November 13
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 438.21 (full pool is 440.0) and lake is clearing, with the lower end still a little dingy. Morning surface water temperatures are still around 70 degrees.
The weather in the next couple of days should finally change this, but so far this fall veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that Lake Greenwood has stubbornly refused to cool and as a result the black bass still haven’t changed patterns very much. However, as water temperatures begin to dip more fish should head into the very backs of the creeks where they will take lipless crankbaits and #5 Shad Raps.
For now the best places to look have been rocky secondary points and docks, and fish have been eating buzzbaits, shaky heads, and jigs. They are in the main runs of creeks and also pockets off the main lake, following the bait.
The patterns still haven’t changed too much but the crappie fishing has been strong again this week on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that they have had some very good trips recently. He is still fishing structure on the main lake in 15-30 feet of water, and fish are generally suspended about 10-15 feet down. They want jigs right now.
October 30
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.02 (full pool is 440.0) and lake is clearing, first on the upper end. Morning surface water temperatures are around 72 degrees.
With mild to warm to hot temperatures the black bass fishing hasn’t progressed as far into fall patterns as might be expected on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish still haven’t gotten as far into the creeks as they have in other years. Anglers just need to continue monitoring the bait, and for now continue to start at the front of creeks and work back.
Fish can still be caught in main lake pockets and on points with a buzzbait, especially in the dingier water. Jigs have also been fishing very well recently, and square-billed crankbaits have been good around bait.
Finally, Stan notes that soon Alabama rigs will be king on Lake Greenwood.
The patterns haven’t changed too much but the crappie fishing has been strong this week on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that they have had some very good trips recently. He is still fishing structure on the main lake in 15-30 feet of water, and fish are generally suspended about 10-15 feet down. They want jigs right now.
Because it cleaned up faster he has been concentrating on the mid- to upper lake, but now the lower lake is becoming fishable too.
October 16
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 438.97 (full pool is 440.0) and the lower lake is muddy with less than 6 inches of visibility while the upper lake is clearing. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 70s.
It’s a weird dynamic on Lake Greenwood right now where the upper lake is clearer than the lower lake (as the muddy water gets sucked down), and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that as a result the better black bass fishing is further up the lake right now. He advises working towards the back of creeks in the middle and upper lake until you find shad and fishing shallow, as both bait and bass want to be there. Rattle Traps, square-billed crankbaits, and spinnerbaits will all catch fish, and you might be able to get a bite with a Whopper Plopper or buzzbait in some of the cleaner areas. There are also some fish being caught around docks with jigs and shaky heads.
The crappie fishing has basically returned to normal this week on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that the they are back on main lake brush from one end of the lake to the other. Depths may be a little thrown off by water color between the lake ends being the reverse of normal, but generally brush in 15-30 feet of water is the best place to look.
Chartreuse jigs and minnows are both working again.
October 10
Lake Greenwood water levels are very high at 439.03 (full pool is 440.0) and the whole lake is muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s.
Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda has some pretty blunt advice for bass fishermen, and that’s not to go to Lake Greenwood right now. The whole lake is a mud hole at the moment, with muddy water pouring out of the dam, and there are just better places to fish. The bass were already shallow before the storm and they will almost certainly have moved even shallower, and if you have to target them you should use something like a spinnerbait, chatterbait or red crankbait and throw it in the dirt.
But the lake should settle out soon and then it will be worth fishing again.
October 2
Lake Greenwood water levels are very high at 439.06 (full pool is 440.0) and the whole lake is muddy.
Greenwood is unfortunately another lake where we don’t have in-person reports from our captains and experts this week, and people in the region are just relieved to either be getting power back or to know that they should in the near future.
It’s not much of a mystery what the bass will be doing, though, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda expects that the whole lake will be muddy, and fish shallow, for a while.
There will also be a tremendous amount of current for some time, as they are sucking the water through to keep the lake below full.
Fishing updates to follow as soon as we have them!
September 26
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 437.96 (full pool is 440.0) as they pulled water before Helene, and clarity was normal before the storm. Morning surface water temperatures were back to about 78 degrees yesterday.
The bass fishing on Lake Greenwood continues to improve, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the tournament Saturday took 21 pounds – the largest weight in some time. The winning bag was all largemouth, and they were caught dirt shallow in 3 feet of water or less. Fish are moving up the creeks and into the pockets where they can be caught on a buzzbait, Whopper Ploppers, or flipping shallow docks or wood.
It's uncertain what effects the storm will have, but rising water levels and dirty water would not be expected to move the fish deeper.
