March 12

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 330.25 (full pool is 330.00) and the lower lake is clear but as you go up the lake it gets progressively dirtier and there is debris including logs, branches, and dock parts floating. Morning surface water temperatures are about 52 in the clearer lower lake but 56 degrees further up in the creeks and rivers. 

Six hours later on the water today Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that his boat has two limits of hybrid and striped bass, but it’s frankly hard work right now. The fishing was much better before all the rain a couple of days ago came in, dropped temperatures as much as four degrees, and messed up the water clarity, but they are still managing to grind out fish.

The best pattern is fishing 20 feet down on the bottom off the main river channel, and the fish have been set up best on humps. They are fishing down-rods and finding the best bite in the mid-lake area. The water just seems to be too cold in the lower lake for fish to want to be there. 

It’s a similar story with the crappie, and Captain Rocky reports that in fact the same pattern keeps repeating itself. They will have several good days of crappie fishing where he can put a couple of anglers on a limit, then the rains will come through again and mess up the fishing and catching 10-18 fish will be the norm, and then it will start to get better again as they get further out from the rain event – until the next one. The biggest difference pre- and post-rain seems to be that fish pull deeper in the creeks and also get lower in the water column after it rains, and when they are 6-8 feet down in 10-20 feet they bite a lot better than when they are 14 plus feet down in 20-40 feet of water.  In part this is because of the difficulty of pulling jigs when fish go deep. 

The one exception is that LiveScope fishermen are having more consistent success because they can just sit on a school and cast at it, but this is a harder technique for guide parties. 

Without more rain for a few days, and very warm temperatures, fishing should get much better as we approach the weekend and there should even be fish on the banks.  When temperatures hit 60 the spawn should begin.

While the black bass aren’t unaffected by water conditions, they are certainly less finicky than crappie and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that he believes they are getting very close to spawning. He expects some to be on beds by this weekend.

Even before the warm conditions today and yesterday he was finding them sliding much shallower in the ditches he has been fishing this winter, and instead of catching fish further out in 10-20 feet he was getting them in the very backs near their spawning areas. In the stained conditions Chatterbaits have been effective.

Between the full moon and the warm week he expects spawning pockets to be full of fish this weekend, and already you can find tons of small buck bass around every likely spawning area such as laydowns in protected coves. 

Finally, it’s still a very good catfish bite on Clarks Hill when you can find them, and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that with the lake up near full pool and dirty in a lot of places the blue catfish are still pretty scattered, but they are eating well. 

He is still catching them as shallow as 5 feet in the backs of creeks out to as deep as 45 feet on main lake points. Dragging baits in and out of big creeks is one strong pattern, and the alternative is anchoring in highly traveled areas and waiting on them to move through. As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

March 5

Clarks Hill water levels are slightly down to 329.76 (full pool is 330.00) and the main lake is clear while there is dirty water up the creeks and rivers. Morning surface water temperatures are about 51 degrees on the main channel and 55 in the creeks and rivers. 

Warm fronts, then cold fronts, then rain, and extreme wind, then promised warm fronts have the hybrid and striped bassbite on Clarks Hill expected to stay a little all over the place, but Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service(706-210-3474) reports that overall the fishing trajectory is improving. And as long as wind or other conditions don’t keep you off the water, like they did today, then fronts may slow the fishing but you can still catch them.

Overall patterns are fairly consistent, and fish are basically related to the main river channels like a highway system. For numbers of fish the best bet is fishing about 35 feet down in 35-80 feet of water with down-rods. The best action has been in the mid-lake area, and fishing the channels this way you will catch mostly hybrids. 

But the best way to catch bigger fish is pulling planer boards in 20 feet or less around main lake points in the same areas. This is for lower numbers but you are more likely to tangle with big striper or even hybrids. 

The crappie bite has also picked up this week, and Captain Rocky reports that in the backs of creeks in the 55-degree water the best fishing is found. As you go down the lake you will find fewer crappie. Long-line trolling with jigs has improved significantly and now 40-fish trips are becoming commonplace.  Most of the time you are trolling about 6-8 feet down in 10- 20 feet of water depending on whether you are in smaller creeks or big feeder creeks. While Rocky won’t say that nowhere is there a crappie on Clarks Hill spawning, they usually need water temperatures of about 60 and so it certainly isn’t many. 

That’s consistent with the report from Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672), who agrees that the action has picked up although he is still finding fish pretty scattered. While there are still some fish that have not moved into the creeks numbers have, and he is finding the majority of the fish in the top 2-10 feet of water column from the mouth to backs of the creeks. While Captain Roland is looking at them on LiveScope and casting at them with Fish Stalker jigs in chartreuse colors, long-lining can also be productive – as long as you get a bait right in front of the fish in the dirty conditions. Roland concurs that it’s still too cold for fish to spawn, but by next week he expects them to get started. But already some fish are looking around the banks. 

