April 9

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 660.07 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear while the creeks are stained after Monday’s rain. Morning surface water temperatures are around 62 degrees.  

While the cooler weather had guides nervous, Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that the hybrid and striped bass fishing continues to be very good even after rain and chilly nights. Today his boat caught 43 fish, with about half of those on the early shallow bite way up the creeks and rivers. They are catching them in saddles between islands and off points with the boat in 6-8 feet of water and pitching baits even shallower. After that they are still catching fish deeper in 25-30 as they slide further out from the same islands and points. The only change with the cold front is that yesterday and today those deeper fish were glued to the bottom and wanted herring on down-rods, but Captain Chip expects that soon they will move up the water column again and show a preference for free-lines. 

Chip expects the herring spawn to take off soon and for that to hold fish shallower longer. 

The cooler weather has also had some effect on the black bass, and Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that with cooler temperatures in the morning the big females have been holding a little deeper. Other than that the bite is about the same, and as temperatures rebound it will get right back to where it was. The major change on the horizon is that the herring spawn is getting closer and it will extend the topwater bite which has already started.  

Overall, you can still catch fish a number of ways right now, and there are pre-spawn to spawning to a few post-spawn bass. Chatterbaits and Rattle Traps are very good for pre-spawn fish, you can also work the banks with Senkos and shaky heads for fish just wandering in spawning areas, and soft plastics or jigs are good when anglers are looking at them on beds. Soon they will be eating flukes and more off points.

It’s still a fantastic crappie bite on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that with pre-spawn, spawning and post-spawn fish they can be caught literally everywhere you could want to fish in relatively shallow water from about 3 to 20 feet. While his boat has caught fish casting jigs at the banks, and there are still schools on docks, the bite they are now concentrating on is over brush in 10-15 feet of water. Fish are 8-10 feet deep and still tearing up black and chartreuse jigs.   

If anything the bite has gotten even better in the last couple of days as the water has gotten a better stain and the fish are less skittish. 

The catfish bite continues to improve, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that blue catfish are moving shallower and into the creeks. He is now catching them in less than 30 feet of water on river herring, but so far he has still not picked up any channel catfish. A few more degrees and they will start biting as well. 

Our family is travelling for our children’s spring break next week, but we will resume weekly fishing reports after the Easter holiday. 

April 3

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.86 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear while some sections of creeks are slightly dingy. Morning surface water temperatures are around 60-63 degrees.  

It’s an even better hybrid and striped bass bite on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that with the more consistently warm weather they are finding a very good shallow bite pretty much every early morning. Fish are way up the creeks and rivers, and in the creeks they are catching them in saddles between islands and off points with the boat in 6-8 feet of water and pitching even shallower. In the rivers the fish are mostly related to points.  In the creeks they continue to catch fish by gradually sliding deeper into 25-30 feet of water in the same areas as the sun rises, while in the rivers it seems that the fish just disappear once the sun gets up. Mostly they are fishing free-lines, and right now the fish don’t want to feed under the boat or on the bottom. Anglers are also catching some fish on planer-boards but tossing out free-lines is a little faster. 

The black bass fishing is still very strong, and Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that you can catch fish a number of ways right now. This week there are more fish on beds and immediately pre-spawn, but not too many fish post-spawn yet. There are also fish out in 20-40 feet of water that are still focused on bait and not ready to spawn. 

With fish at so many different stages you can target them however you want, and Chatterbaits and Rattle Traps are very good for pre-spawn fish. You can also work the banks with Sankos and shaky heads for fish just wandering in spawning areas, and soft plastics or jigs are good when anglers are looking at them on beds. 

And of course you can fish a minnow-type bait in open water while looking at bass on forward-facing-sonar. 

Bass remain very aggressive overall. 

It’s still a fantastic crappie bite on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that yesterday almost everything he caught came in just 4-8 feet of water casting jigs at shallow cover for spawning fish. These were big male black crappie, but there are also fish still stacked up on shallow brush piles, in blowdowns, and off docks in 10-12 feet of water. Pretty much all the crappie are relatively shallow right now and so there are a ton of options for catching them. 

The catfish bite continues to improve, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that blue catfish are moving shallower and into the creeks. He is now catching them in less than 30 feet of water on river herring, but so far he has still not picked up any channel catfish. A few more degrees and they will start biting as well. 

March 26

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.73 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear while some sections of creeks are dingy. Morning surface water temperatures are around 58 degrees.  