The crappie bite is still just fair this week on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that the effects of all this water being pulled through the lake has made them hold closer to the bottom and a little finicky. Which they already were. Fish are still almost exclusively on main lake brush from one end of the lake to the other. Up the lake they are more likely to be in 15-20 feet of water, while down the lake in the clearer water they are more likely to be on brush in 18-30 feet of water. Positioning may change after the rains.
Chartreuse jigs have been working about the same as minnows, but it’s unclear what their preferences will be after the storm.
September 19
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 438.49 (full pool is 440.0) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 76 degrees.
At last report we said the bass fishing was picking up on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that this week we can finally say that some fish are also starting to move into the creeks. Fish continue to move shallower and overall the bite is definitely improved again this week.
The best pattern right now is starting at the mouth of creeks and working your way back, targeting main creek points and pockets in 3-4 feet of water and looking for balls of shad. Square-billed crankbaits are working better than anything, but there are also some fish being caught on docks with shaky head worms.
One especially bright spot is that this week some good largemouth have been caught, even as at times in can feel like Greenwood is only full of spotted bass.
Overall the mid-lake area seems to be fishing the best.
The crappie fishing is still tough but marginally improved again this week on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are still almost exclusively on main lake brush from one end of the lake to the other. Up the lake they are more likely to be in 15-20 feet of water, while down the lake in the clearer water they are more likely to be on brush in 18-30 feet of water. In both areas they will be in the bottom third, about 12-20 feet down dependent on location.
This week jigs have been working about the same as minnows. Jigs with chartreuse are out-fishing other colors.
September 5
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 438.88 (full pool is 440.0) and clarity is normal. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 79 degrees.
It’s been a while but this week we have some good news with the bass fishing on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish are schooling a little bit on the main lake. Balls of shad have gotten higher in the water column and fish are following them, and they will take topwater lures and flukes. The bait is fairly small and so slightly down-sized lures have been working better.
There isn’t a lot of sign that fish are moving back into the creeks yet, but seawalls continue to produce some fish early and it also appears that more fish are setting up around main lake docks. While there are certainly still some spots on offshore brush it also seems that the better largemouth are making their way shallower.
The crappie are basically in a holding pattern this week on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that the best pattern is still fishing in the middle to upper main lake around brush in the 15-30 foot range. Fish are most often in the bottom 1/3 of the water column regardless of depth, and they are biting jigs with some chartreuse in them better than minnows. Bites are still a little more frequent – and obvious – than a couple of weeks ago, but the fishing is still just fair.
Finally, for something a little different Guides Wendell and Luke Wilson with Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) visited Greenwood again this week for a guide trip and then to do some old-fashioned fun-fishing. They found a decent channel catfish and spotted bass bite with the clients, but fishing alone in the afternoon they really got into the shellcracker. Instead of the fish being around docks like the last time they were scattered in open water in 4-6 feet just going down the banks of the main lake, and they also picked up a handful of channels on worms. Some bluegill were also mixed in but the best sizes were the shellcracker.
August 27
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 438.95 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has cleared significantly. Surface water temperatures have dropped to about 83 degrees.
There’s finally some slight improvement with the crappie fishing on Greenwood, and while Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that the fish haven’t moved very much they are a little more willing to eat. The bites are also a little more obvious. The action certainly isn’t wide open, but it seems that some cooler weather has started to improve things – even though it’s about to get hot again. The best pattern is still fishing in the middle to upper main lake around brush in the 15-30 foot range, with fish most commonly in the bottom 1/3 of the water column regardless of depth. They are biting jigs with some chartreuse in them better than minnows.
At the same time the bass fishing is still pretty brutal, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that even the night tournaments – when the best weights have been coming – are tough. The pattern is still the same, with a tiny bit of topwater action around seawalls early but then most of the fish coming with soft plastics fished around deeper docks and offshore brush. In a few weeks things should get better and there should be more fish oriented to the banks that are starting to feed again, but we aren’t there yet.
Again, the only consolation is that it’s pretty much always tough sledding in August on Greenwood.
August 14
Lake Greenwood water levels have stabilized around 439.22 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has a slight stain but is not muddy. While the lake had a decent amount of rain in the storm, what muddies the lake is precipitation in the Upstate – where there was little. Surface water temperatures have dropped into the mid-80s.