The black bass bite is still good for numbers of fish, although right now Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia report that finding fish is easier than finding big ones. Josh continues to catch fish on a fish head spin and Zoom Super Fluke Junior in about every ditch he fishes, but with the cooler weather he has found them a bit deeper in 12-20 feet. Tyler is fishing a similar ditch pattern with a leadhead jig and minnow-type bait in 8-20 feet of water, although it seems to him that the presence of bait is more important than depth.

The best way to target bigger fish seems to be to look in the backs of creeks or up the lake in dirtier water and throw a spinnerbait in 2-3 feet of water. A good tournament pattern can be to catch a limit in the ditches then start fishing shallow, dirty water for a bigger bite. 

It’s still a very good catfish bite on Clarks Hill when you can find them, and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that with the lake up near full pool and dirty in a lot of places the blue catfish are still pretty scattered, but they are eating well. 

He is still catching them as shallow as 5 feet in the backs of creeks out to as deep as 45 feet on main lake points. Dragging baits in and out of big creeks is one strong pattern, and the alternative is anchoring in highly traveled areas and waiting on them to move through. As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

February 27

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 330.11 (full pool is 330.00) and large parts of the lake are still dirty to muddy. Morning surface water temperatures were about 51 degrees on the main channel this morning. 

Overall the hybrid and striped bass bite on Clarks Hill is just fair, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) rates it a 5/10. You have to work for the fish, and the water is still very cold. Even though it feels like spring the lake is still fishing like winter. 

The bulk of the fish are still deep, and Captain Rocky is still finding the best concentrations of fish along the river channel in the mid-lake area on or near the bottom in deep water. Down-rods have been the most effective pattern. 

The crappie bite has marginally improved, but again Captain Rocky reports that even though it feels like spring the lake isn’t fishing like it. The long-line trolling bite should be very good, but catching 10-15 fish per day is a struggle. With the cold, muddy water that came into the lake the fish just really reduced their feeding and haven’t turned back on. 

This report is consistent with what we are hearing from other guides who fish part-time for crappie on Clarks Hill in the spring when it is supposed to be good, but everyone is optimistic that things will turn on as early as this weekend or next week.

The black bass bite continues to improve, and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) this week is willing to disclose that a fish head spin with a fluke has been his magic weapon. Bass are absolutely loaded up in the ditches, and he is finding them from about 22-23 feet of water all the way to the backs of the ditches. They are setting up on hard places (like mussel beds) and in laydowns that run into the ditches, but the commonality is that the fish are right on the bottom. Josh has actually had fish spit out mussel shells in his boat, and he thinks when they suck down the bait they are also eating mussels.

While many fish will undoubtedly move up into shallower water this week, based on history Josh believes that many of the fish he is on will stay in the ditches near bait schools right until the herring spawn. Some of the best fish will then move a very short distance to spawn within sight of the herring points, either before or after the herring spawn has begun – which is why some years you will catch both pre-spawn and post-spawn fish on the herring points. 

But once again, this week the best action may still be with catfish on Clarks Hill – as long as you can find them. Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that with the lake up near full pool and muddy in a lot of places the blue catfish are still pretty scattered, but they are eating well. 

He is still catching them as shallow as 5 feet in the backs of creeks out to as deep as 45 feet on main lake points. Dragging baits in and out of big creeks is one strong pattern, and the alternative is anchoring in highly traveled areas and waiting on them to move through. As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

February 20 

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 329.81 (full pool is 330.00) and the creeks are muddy to stained while the lower lake is fairly clear, although there is some trash floating.  Morning surface water temperatures range from about 47 to 50 degrees.   

Offering one more piece of the black bass puzzle, tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that he has basically been catching fish two ways. One group of fish is suspended in 20-40 feet of water, and he is looking at them on LiveScope and casting a minnow-type bait on a jighead.  He has discovered that if you let it drop right in front of the fish they will swim away from it, but if you keep it well away from them about half of them will strike. The other group of fish he is catching is on brush in about 20-30 feet of water, and for these fish he is throwing a creeper head with soft plastics and making contact with the cover. 

While some of the fish he is catching are just in truly open water, the majority are in the larger drains and ditches of creeks. 

February 19

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 329.53 (full pool is 330.00) and the creeks are muddy to stained while the lower lake is fairly clear, although there is some trash floating. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 48 to 51 degrees.   

While the hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill are still biting, Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service(706-210-3474) reports that he has put off his upcoming trips for the next couple of days because the conditions have gotten so unpleasant. The mornings are so cold, windy, and recently wet that it’s just not worth going.

The fish are also affected by the weather, and they are looking for the most stable water conditions. Right now that is deeper water, and Captain Rocky is finding the best concentrations of fish along the river channel in the mid-lake area from the bottom up to about 60 feet down. Down-rods have been the most effective pattern. 

Meanwhile the crappie have just stopped biting, and Captain Rocky reports that while long-line trolling was getting good when water temperatures approached 55 it has gotten very slow. Rocky only caught 10 crappie on his last trip while a couple of other guides struggled even more, as the combination of cold, muddy water almost completely shuts the fish down. At the same time, once we get through this cold snap he expects the next two weeks to be absolutely wide open. 