It’s been a good hybrid and striped bass bite on Lake Hartwell, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that temporarily the rain Monday slowed the shallow early pattern the last two days. It will get back to normal in the next day or two, but luckily the deeper bite has been consistent. They are catching 20-30 fish each day and had a big striped bass this morning. 

With the caveat that again it’s been off for a couple of days, basically the pattern is early in the morning targeting 12-15 feet of water either by pulling up on the banks and casting Carolina rigs, or if they can’t reach that depth spot-locking in deeper water and pitching free-lines. Both methods are working about the same.  

After the sun gets up then fish are in 25-32 feet of water where they are targeting them with down-rods and sometimes free-lines. These fish are mostly related to points, both underwater and visible points, that are fairly close to deep water. 

It’s still a fantastic crappie bite on Lake Hartwell with pre-spawn and spawning fish, and Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that he is even starting to get a few post-spawn fish long, flat stomachs. He is certain the spawn extends over a longer period than some anglers realize because from February to May or June he will catch fish with eggs. 

There are a lot of different ways you can catch crappie right now as they are scattered in relatively shallow water. Most of the blowdowns are holding fish, and you can also catch them by shooting docks in 10-15 feet of water. However, Captain Rodney is having so much success targeting fish that are 3-10 feet down over brush in about 10 feet to 20 feet that there’s no reason to do anything else.  His boat is catching all their fish throwing black and green curly tail triple ripple jigs. 

The black bass fishing is still at its peak, and Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that you can catch fish a number of ways right now. There are already some fish on beds, but the greatest group of fish are still pre-spawn and the biggest spawning waves are still to come.  There are also fish out in 20-40 feet of water that are still focused on bait and won’t spawn for some time. 

With fish at so many different stages you can target them however you want, and Chatterbaits and even topwater lures like buzzbaits have been good. You can also catch them with soft plastics looking at them on beds. Points, hard bottoms, rock, and sandy areas are all holding fish shallow, and wacky rigs, shaky heads, and spinnerbaits (in windy conditions) will all catch fish. And of course you can fish a minnow-type bait in open water while looking at bass on forward-facing-sonar. 

Bass remain very aggressive overall. 

There is also finally some good news on the catfish, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that just yesterday they started to come out of their long winter slumber. He caught 6- and 22-pound blues in thirty feet of water in a creek, the first catfish bites he had had in nine trips!  Again today they were chewing. American shad from Santee and white perch have both been working. 

March 19

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.79 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear while the creeks are dingy. Morning surface water temperatures are around 61 degrees up the rivers and 59 degrees on the main lake.   

It’s still a fantastic crappie bite on Lake Hartwell for pre-spawn and early spawning fish, and Captain Rodney Donald(864-356-0143) reports that there are fish everywhere. After some minor cooling he is finding slightly better groups on brush 8-10 feet down over 15-20 feet of water, but there are also still fish on brush in 8-12 feet as well as on docks at the same depth. There are also some fish around the banks, but overall the best groups are on the slightly deeper brush. His boat is still catching all their fish casting jigs but a number of other techniques will also work. 

The black bass fishing has also busted wide open, and Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that you can catch fish about any way you want. Fish are staging, pre-spawn and spawning, and they are generally very aggressive. An 11-3 largemouth was caught this week on Hartwell!

Pre-spawn and spawning fish are in the coves and the backs of creeks, and you can find them around any shallow cover including docks, rocks and wood and in protected pockets. One way to catch them is just to pick up a spinnerbait and be very aggressive, and twitching a fluke in the shallows is also a surefire pattern. You can also fish a Carolina rig on spawning flats or cast a wacky rig around docks. For fishermen who prefer deeper water fishing they can catch them in the drains with a swimbait on an underspin or a just a plain ball-head jig. 

About the next two months should be the most exciting fishing of the year when bass are at their most aggressive and shallowest.

And then there are the catfish.  Captain Bill Plumley reports that the bite is still very, very slow, and in seven mornings of fishing for big catfish all over the lake in 10-80 feet he has not had a bite. Finally he broke down this morning and started fishing for hybrid and striped bass in a creek pulling minnows in about 20 feet and got his line pulled, but it’s uncertain when the catfish will start biting again.

That’s consistent with the report from Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011), who reports that the fishing is really starting to pick up as the fish get shallower and move up the rivers. Early in the morning he is targeting 12-15 feet of water either by pulling up on the banks and casting Carolina rigs, or if he can’t reach that depth spot-locking in deeper water and pitching free-lines. Both methods are working about the same.   

After the sun gets up then fish are pulling out to 25-32 feet of water where they are targeting them with down-rods and sometimes free-lines. Fish are mostly related to points, both underwater and visible points, that are fairly close to deep water. 