While the crappie fishing has been pretty tough since about July 4, Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that there are some signs that it may just be starting to get better. For a while now fish have been so lethargic that bites have been almost imperceptible, and so while they will take both minnows and jigs it’s been hard for someone who isn’t a seasoned angler to catch them. But that seems to be changing, and it’s almost like since fishing went into a summertime lull earlier than usual it is coming out of it a couple of weeks earlier than usual.
For right now the best pattern is fishing in the middle to upper lake around brush in the 15-30 foot range, with fish most commonly in the bottom 1/3 of the water column regardless of depth. Minnows and chartreuse jigs will both catch fish. For now fish are still mostly on the main lake but in a few weeks more should return to the creeks.
August 13
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.24 (full pool is 440.0).
The only solace is that this is pretty much always the worst time of the year for bass fishing on Lake Greenwood, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the fishing is still pretty brutal. In the heat of the summer even the deep brush pile bite slows down, and the fish just don’t eat as much – at least during the day. You might be able to pick up a fish off of seawalls early or a dock, but catches are very, very low right now.
The one exception seems to be at night, and there have still been some good bags up to about 15 pounds in night tournaments. A lot of those fish are coming off of lights.
More to follow.
August 1
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.26 (full pool is 440.0) and there is some stain on the upper end. Morning surface water temperatures are around 86-87 on the main lake.
It’s still very tough bass fishing on Lake Greenwood, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that in the next few weeks he anticipates some change. However, for now it’s basically about fishing around bream beds or sea walls with topwater lures in the morning and then fishing brush piles in the 15-18 foot range in the main lake and main part of creeks with big worms once the sun gets up. There are also some fish around deeper docks on the main lake.
At night it seems that the best action is coming around lights, but they could be yard lights and not necessarily underwater lights. Shaky heads and Texas rigs have been the best way to target these lights.
The crappie are also in a pretty stable pattern, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the fish are on brush and other structure in deeper water. They are pretty much all on the main lake or at the front of creeks now, and fish are generally in 15-30 feet of water. They are scattered from about 12-20 feet down. Right now the middle to upper lake seems to be fishing a little better than the lower lake.
Some days minnows are better and some days jigs are, with the best jigs Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Ugly Green.
July 18
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.10 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 86-87 on the main lake.
There’s not a whole lot of change with the crappie on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the fish are on brush and other structure in deeper water. They are pretty much all on the main lake or at the front of creeks now, and fish are generally in 15-30 feet of water. They are scattered from about 10-20 feet down. Right now the middle to upper lake seems to be fishing a little better than the lower lake.
Fish Stalker jigs are out-fishing minnows right now, and anything with chartreuse is working well.
Finally, for something a little different Guides Wendell and Luke Wilson with Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) visited Greenwood this week to do some old-fashioned fun-fishing. In a solid day of fishing they managed 44 shellcracker, about 30 bluegill, and 6 channel catfish targeting the ends of main lake docks in about 7-9 feet of water with worms on the bottom. The best docks were right on the main channel, and some of the shellcracker had very good size.
July 17
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.08 (full pool is 440.0). Morning surface water temperatures are now in the upper 80s on the main lake.
We were hoping to have better news with the bass fishing on Lake Greenwood, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fishing remains really tough. Someone did manage 16 pounds in a night tournament recently, but below that it fell off to around 10 pounds.
In general the best way to catch them is probably to target seawalls with topwater baits early, and then after that to drag brush in the 15-18 foot range in the main lake and main part of creeks. Big Texas-rigged worms, deep-running crankbaits and drop shots may all get bites, but nothing is very good.
More to follow.
July 11
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.17 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is very clear for Greenwood. Morning surface water temperatures are now in the upper 80s on the main lake.
We promised to be back with a bass report for Lake Greenwood, but unfortunately veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there isn’t much good news. The fishing has gotten much, much tougher, and even the spots have gotten very hard to catch. In particular they seem to have disappeared from the docks where it was so easy to catch them a couple of weeks ago, and there isn’t really a great bite anywhere.
Stan says the best way to catch them is probably to target seawalls with topwater baits early, and then after that to drag brush in the 15-18 foot range in the main lake and main part of creeks. Big Texas-rigged worms, deep-running crankbaits and drop shots may all get bites, but nothing is very good. Perhaps try down-sizing?
There are a couple of possible bright spots, and it’s clear from electronics that there are ton of fish out there – they just aren’t feeding very well. Of course, most of them are spots – so maybe that’s a good thing but probably not. What is good, though, is that fishing after dark you can greatly increase your chances of catching fish. Mostly this means fishing green lights and brush piles.