The black bass seem to have been less affected by cooler temperatures, and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that even though they are still very much in winter mode he is finding bass stacked up in the back of ditches in the lower lake. They are shallow enough that he can almost see the bottom where they are holding, and at times they have been schooling. They are generally holding on the last piece of cover, like a stump or laydown, before the back of the pocket flattens out. With Josh having a tournament this weekend we don’t want to publish his best bait right now, but Josh does believe they have seen so many ball-headed swimbaits at this point that giving them a different look is important. 

One commonality with the above species is that the bass fishing has been better for Josh in clear water. 

But the best action may be with the catfish right now on Clarks Hill – as long as you can find them. Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that with the lake up near full pool and muddy in a lot of places it has the blue catfish pretty scattered, and on his last outing they caught them as shallow as 5 feet in the backs of creeks out to as deep as 45 feet on main lake points. Dragging baits in and out of big creeks is one strong pattern, and the alternative is anchoring in highly traveled areas and waiting on them to move through.  As usual gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

February 12

Clarks Hill water levels are at 326.58 (full pool is 330.00) and overall water clarity has been pretty high. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 52-54 degrees. 

While there have certain been some good black bass catches on Clarks Hill, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that overall he has not found an easy bite. Finding fish has been pretty straight-forward, and in the clear conditions he has been seeing lots of big fish shallow in the ditches. However, they have been extremely wary about eating. They will follow a glide bait but won’t even sniff at smaller swimbaits, and he wonders if the water clarity has been a problem.

The better patterns seem to be cranking around rock in areas where the water has some stain, or of course throwing a minnow-type bait in open water at fish you are looking at on LiveScope. 

The hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill are “the same but different” compared to last week, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that they are still highly related to the middle of the river channels.  Fish should be looking for the warmest water, but he has been finding them moving up and down over deeper water between about 30 feet and 50 feet down without much rhyme or reason. And then sometimes the fish 50 feet down will come up to the surface to take a bait.

The “different” part is that they are moving so much, and a couple of days in a row he caught fast limits in one area but then the next day had to travel for miles to find them. They didn’t get a bite until 1:00, and then caught a limit quickly. 

Basically the fish are aggressive right now, and if you find them you will catch them on down-lines. But they have 60 miles in two rivers they can travel and so finding them is the hard part. 

It’s finally getting to be a good time for early spring crappie patterns, and Captain Rocky reports that long-line trolling with jigs in the backs of the creeks is getting productive. Fish are highly reactive to weather right now, and when water temperatures edged towards 60 in some of the backs he was finding fish just 2-6 feet deep. However, the cold snap has put more of them 12-15 feet down. This pattern is likely to continue for the next month or two as temperatures go up and down. 

On the catfish front, the creeks and big coves on Clarks Hill are still absolutely stacked with baitfish of all sorts and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the big cats are still there feeding on them. Anchoring on the edge of the creek channels around the big schools of baitfish is working well, and dragging baits in and out of the creeks that don’t have too much timber is also working. 10-35 feet has been the most productive depth, and gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

While there are still fish on the main lake, the creek fish are still more aggressive most days.

February 5

Clarks Hill water levels are at 326.83 (full pool is 330.00) and up the creeks there is dirty water while the main lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 48-51 degrees.

By this weekend there could be some fish moving up into early spring patterns, but from what he saw today on the water tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that black bass are still very much in a winter pattern. All the fish he marked were out deep, mostly in 20-40 feet of water in the bigger creek channel ditches. Fish that were on the bottom were nearly impossible to get to eat, but suspended fish were pretty aggressive. Everything Tyler caught came throwing a fluke on a Greenfish Bad Little Shad jighead, and he noted that if he didn’t cast past the fish and then work baits over their heads they would spook easily.

That is what has most struck Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) on the water this week, and Josh notes that when he pulled into a ditch and marked fish on LiveScope often they would rapidly swim away when they heard his bait hit the water. Josh wonders if the pressure of the Open tournament has them very shy to forward-facing sonar.

In addition to catching fish in the deeper channels ’Scoping, Josh has also found fish shallow in the ditches (especially early) that would take a small swimbait. He has even seen fishing schooling. 

The hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill have picked up this week, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that they have been catching fast limits on the last few trips. They are still having to do a lot of moving around and looking, but when they find the fish they are eating again. After the snow and ice they really slowed down their feeding. The fish also make some big moves after it got super cold – and every day you still have to search for them. The good news is if you mark them they will eat.

Fish are still relating to the major river and creek channels, and the most productive depth has been about 35-50 feet down.  Down-rods are working well. 

As water temperatures have warmed crappie have started biting a little better, and Captain Rocky reports that there is even starting to be some action trolling. The trolling bite is not as good as it will be, and the fish aren’t in all the creeks, but in the warmer ones you can now catch some fish pulling jigs. Temperatures is everything right now.

It’s mostly smaller fish that have moved up, and for the bigger ones you still need to fish slower and deeper. 

