool is 360.00).While the main lake is clear some creeks are a little stained, and water temperatures range from the upper 80s to lower 90s.
While there certainly are some striper being caught 70+ feet down, and they are mostly good ones, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports
Inshore surface water temperatures in the morning around Edisto Island are about 87.5 degrees on the main rivers, while in the creeks water temperatures are about 90-92 degrees.The clarity is decent everywhere and it is only cloudy because of plankton – not mud.There are tons of shrimp and finger mullet in the creeks, and mullet and menhaden are thick off the beaches.
Despite the hottest water of the year, Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports
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
Lake Wateree is at 96.8% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 80s.Clarity is very good for Lake Wateree.
If you want to catch crappie on the banks, the heat of summer on Lake Wateree is not the time and place to do it.But if you are willing to fish deep, tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports
Lake Wylie is at 96.5% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s.The lake is clear with a relative absence of significant rain.
As with most everywhere in South Carolina, bass fishing has really slowed down on Lake Wylie right now.Tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports
Lake Jocassee is at 98.2% of full pool, and water temperatures range from the mid-70s to mid-80s.Clarity is normal.
Water temperature is a funny thing on Lake Jocassee, and out on the main lake by the dam water temperatures are around 79 or 80 degrees.Back in the creeks they get warmer and often hit the mid-80s.However, if you go way back into some of the creeks and rivers the mountain water inflow is much cooler, and you can find temperatures as low as the mid-70s or even less.
Due to this temperature differential, tournament bass angler Joe Anders
Lake Keowee is at 96.9% of full pool and water temperatures are now in the high 80s over most of the lake, with the exception being the far northern end of the lake near the Jocassee dam where temperatures are around 80. Water clarity is normal.
Surface water temperatures on the north end of the Grand Strand are about 85 degrees and water clarity varies.Some inshore areas are dirty while the ocean is fairly clear today.
Inshore surface water temperatures are up to 87 degrees around Beaufort and the water is pretty dirty most places.There are tons of shrimp and mullet around.
Water temperatures are about 88 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, blood worms, fresh shrimp, salt clam, and a full range of frozen baits.
Water temperatures are about as hot as they have ever been in Murrells Inlet, and Captain J Baisch (843-902-0356) reports
Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.49 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.43 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5).Water temperatures are 88-90 degrees, and overall clarity is good.
It’s not exactly the peak time for fishing – let alone bass fishing – on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports
Lake Keowee is at 98.0% of full pool and water temperatures over most of the lake are now in the upper 80s with the heat wave this past week. The coolest water can be found at the base of the Jocassee dam. Water clarity is normal.
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
Clarks Hill water levels remain above full pool at 330.49 (full pool is 330.00), and water temperatures are in the high-80s.The lake is a bit stained but mostly clear.
Even though water temperatures have finally gotten extremely hot, William Sasser Guide Service (706-589-5468) reports
Lake Keowee is at 98.6% of full pool and water temperatures are now in the mid-80s over most of the lake.The coolest water is near the base of the Jocassee dam. A heavy rain on July 9 has some of the major creeks on the lower end of the lake stained, but otherwise the water is clear.
Water temperatures are in the low-80s in Murrells Inlet.Water is pretty dirty off the beach but just offshore it is very clean.
Baisch Boys Bait and Tackle (843-651-1915) has regular and jumbo mud minnows, live finger mullet, live shrimp (most days), live fiddler crabs, blood worms, fresh shrimp, salt clam, and a full range of frozen baits.
Even though it’s July the summer doldrums have definitely not arrived, and Captain J Baisch (843-902-0356) reports