July 10
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.16 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is very clear for Greenwood. Morning surface water temperatures are now in the upper 80s on the main lake.
The crappie have finally settled into a more typical summer pattern on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the fish have now headed to brush and other structure in deeper water. They are pretty much all on the main lake or at the front of creeks now, and fish are generally in 15-30 feet of water. They are scattered from about 10-20 feet down. Right now the middle to upper lake seems to be fishing a little better than the lower lake.
Fish Stalker jigs are out-fishing minnows right now, and anything with chartreuse – or monkey milk colors – is working well.
More to follow.
June 26
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 439.09 (full pool is 440.0) and clarity is high. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 80s on the main lake.
With the heat wave this week one might expect the crappie to have all moved out of the creeks and into deep water on Lake Greenwood, but Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that in fact there are still a surprising number of fish in the creeks and relatively shallow water. That’s probably a function of a cool spring and the fact that the whole water column obviously doesn’t heat up as fast as the surface layer does.
Regardless, Captain Roland is finding fish 10-15 feet down in 15-30 feet of water in both the creeks and the main lake. You are more likely to find creek fish in the middle to upper lake, where the backs are a little more stained, than on the clearer lower end. Both minnows and Fish Stalker jigs are working.
In some ways it’s a similar story with the bass on Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that for the first hour each day you can still catch fish on topwater lures around sea walls – including some good ones. There are also some fish around docks that will take a shaky head, but these are very heavily tilted towards smaller spotted bass.
The deep bite is now king, though, and brush in the 15-18 foot range in the main lake and main part of creeks is now holding the most big fish. Offshore rock is also good, and the ends of long points are also holding fish. Big Texas-rigged worms, deep-running crankbaits and drop shots are the best way to approach these fish.
June 12
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.15 (full pool is 440.0) and clarity is better than normal. Morning surface water temperatures are still around 80 degrees.
The bass fishing has picked up on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that weights in a recent benefit tournament were much better than they had been for some time. There were several bags in the 20-pound range, and overall it seems that the deep bite is coming on. While you will catch lots of spots there are also largemouth on brush in the 15-18 foot range in the main lake and main part of creeks, and they will take crankbaits, worms and spoons.
At the same time there is a still a good shallow bite on docks, and paradoxically it’s the best way to catch huge numbers of fish but also perhaps to get a very big one. With a shaky head you will have to wade through tons and tons of spotted bass, but some of the biggest largemouth are also around docks feeding on bream.
The crappie are still in an early summer pattern on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most fish are still on relatively shallow brush in about 8-20 feet of water. They can still be found from about 5-14 feet deep, and both the creeks and main lake are holding fish.
While minnows are still working, chartreuse Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Blue Dew are hard to beat.
Finally, visiting the lake from his home lake of Russell Guide Wendell Wilson with Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that there is an excellent bite for channel catfish and shellcracker from the bank out to about 8 feet. They were able to keep lines tight all day fishing worms around docks and sandy shorelines.
May 29
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.11 (full pool is 440.0) and at least ¾ the way up the lake the water is still pretty clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 80 degrees.
While significant numbers of bass have moved deeper on Lake Greenwood, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that the most notable trend he has seen this week is a really good dock bite. The best docks are at the mouths of the main creeks and on the main lake, and with shaky head worms you will pick up mostly spots and the occasional largemouth (pretty much the story bass-fishing everywhere on Greenwood). You can also find shallower fish around bream beds, particularly in the morning, when they will take topwater lures like frogs and poppers and swimming jigs. During the day these fish will often retreat to adjacent docks.
The deep fish are mostly on brush piles in 15-18 feet of water in the front of creeks and on the main lake. You can catch them with big worms and crankbaits like 6XDs and DT-16s.
There is still a topwater bite in the morning around sea walls, and we are also getting to the stage where anglers need to look out for schooling activity and have a topwater tied on all the time.
The crappie are still in an early summer pattern on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most fish are on relatively shallow brush in about 8-20 feet of water. They can still be found from about 5-14 feet deep, and both the creeks and main lake are holding fish.
While minnows are still working, chartreuse Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Blue Dew are hard to beat.
May 23
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.10 (full pool is 440.0) and at least ¾ the way up the lake the water is still pretty clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 76-78 degrees.
The biggest change this week is that the bass are finally moving out deeper on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish are starting to move out to brush piles in 15-18 feet of water in the front of creeks and on the main lake. You can catch them with big worms and crankbaits like 6XDs and DT-16s, but expect to catch a lot of spots and a few largemouth. That’s basically where the lake is now.