On the catfish front, the creeks and big coves on Clarks Hill are still absolutely stacked with baitfish of all sorts and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the big cats are still there feeding on them. Anchoring on the edge of the creek channels around the big schools of baitfish is working well, and dragging baits in and out of the creeks that don’t have too much timber is also working. 10-35 feet has been the most productive depth, and gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

While there are still fish on the main lake, the creek fish are still more aggressive most days.

January 29

Clarks Hill water levels are at 327.32 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 46 degrees.

Based on the results of the Southern Open, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia report that the black bass fishing is pretty tough right now – but some of the better fish in the lake are biting. Tyler spent some time on the water observing during the tournament, and he notes that about 90% of the anglers were LiveScoping around brush piles, rock and open water. As predicted, and typical for Clarks Hill at this time of year, the winning pattern was fishing early in the ditches for fish that could even be schooling and had pulled up to chase herring, and then going deep. 

The other major pattern is cranking rock, from 4 or 5 feet out to 15 or 20 feet. 

The hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill have finally slowed down in the cold, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that the fishing has gotten really tough in the last few days. That’s also consistent with the report from our Lake Russell guides who have been over on Clarks Hill as that lake has gotten funny, too.  

Captain Rocky notes that fish will black out your screen but they just won’t bite very often right now, and when they do they will often hit short.  They are still running the channels all over the lake, and a lot of fish are about 40 feet down now. Deeper fish are almost uniformly uncatchable. 

In a reversal of fortunes from a few weeks ago, Captain Rocky reports that the crappie bite has actually improved a little – although it’s nowhere near where it will be in a couple of weeks. While you can tight-line very slowly, basically LiveScoping and casting both minnows and jigs is the best pattern, and the fish are essentially in open water roaming. They are mostly related to major creek channels, major river channels, and the areas where the two meet. While they are interested in bait most of all they are looking for the warmest water available, and that means they are moving around a lot. They can also move a long way up the water column over the course of a day if the sun warms the surface, ending up just 10-15 feet down while they could be 20-50 feet deep over as much as 80 or more feet of water to start the day.

Rocky notes that the most aggressive fish are usually the highest in the water column, but the bigger ones seem to be deeper right now. The smaller fish are definitely biting better.

On the catfish front, the creeks and big coves on Clarks Hill are still absolutely stacked with baitfish of all sorts and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the big cats are still there feeding on them. Anchoring on the edge of the creek channels around the big schools of baitfish is working well, and dragging baits in and out of the creeks that don’t have too much timber is also working. 10-35 feet has been the most productive depth, and gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

While there are still fish on the main lake, the creek fish are still more aggressive most days.

January 15

Clarks Hill water levels are at 326.47 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is fairly high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 47 degrees.

While some species slow down in the cold water, Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that the hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill continue to bite just as well as they have been. The only real difference in patterns is that they have moved deeper, and now instead of being in the 35-foot range more fishing are in 40-50 feet (whether suspended or on the bottom) and some have been caught as deep as 65 feet!

Fish are still running the channels, less often hanging on adjacent flats in the cold, and they are all over the lake. While other techniques will catch fish down-rods and live herring have been working very well for Captain Rocky.

The best part about fishing right now is that they aren’t moving much from day to day, so you can usually catch them going back to the same places. 

On the other hand Captain Rocky reports that the crappie bite has really dropped off in the cold, and in these conditions that fish are just not very aggressive. 

That’s consistent with the report from Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672), who has been targeting crappie on Clarks Hill but finding a pretty slow bite. Considering that he has seen 44-degree water temperatures up some of the creeks that’s not a surprise.

Fish are suspended in open water, mostly from 20-40 feet deep and usually 15-20 feet down. It’s very hard to target them without LiveScope since they aren’t really relating to anything. They will take jigs and minnows, but neither very well. 

On the catfish front, the creeks and big coves on Clarks Hill are still absolutely stacked with baitfish of all sorts and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that every predator fish but especially the big cats seems to be there feeding on them. Anchoring on the edge of the creek channels around the big schools of baitfish is working well, and dragging baits in and out of the creeks that don’t have too much timber is also working. 10-35 feet has been the most productive depth, and gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

While there are still fish on the main lake, the creek fish are usually more aggressive right now. 

Even though it’s been cold and fishing pressure has been lighter than usual, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia both report that the ditches are still loaded up with black bass right now. First thing in the morning you can still find them schooling in the back of ditches, and throwing an underspin with a fluke on it and then slow-rolling it has been the best way to get these fish to bite. Even in very, very cold temperatures they will head very shallow and feed first thing.

When fish aren’t schooling shallow then anglers are targeting them in deeper parts of the ditches with a minnow-style bait, crankbait, or jerkbait. Often they are looking at them on LiveScope. 

Finally, anywhere you can find rock or deeper brush it’s worth fishing. 

January 9

Clarks Hill water levels are at 326.34 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is fairly high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 49 degrees.

The creeks and big coves on Clarks Hill are absolutely stacked with baitfish of all sorts, and Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that every predator fish seems to be there feeding on them. For catfish anchoring on the edge of the creek channels around the big schools of baitfish is working well, and dragging baits in and out of the creeks that don’t have too much timber is also working. 10-35 feet has been the most productive depth, and gizzard shad, white perch, and herring are all working. 

While there are still fish on the main lake, the creek fish are usually more aggressive right now. 

The black bass are also present in the creeks and coves, and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia both report that the ditches are loaded up with bass right now.  First thing in the morning you can find them schooling in the back of ditches, and throwing an underspin with a fluke on it and then slow-rolling it has been the best way to get these fish to bite. Even in very, very cold temperatures they will head very shallow and feed first thing.

When fish aren’t schooling shallow then anglers are targeting them in deeper parts of the ditches with a minnow-style bait, crankbait, or jerkbait. Often they are looking at them on LiveScope. 

Finally, anywhere you can find rock or deeper brush it’s worth fishing. 

January 2

Clarks Hill water levels are at 326.12 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is fairly high. Morning surface water temperatures are around 52 degrees.

It’s a phenomenal bite for hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that fish are still running the channels (and sometimes adjacent flats) all over the lake.  Captain Rocky’s boat has been marking fish at a variety of depths, and sometimes they will see fish at 10 feet and other times they will see them as deep as 70 feet. However, day-in and day-out the best bite is 35 feet down whether that’s on the bottom in 35 feet or over 90 feet of water. 

Rocky’s boat is catching everything on down-rods. 

While there are plenty of birds around, they aren’t helping one bit right now. Right now they are just setting up when they mark fish and pretty consistently they are biting aggressively. 

It’s a different story with the crappie on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that he is putting off trips for now. That’s not because you can’t catch crappie, but they are not set up on brush and you can’t easily catch them trolling with multiple rods. Basically it’s LiveScope fishing right now, and while a pair of experienced anglers can whack the fish chasing them in open water and casting at them with jigs (or minnows), they don’t set up well for parties. 

Most of the fish are channel-oriented right now, and Rocky has caught some 2-pounders at 70 feet this week. And while they aren’t on brush right now, some of them are related to standing timber in the river channel.

More to follow. 

December 19

Clarks Hill water levels are at 326.50 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 55 degrees.

It’s still a strong bite for hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that fish are still all over the lake from the lower lake to the mid-lake to the upper lake, up all the major rivers. 

The common denominator is that fish are related to the edges of channels in 30-40 feet of water, and they are running about 10-20 feet deep. Humps off the edge of the river channel are still a magnet for fish. 

Free-lines and planer boards are working, but Captain Rocky’s boat is catching everything on shallow down-rods. 

While many people going after black bass on Clarks Hill are throwing minnow-style baits on jigheads while looking at fish around bait schools on forward-facing sonar, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that if you want to do something different there is still a good spinnerbait and crankbait bite on rock veins that extend out into the lake. When water temperatures drop much further this pattern should fall off, and already he can tell that some fish are sliding in the belly of ditches where they can be caught on blade baits and jerkbaits.  

Just off the water, tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia concurs with Josh’s assessment that you can still fish warmer water patterns. He was very surprised by how active the fish still were today, and first thing this morning this morning caught a limit burning a Sebille across the surface for schooling fish. He also caught several fish under a dock, typically not an early winter pattern, and even saw a bunch of bream up shallow. Other fish came off laydowns.

While much of that is about to change, after a few warm days (and with water temperatures approaching 60 during the day) fall patterns may hold a little longer than expected even with a cold snap. 

Finally, Tyler strongly suggests getting on the lake as early as possible because the first 30 minutes were by far the most productive and the fish were very active early today.

The crappie bite continues to slow down on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that by this point you can look at 8 or 10 brush piles and not see a single fish. More of them are scattering in open water, and while you can catch them trolling in 20-30 feet up the creeks that’s not a particularly good pattern, either. The fish are very spread out, but another factor that makes them hard to target is that they will move shallower and then deeper pretty frequently at this time of year. Overall, until water temperatures get back to about 58 on Clarks Hill it can be a tough bite. Other lakes are certainly different. 

Finally, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the blue catfishbite is still outstanding. The baitfish are piled up pretty thick in the creek runs, and the blues are right there with them. Fishing in 25-40 feet has been most productive, and dragging gizzard shad, white perch and herring is working well. Some of the creeks are so full of timber that they can’t be drifted, and in those areas anchoring at the same depth range around the big schools of bait works just as well.

Of course fish can still be caught on the main lake, but the creek fish are usually more aggressive right now. 

Next week there will be no new fishing reports with the Christmas holiday, but regular reports will resume after the New Year. 

December 11

Clarks Hill water levels are at 325.98 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity should drop after significant rainfall. Morning surface water temperatures are around 58 degrees.