There is still a decent topwater bite first thing around sea walls with a popper, and particularly early in the day the fishing around bream beds should be good on this full moon. During the day the dock bite is also strong, particularly with a shaky head. Again, expect a lot of spotted bass this way.
Overall weights are still low, and the 19 pounds that won a recent tournament was an outlier.
The crappie are still in an early summer pattern on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most fish are on relatively shallow brush in about 8-20 feet of water. With stable water temperatures they can still be found from about 5-14 feet deep, and both the creeks and main lake are holding fish.
While minnows are still working, chartreuse Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Blue Dew are hard to beat.
May 15
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.06 (full pool is 440.0) and the upper end is pretty dirty while the lake gets clearer as you work your way down. Morning surface water temperatures are around 72-74 degrees.
The bass spawn is mostly over on Lake Greenwood, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that still the majority of the fish have stayed relatively shallow. Standard post-spawn patterns are working, and early throwing topwater baits around seawalls is as reliable as anything. When the sun is up moving to docks with soft plastics or jigs is the best bet. There are also a lot of fish, and particularly spotted bass, that can be caught dragging a Carolina rig or shaky head off points.
You can already find some small spotted bass on offshore brush but the better fish have not gotten there yet.
The crappie are still in an early summer pattern on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most fish are on relatively shallow brush in about 8-20 feet of water. With stable water temperatures they can still be found from about 5-14 feet deep, and both the creeks and main lake are holding fish.
While minnows are still working, chartreuse Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Blue Dew are hard to beat.
May 9
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.27 (full pool is 440.0) and clarity was normal before the overnight rains. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-70s.
The crappie are still in an early summer pattern on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most fish are on relatively shallow brush in about 8-20 feet of water. But they have moved a little further down the water column this week, and fish can be found from about 5-14 feet deep. Both the creeks and main lake are holding fish.
While minnows are still working, chartreuse Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew and Blue Dew are hard to beat.
While all three stages of the bass spawn can be found on Lake Greenwood, veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that is starting to lean much more heavily towards post-spawn fish with a strong number of bedding fish as well. Perhaps the lake was so muddy earlier in the spring that a number of fish waited to spawn.
Docks are also producing a lot of fish, and basically you can catch all the spotted bass you want around docks with a shaky head – and occasionally pick up a largemouth. As you get closer to the rivers there are more largemouth.
Topwater lures are also working well, and while Stan has not personally seen a shad spawn it has to be going on. We are also in the time of year where fishing a popper around sea walls the first 2-3 hours is hard to beat.
Overall there have been some better weights caught recently, but the best fishing seems to already be at night.
May 1
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.12 (full pool is 440.0) and clarity is good. Morning surface water temperatures are around 70 degrees.
The crappie fishing has changed a lot this week on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that the open water fishing is dying out and crappie are returning to brush. They are mostly relatively shallow in 8-20 feet of water, holding 5-10 feet down over the brush. Fish are all over, and some are in the creeks and some are on the main lake.
Most any jig that has some chartreuse in it will catch fish right now, and minnows are also working.
The bass fishing remains strong on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there is still a bit of spawning activity taking place and both spawning and post-spawn fish are hanging around spawning pockets. Fry guarders are up there as well as fish that are looking for shallow bream.
Docks in spawning pockets are particularly good with a shaky head or Texas rig.
The shad spawn is also getting started, and you can catch fish on topwater baits around sea walls in the morning.
April 24
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 439.15 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has cleared significantly. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s.
There are still a few straggler crappie spawning on Lake Greenwood, but Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the fish are post-spawn. The majority of the fish are running the creek channels, generally in less than 15 feet of water. Up the river in the muddier water they will be shallower, while down the lake they will be on the deeper end. There are also some fish starting to move onto brush in 10-15 feet of water or even deeper. Long-line trolling with jigs is the preferred way to catch moving schools of fish besides casting at those you see on electronics, and for brush fish both minnows and jigs will work.
The bass fishing remains strong on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that there is still a bit of spawning activity taking place, and both spawning and post-spawn fish (and maybe even some pre-spawn bass) are hanging around spawning pockets. Docks in spawning pockets are particularly good with a shaky head or Texas rig. While Stan has not seen a shad spawn yet it should be taking off at any moment, and already topwater baits are producing around sea walls in the morning.
You can also fish topwater lures about anywhere around the banks right now, particularly in the creeks.
April 11
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 438.58 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has cleared significantly. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 60s.
By now most of the crappie on Lake Greenwood have completed their spawn, but Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the fish are still in relatively shallow water. A few are still on the banks bedding, but the majority of the fish that have completed their spawn are still generally in less than 15 feet of water running the creek channels. Up the river in the muddier water they will be shallower, while down the lake they will be on the deeper end. Long-line trolling with jigs is the preferred way to catch them besides casting at fish you see on electronics, and there are also some fish on brush in 5-15 feet of water. By early May most of them will start to move to brush in 10-15 feet or deeper.
The bass fishing has finally picked up on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that with a delayed spring there are still abundant pre-spawn fish. He suggests starting out looking in main lake pockets where the first fish move up to spawn, and now that the lake is clearing you can finally see some fish on the beds. After that the best bet is to work your way from points in the front of the creeks back, looking to see if fish have pulled up in pockets.
In addition to soft plastics there is starting to be a really good buzzbait bite.
March 28
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 438.08 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy and getting worse again. Morning surface water temperatures are around 60 degrees.
It’s still tough bass fishing on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that – besides a big 19-pound bag caught off lights in a night tournament – about 13 pounds is still a winning tournament sack. Which is hard to believe in late March.
While it’s hard to tell in the water conditions it does not seem that the spawn is too far along, but regardless fishing shallow with big, noisy, flashy baits like large spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly-colored and/or rattling crankbaits remains the best pattern.
The cold front probably hasn’t helped the bite, and cold water temperatures certainly aren’t helping the lake clear, so maybe things will get better once temperatures rise.
It remains an exciting time for catching crappie on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are at all stages of the spawn and you can basically catch them however you want. They can be found from the middle to backs of the creeks from 30 feet of water to the banks, and you can catch them tight-lining, long-line trolling, casting at suspended fish, or throwing a minnow or jig around the banks. Some fish are pre-spawn, some are on the banks spawning, and some are already done.
The fishing should stay like this until at least the second week of April, and cold fronts don’t really seem to be changing the bite.
March 21
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 437.52 (full pool is 440.0) and most of the lake remains dirty to muddy – before this weekend’s rain. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 50s and even low 60s.
It’s finally “that time” for crappie on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are at all stages of the spawn and you can basically catch them however you want. They can be found from the middle to backs of the creeks from 30 feet of water to the banks, and you can catch them tight-lining, long-line trolling, casting at suspended fish, or throwing a minnow or jig around the banks. Some fish are pre-spawn, some are on the banks spawning, and some are already done.
The fishing should stay like this until at least the second week of April, and cold fronts are unlikely to drop water temperatures enough to back fish off very much. The only question is whether they will still eat.
It’s a surprisingly tough bass bite on Lake Greenwood right now, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that it only took thirteen pounds to win a decent-sized tournament last weekend. The muddy conditions have to have something to do with that, and in Stan’s opinion you are basically limited to throwing big, noisy, flashy baits like large spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly-colored and/or rattling crankbaits. If it weren’t so muddy you could do other things, but water conditions are dictating how you can catch fish.
It's hard to say exactly where in the spawn fish are, but since they are picking up fish in pockets they are at least getting up in those areas and looking around.
March 14
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 437.42 (full pool is 440.0) and most of the lake is muddy although the lower end isn’t too bad. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid- to upper 50s.
The Greenwood crappie continue to move, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are pushing further back in the creeks and some have even started to spawn! You can fish for them around the banks, but long-line trolling in 10-30 feet of water is also good. For trolling (or casting using LiveScope) fish are mostly 5-15 feet down.
Fish Stalker jigs in bright colors like chartreuse, Ugly Green or Blue Dew are all working.
The bass are still super shallow on Greenwood and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon, as veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that water conditions and the spawning imperative are pushing fish to the banks. The creeks still hold the most fish, and big, noisy, flashy baits like large spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly-colored crankbaits are all working. There have also been a lot of fish caught casting lipless crankbaits in pockets.
You can also fish a black-and-blue jig around specific targets, but you basically need to hit fish on the head to get bites in most of the lake. The lower end is a little cleaner so that can expand your strike zone.
Striped bass and catfish reports to return very soon.
March 8
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 437.80 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is back to muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-50s but rising to the 60s in the afternoons.
After months in a holding pattern the Greenwood crappie have finally moved, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that with warmer temperatures fish have taken up temporary residence in the creeks. There are still fish out on the main lake, and there pretty much always will be, but the bulk of the fish have scattered from the mouth of the creeks to three-quarters back. Most of the fish are 5-15 down over 10-30 feet of water, and both casting and long-line trolling are working. Fish Stalker jigs in bright colors like chartreuse, Ugly Green or Blue Dew are all working.