It’s still a really strong bite for hybrid and striped bass on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that they are still catching fast limits. All over the lake – from the lower end to up both rivers – fish are related to the edges of channels in 30-40 feet of water, and they are generally running about 10-20 feet deep. Humps off the edge of the river channel are still a magnet for fish. 

Free-lines and planer boards are working, but Captain Rocky’s boat is catching everything on shallow down-rods. 

The black bass on Clarks Hill are getting deeper into winter patterns, and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that means the fish are starting to stack up in the ditches with the colder weather. Occasionally you will find some schooling in the very back of pockets, but basically right now the best pattern is looking at fish on electronics and throwing leadhead jigs in 10-30 feet of water around bait schools.  Shallow-running crankbaits, underspins, jerkbaits and Rattle Traps will also work.  It’s not hard to catch fish right now, but finding quality can be difficult. Fish are largely grouped by size so if you get a good one there are likely more bigs there – but the opposite is also true if you catch a 12-incher. 

The information is similar from Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152), who reports that until about 9 or 10 each morning throwing a minnow bait at fish you see on LiveScope back in the drains is a really good pattern. After that they often disappear and get hard to locate.  Look for loons to locate productive areas, and Josh finds that a small Keitech swimbait is hard to beat. 

When the temperatures drop a few more degrees he expects the cranking pattern to slow down, but for now throwing a crankbait around shallow rock veins – or a spinnerbait at wood – can be a great way to catch fish. On warmer days fish often suspend over the rock and a jerkbait can be better. 

It remains a fair bite for crappie on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that they are still catching about 50 fish in a day – but that’s not 100 like earlier in the fall. In general there are still a fair number of catchable fish on brush about 15-18 feet down in roughly 30 feet of water that will take minnows. The upper third of the lake is the best area to look. However, even for the fish that are still on brush the bite is slowing, and at the same time a large percentage of fish are starting to move off structure and just roam in open water. While there are certainly exceptions, in general these fish are much less likely to be biting. 

Finally, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the blue catfishbite is still outstanding. The baitfish are now piled up pretty thick in the creek runs, and the blues are right there with them. Fishing in 25-40 feet has been most productive, and dragging gizzard shad, white perch and herring is working well. Some of the creeks are so full of timber that they can’t be drifted, and in those areas anchoring at the same depth range around the big schools of bait works just as well.

Of course fish can still be caught on the main lake, but the creek fish are usually more aggressive right now. 

December 4

Clarks Hill water levels are down to 326.24 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 59 degrees.

It’s time to give the catfish his due because the big blue cat bite just could be the hottest thing going on at Clarks Hill.  Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the baitfish are now piled up pretty thick in the creek runs, and the blues are right there with them. Fishing in 25-40 feet has been most productive, and dragging gizzard shad, white perch and herring is working well. Some of the creeks are so full of timber that they can’t be drifted, and in those areas anchoring at the same depth range around the big schools of bait works just as well.

Of course fish can still be caught on the main lake, but the creek fish are usually more aggressive right now. 

If catfish are the best thing going on The Hill the hybrid and striped bass are making a strong case for second, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that they are catching fast limits right now. All over the lake – from the lower end to up both rivers – fish are related to the edge of the channels in 30-40 feet of water, and they are generally running about 10-20 feet deep. Humps off the edge of the river channel are still a magnet for fish. 

Free-lines and planer boards are working, but Captain Rocky’s boat is catching everything on shallow down-rods. 

As expected recent late November black bass tournaments have generally been fairly low weight affairs, and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that the predominant pattern has been following bait schools and bass on LiveScope and throwing a minnow imitation at the fish. They are pretty heavy on bait right now. 

However, there have also been some really good bags caught up the rivers (and really the pattern can be replicated anywhere there is a nice rock vein running out into the lake) with square-billed crankbaits. They will also take a jerkbait around rock on days when fish are sitting higher in the water column. 

Unfortunately it’s not quite a golden time for crappie anymore on Clarks Hill, but Captain Rocky reports that there are still a fair number of catchable fish on brush about 15-18 feet down in roughly 30 feet of water that will take minnows. The upper third of the lake is the best area to look. However, even for the fish that are still on brush the bite is slowing, and at the same time a large percentage of fish are starting to move off structure and just roam in open water. While there are certainly exceptions, in general these fish are much less likely to be biting. 

November 20

Clarks Hill water levels are at 327.37 (full pool is 330.00) and water clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 67 degrees.

The rescheduled Mr. Clarks Hill Tournament is coming up this weekend on Clarks Hill, and Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that even though he won’t be fishing he looks for cooling temperatures to move black bass off of the buzzbait bite they have been on and put them more in the mood to take a square-billed crankbait, jerkbait, or spinnerbait. Basically any point or vein of rock running out into the lake should hold fish, especially in the creeks, and on cloudy or overcast days they will hold tight to the rock and want the crankbait. On sunny days they are more likely to suspend above it and want the jerkbait. At times these fish will be dirt shallow on the rock, which brings up the other fish magnet right now.  There are a lot of shallow brush piles exposed at this time of year, and especially when they are located on steep banks or flats in the back of creeks these are a perfect target for bass. They can’t resist a spinnerbait rolled around the cover. 