There are probably a few fish already on the banks but Roland has not been casting at them to check.
Between the calendar and muddy water the bass are super shallow, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that with these temperatures fish are almost in the dirt. Since the creeks have warmed the fastest the fish have spread out all the way to the back, but you need something big, noisy and flashy to get their attention. Big spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, and brightly colored crankbaits are all working.
You can also fish a black-and-blue jig around specific targets, but you basically need to hit fish on the head to get bites.
Striped bass and catfish reports to return very soon.
February 29
Lake Greenwood water levels are at 436.32 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has cleared slightly, but visibility mid-lake is still only 6-8 inches. Morning surface water temperatures were 51 this morning.
Out on the water this morning Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that the crappie haven’t moved, as even with a couple of warm days there really hasn’t been enough sun to warm the water much. The good news is that even with this cooler weather they are still biting well.
Fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel. Captain Roland is mostly fishing 10-20 feet down over 20-40 feet of water, although fish will suspend higher or lower dependent on weather conditions. Casting or long-lining with jigs or jigs tipped with minnows is still the best technique, and the go-to color remains Fish Stalker’s Blue Dew.
But the bass are on a completely different schedule, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish are moving up and getting into the middle to backs of the creeks. In the muddy springtime conditions the pattern is as simple as running the banks with Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and Shad Raps. There are still some fish being caught on Alabama rigs but this is a dying pattern.
Docks are also holding a lot of fish right now, particularly the walkways closer to the bank.
February 23
Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 436.02 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy on the upper end but clearing some on the lower end. Morning surface water temperatures are in the low 50s.
Spring is a funny thing, and even when water conditions are still pretty miserable the bass usually still turn on. Right now veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that fish are definitely starting to move further back into the creeks and feed better, but his preferred way to target them is to start at the main lake and then work his way back. In the muddy conditions they have been shallow for a while, so that’s no change, and the best bet is still baits that have a big profile and/ or create a big disturbance. Loud crankbaits, Alabama rigs, spinnerbaits with Colorado blades, and Chatterbaits are all good choices around rock and wood. You can also fish a black-and-blue jig on targets but you probably need to hit fish on the nose if they are going to bite it.
There’s very little change with the crappie, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel. He is mostly fishing 10-20 feet down over 20-40 feet of water, although fish will suspend higher or lower dependent on weather conditions. Casting or long-lining with jigs or jigs tipped with minnows is still the best technique, and the go-to color remains Fish Stalker’s Blue Dew.
February 12
Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 435.22 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy from one end to the other and will only get worse with today’s rain. Morning surface water temperatures are about 47-48 degrees.
Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) wasn’t expecting too much going into Saturday’s crappie tournament, but to his surprise he was able to manage a nearly two-pound average in the very muddy conditions. Patterns were about the same, although sun had the fish a little higher in the water column at 5-10 feet on the tournament day. Still 10-20 feet over 20-40 feet has been the most typical depth range.
They are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel, and Roland concentrated on the middle to upper section of the lake. As noted last week that section may actually have been a little cleaner that the lower end as the muddy water filtered down.
They caught all of their fish on jigs and jigs tipped with minnows, particularly Fish Stalker jigs in Blue Dew.
It’s still super tough conditions for bass, but veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that they can’t go forever without eating and it’s the time of year where they feel pressure to feed up before heading into spawning areas. So even though his first instinct is to advise anglers to go somewhere else, there are still fish to be caught on Greenwood.
With the lake muddy and about to get worse fish will be very shallow, and even though the water is cold with the calendar they could head into the creeks. You need to fish with baits that create a lot of disturbance in loud colors, and Stan advises a fire tiger or red crankbait, spinnerbaits with Colorado blades, and vibrating jigs. You could also fish a blue and blue jig but you really need to hit the fish on the head with it.
February 9
Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 435.09 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy from one end to the other. Morning surface water temperatures are about 46-48 degrees.
Lake Greenwood is about as muddy as Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) says he has ever seen it, and the lower end might actually be a little dirtier than the upper end right now. The water is also very cold, and so it’s no surprise that he continues to report a really tough crappie bite.
Fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel, and most of them are about 10-15 feet down over 20-40 feet. They are also highly scattered for this time of year. If anything they have moved a little further towards the main lake and out of the creek mouths this week.
Minnows, jigs tipped with minnows, and even plain jigs could all catch fish, although nothing is working very well, and most of all a very slow presentation is key.
January 31
Lake Greenwood water levels are up to 435.43 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake is still muddy from one end to the other with the flood gates open. Morning surface water temperatures are up a few degrees to about 48.
There are still extremely tough conditions for catching crappie on Lake Greenwood, and Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that he honestly doesn’t expect the fish to start biting much better until the water conditions improve. Fish are still in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel, and most of them are about 10-15 feet down over 20-40 feet. They are also highly scattered for this time of year.
Minnows, jigs tipped with minnows, and even plain jigs could all catch fish, although nothing is working very well, and most of all it’s important to hold the bait in front of a fish’s face for a long time!
In really, really tough conditions veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he was very surprised to see some good weights come of Greenwood, and he is pretty sure the bass pattern is fishing shallow. Concentrate on rock and fish a crankbait in fire tiger or chartreuse patterns, or fish shallow wood with a chatterbait or spinnerbait with big Colorado blades that displace a lot of water.
Weather and extremely muddy conditions are severely limiting the number of anglers pursuing striped bass on Greenwood, but Guide Josh Wilson (864-871-6305) reports that fish can still be caught on the lower end pulling free-lines and planer boards. However, if there is no more major rainfall then he expects the bite to be on fire within a couple of weeks.
January 22
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 434.44 (full pool is 440.0) and the lake has been muddy from one end to the other. Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-40s.
On the lake this morning Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that he finally saw the first stages of clearing on the lower end, and while the lake still looked muddy it wasn’t quite as muddy. The crappie are in pretty normal winter patterns given the water conditions, and they are in open water at the mouths of creeks and along the river channel. However, they are a little higher than they should be (10-15 feet down over 20-40 feet) with the muddy water, and it also has them a bit more scattered than in the usual large winter schools.
Minnows and jigs tipped with minnows have been the most popular baits recently, but Captain Roland points out you can also catch fish on plain jigs. Whatever you are using it’s important to hold the bait in front of a fish’s face for a long time!
The striped bass are still in fairly similar patterns on Greenwood, and Guide Josh Wilson (864-871-6305) reports that fish have stayed on the lower end even as the whole lake got muddy. From Goat Island to the dam has been the best section. The best pattern has been pulling free-lines and planer boards with live gizzard shad from Lake Greenwood Bait and Tackle, and when the birds are diving throwing bucktails can be very effective. That will pick up once the birds can see again!
But the bass are a different story, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that he wouldn’t even attempt to catch a bass on Lake Greenwood right now. The cold, muddy water has pretty much shut down the bite, but once they get to the point where they need to feed again then he suggests throwing a spinnerbait with big Colorado blades or a fire tiger or red crankbait.
Especially with more rain coming Lake Greenwood could stay muddy for a while, and so it may be a matter of bass adjusting to the water color rather than being able to wait for it to clear.
January 4
Lake Greenwood water levels are down to 435.14 (full pool is 440.0) and up the lake is muddy while the lower lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are around 50-52 degrees.
At last Captain Roland Addy with Carolina Crappie Guide Service (864-980-3672) reports that most of the crappie have moved off of brush, and they are now out in open water chasing bait. Most of the fish are in 20-40 feet of water, and generally they are about 10-20 feet down. He is finding them at the mouths of creeks along the main river channel.
Without LiveScope they never really understood why it was so common to go long periods without catching fish this time of year, but the answer seems to be that they are concentrated in very large schools – and there is also lots of dead water. Either casting to them, long-line trolling (always a favorite on Greenwood), or tight-lining slowly will all catch fish. You want some “meat” on the hook at this time of year and so either minnows or jigs tipped with minnows are usually working the best.
It’s hard to rate the bass bite on Lake Greenwood right now, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports that even though it’s difficult to catch much weight there are a lot of different ways to catch bass right now. You can fish a crankbait or Alabama rig around docks, and there is also a pretty good bite in clearer water with a jerkbait off points. You can also fish deep brush with a drop shot or jigging spoon.
Overall fish seem to be mixed and/or transitioning between shallow and deep water, and there’s not any great pattern at the moment.
But it’s still a good bite for striped bass on Greenwood, although Guide Josh Wilson (864-871-6305) reports that fish have made a transition to the lower end of the lake with the muddy conditions up the lake. From Goat Island to the dam has been the best section. The best pattern has been pulling free-lines and planer boards with live gizzard shad from Lake Greenwood Bait and Tackle, and when the birds are diving throwing bucktails can be very effective.
No new report on catfish.