Of course, tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia (who will be fishing) reports that he also expects a lot of anglers to be Live-Scoping in open water for schools of fish. 

Even with fishing activity still down, Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that there is still a pretty fantastic hybrid and striped bass bite in the main Savannah River. Fish are making a slow migration up the lake, until very cold weather brings them back down again, and he estimates that most fish are about in the middle-third right now. There is some surface activity but fish are not really schooling on top, and he is finding most of the fish 10-20 feet below the surface in around 30-40 feet of water.  Humps off the edge of the river channel have been a magnet for fish. Free-lines, planer boards, and shallow down-rods will all catch them. 

It's also still a golden time for crappie on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky reports that it won’t be until sometime in December or January that fish get really finicky and harder to catch. For now they are still in the upper third of the lake on any structure including brush or trees in the creek or river channel. They are generally about 15-18 feet down in 30 feet of water, and while they will take jigs minnows are working much better. 

Finally, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall catfish bite remains remarkably consistent. The productive depth range might vary a bit from day to day, but otherwise things are pretty predictable and the fishing is very good. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on main lake points in 25-50 feet of water. You can also catch some fish dragging the bottom at about the same depths in creeks with cleaner bottoms. Cut herring, bream and gizzard shad will all catch fish.

November 13

Clarks Hill water levels are at 327.54 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is very clear because of the absence of recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are around 68 degrees.

Fishing activity is still well below normal, but Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that he has been finding a pretty fantastic hybrid and striped bass bite. On their last trip they caught 70 fish in two hours, and even though fish are moving around a fair amount they have been able to find some very consistent spots. The best action has been coming 10-20 feet down in about 30 feet of water on the edge of the Savannah River channel, but fish are scattered all over the place. They are in both major river arms, and some days they are moving to the very backs of the creeks. 

While it’s not uncommon to mark fish on the bottom in 35 feet, once they actually start biting they usually come up to about 12-20 feet to feed. 

Captain Rocky reports that the crappie fishing is also good, and fish can be found in the river and creek channels up the lake in about 30 feet of water. They are 15-18 feet down suspended over brush, trees, or any other structure in the channel, and while they will take jigs minnows are working much better. 

But there are also crappie a little shallower, and Guide Wendell Wilson with Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that they managed to catch a nice limit of crappie on the very upper end of Clarks Hill fishing in 15-17 feet of water. They have caught everything on minnows about 12-14 feet down, and while fish aren’t on every piece of structure when you find them there are some big schools. And lots of big fish. 

While the black bass fishing has also been good for numbers, tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that catching decent-sized fish is a completely different matter. On the water recently he has seen and caught a good number of schooling fish, but most of them you have to measure.  He is seeing better ones on top but they aren’t biting. 

They aren’t as shallow as in the spring, and most of the action he is finding is in 12-15 feet. It’s also pretty random, and some points and humps are covered in fish while others are desolate.  Brush does seem to make a big difference.

But the hardest part is not locating the fish but getting them to bite, and with the bass on very small bait at times that is “outrageously” tough. Bright skies and calm days make it even worse. Everything he has caught has been on a small fluke or Sashimmy swimbait. 

As for other patterns, a buzzbait should only get better in the next couple of weeks but for now Tyler is not getting many bites on it. A white or methiolate floating worm should also be good, especially with all the newly fallen trees in the water.

Finally, there are a lot of fish on brush piles that you can see on electronics but right now they are more likely to follow a bait than commit. 

Finally, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall catfishbite remains remarkably consistent. The productive depth range might vary a bit from day to day, but otherwise things are pretty predictable and the fishing is very good. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on main lake points in 25-50 feet of water. You can also catch some fish dragging the bottom at about the same depths in creeks with cleaner bottoms. Cut herring, bream and gizzard shad will all catch fish.

October 29

Clarks Hill water levels are at 327.94 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake is relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees.

While there is still an incredible amount of clean-up to be done in the Clarks Hill area after Helene, Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that he is back on the water more often now and the hybrid and striped bass fishing is pretty phenomenal.  On his last trip he caught 70 fish in 30 minutes, with the action mid-lake fishing the main river channel. Fish are 20 feet down in 35-40 feet of water, and they are in thick schools eating aggressively. They are not seeing any schooling on the surface and everything they are catching is coming on down-rods.    

Captain Rocky reports that the crappie fishing is also pretty strong, and the best action seems to be way up the rivers around brush in the channel itself or off to the side of it. Most of the fish are suspended about 12 feet down, and in the channel the brush could be in 25-30 feet while off to the sides it is shallower – but fish are still at the same depth. Minnows have been most productive. 

While black bass fishing is still relatively limited as the area remains heavily affected by the storm, Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that there was a big-money tournament recently and the fishing seems to be fair. You can still find some sporadic schooling activity, but those fish are getting harder to catch even when you see them on top. The best way to get bites right now seems to be going along the bank with a Whopper Plopper or buzzbait. You can also fish brush piles, although a lot of the fish on brush are smaller. 

Finally, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall catfishbite remains remarkably consistent. The productive depth range might vary a bit from day to day, but otherwise things are pretty predictable and the fishing is very good. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on main lake points in 25-50 feet of water. You can also catch some fish dragging the bottom at about the same depths in creeks with cleaner bottoms. Cut herring, bream and gizzard shad will all catch fish.

 

October 16

Clarks Hill water levels are at 329.33 (full pool is 330.00) and the lake has cleared significantly. Morning surface water temperatures are around 73 degrees.

Always the best time to catch a giant, the last few years Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service (864-992-2352) reports that the fall catfish bite has still been extremely inconsistent. However, in spite of the extreme water conditions, so far this fall the bite has been surprisingly consistent. The productive depth range might change from day to day, but otherwise things are pretty predictable. 

The best pattern is still anchoring on main lake points in 25-50 feet of water. You can also catch some fish dragging the bottom at about the same depths in creeks with cleaner bottoms. Cut herring, bream and gizzard shad will all catch fish.

The hybrid and striped bass fishing activity remains a fraction of what it was before the storms with all the clean-up work still to be done, but Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that the best area should still be the main lake from about Fishing Village to Parksville on the South Carolina side and Grays Creek to the mouth of the Georgia Little River on the Georgia side. Fish will go back to the river channel and be following bait, and most of the bait should be from the surface down to about 20 feet down. While you can certainly look for schooling fish, Captain Rocky’s preferred method is to fish down-rods down to about 24-25 feet deep, usually over deeper water. Again, fish will be where the bait it. 

The crappie fishing has picked up a little sooner than expected, and Captain Rocky reports that as the lake has settled down the fishing in both the main lake and the creeks has come on again. Brush in less than 20 feet is the best place to look, and the best reports he has heard have been on minnows. 

While tournaments are still getting cancelled and fishing activity remains down for black bass, too, tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that cooler conditions and wind have actually helped the schooling bite over main lake points and humps. Fish are generally in at least ten or more feet of water, and they will take a mix of topwater lures, soft swimbaits and Sebilles. He is also marking a lot of fish on brush piles, but for catching numbers then simply hitting as many points as possible with topwater lures is hard to beat.

Tyler continues to believe that the better fish should come on a buzzbait. 

October 10

Clarks Hill water levels are at 329.77 (full pool is 330.00) and visibility is back to 3-4 feet down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures are around 77 degrees.

With ’round the clock trees to be cut, bait almost impossible to find (the Herring Hut just re-opened), and much of the area only just getting power back, Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that he and most other hybrid and striped bass guides have been able to spend precious little time on the water. However, in situations like this the fish are in pretty predictable locations and he says with the high water you want to be fishing the main lake from about Fishing Village to Parksville on the South Carolina side and Grays Creek to the mouth of the Georgia Little River on the Georgia side. Fish will go back to the river channel and be following bait, and most of the bait should be from the surface down to about 20 feet down. While you can certainly look for schooling fish, Captain Rocky’s preferred method is to fish down-rods down to about 24-25 feet deep, usually over deeper water. Again, fish will be where the bait it. 

Overall, fish can be caught right now but it will be much better in a couple of weeks.

That’s even more true for the crappie, and Captain Rocky reports that they are such a finicky species that it’s honestly just worth taking a break from them for a couple of weeks. They don’t feed well when there is too much water and current. 

Back on the water after the storm, tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia reports that the bass are schooling pretty well on main lake points and humps. They are catching a lot of fish, but the only drawback is that the size is not there. Fish are generally in at least ten or more feet of water, and they will take a mix of topwater lures, soft swimbaits and Sebilles. He is also marking a lot of fish on brush piles, but for catching numbers then simply hitting as many points as possible with topwater lures is hard to beat.

Tyler continues to believe that the better fish should come on a buzzbait, but he’s having so much fun catching quantities of fish off points and humps that it’s hard to stick with it. 

And finally back on the water himself yesterday, Captain Chris Simpson with Fightin Da Blues Fishing Guide Service(864-992-2352) reports that the catfish bite was surprisingly good. He expected the massive influx of water to slow things down, but instead it looked like fish were making a normal transition and migration into fall patterns. While you have to adjust depths every day, the best pattern is still anchoring on main lake points in 25-50 feet of water. You can also catch some fish dragging the bottom at about the same depths in creeks with cleaner bottoms. Cut herring, bream and gizzard shad will all catch fish, and overall the fishing is very good right now. 

October 2

Clarks Hill water levels are up to 328.50 (full pool is 330.00) and morning surface water temperatures are around 77 degrees.

Fishing is obviously the last thing on most people’s minds in the Clarks Hill area, with the majority of the region still affected at least by power outages.  Speaking to one of our captains this morning, he has been told that they won’t have power back for at least a week. Fishing tournaments have already been cancelled for this weekend. 

Obviously our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by Helene, but we will offer fishing updates as soon as we have them.