Water temperatures are running about a week behind, and he expects the wide-open bite to start next week. 

March 12

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.61 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is still mostly clear with some stain in the backs, despite almost an inch of rain Monday.  Morning surface water temperatures are around 50-52 degrees.

The last two days of crappie fishing have been pretty phenomenal for Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143), who reports that as the fish have headed shallower he is almost exclusively targeting brush in 8-12 feet of water.  The crappie are 3-4 feet down and his boat is catching them casting jigs. There are also some fish right around the banks on blowdowns, and they can still be caught on docks at the same depth. While fish aren’t spawning they are getting close, and they are eating very aggressively. 

It's a similarly positive report with the black bass, and Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that they are moving towards the dirt. Whatever pre-spawn bait you like to throw in shallow water is now catching fish, and flukes, swimbaits, swim jigs, spinnerbaits, and more are now working. While you can still catch spotted bass (moving shallower) on main lake points, large numbers of fish are about halfway back in creeks and coves to the very backs cruising and preparing to crash the banks. Less than 8 feet of water is the best place to look. 

Overall, this is the beginning of the really fun time of year for bass fishing. You can do about anything besides look at them on the bed now, but that can’t be too far off. 

It’s a different story with the hybrid and striped bass, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters(864-304-9011) reports that the weather and water temperatures have just not gotten there yet. They are still marking a lot of fish in deep water, although the catchable fish the last couple of days have been between 22 and 32 feet in feeder creeks with lots of bait. 

The morning bite didn’t get good until next week last year, and it looks like the same will probably be true again this year. 

The afternoon bite will turn on first, however, and pulling planer boards and free lines along the creek channel banks is improving each day. This is especially true on warm, windy afternoons when bait and fish move closer to the bank, particularly around red clay where temperatures rise even more. Casting artificial lures like swimbaits can be very effective.  

Even worse than the hybrids and striper, the catfish bite is still very, very slow, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that he has tried drifting and anchoring everywhere from 12 feet to 70 plus feet. The only place he can pick up a catfish is on the deep end of that range, and that is small channels on minnows. It’s very late for the big catfish to be moving up but that must be the cumulative effect of weeks of very cold weather this winter. 

March 6

Lake Hartwell water levels are up to 659.46 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is mostly clear but the creeks had some stain even before ¾ of an inch of rain fell yesterday. Morning surface water temperatures are still around 49-52 degrees, mostly owing to the cold nights.  

Fishing every day this week until yesterday, Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that if anything the crappiebite has gotten even better and generally the fish are moving shallower. The most exciting part is that the crappie they are catching this spring are bigger than usual, even allowing for the fact that in early March they are always catching a ton of females loaded with eggs. 

Overall fish are in big groups staging for the spawn, and they are mostly catching them under shallow docks with about 8-10 feet of water or around brush in 10-15 feet.  In both areas the fish are mostly 4-6 feet down and they are catching them casting paddletail jigs in sexy shad color. The fish are feeding heavily on bait and this imitation is working as well as the real thing. 

With little to no rise in water temperatures the hybrid and striped bass are stubbornly refusing to change patterns, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that in the morning the fish are still mostly on the bottom off points and ridges in 35-40 feet. They are catching fair numbers this way, and often more black bass (spots) than hybrids. 

The afternoon bite is still better than the morning bite, and the best pattern, especially for big fish, is still pulling planer boards and free lines along the creek channel banks where fish are likely to move up as temperatures rise. This is especially true on windy afternoons when bait and fish move closer to the bank, especially around red clay points where the water can get stained and temperatures rise even more.  Casting artificial lures like swimbaits can be very effective.  

The catfish bite is still very, very slow, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that he has tried drifting and anchoring everywhere from 12 feet to 70 plus feet. The only place he can pick up a catfish is on the deep end of that range, and that is small channels on minnows. It’s very late for the big catfish to be moving up but that must be the cumulative effect of weeks of very cold weather this winter. 

Finally, black bass are still in late winter mode according to Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides(864-364-1733).  With water temperatures in the low 50s or below fish have not made a significant move shallower, and every time they do a cold front pushes them back deeper. A couple of weeks ago they were seeing fish cruising in a couple of feet of water, and it will happen again soon, but for right now fish are holding deeper and waiting for temperatures to warm.

The best pattern is fishing natural gravel and rock in 12-20 feet of water, and a crankbait has been working better than anything else. If you can find rock on a secondary point that’s generally the best place to start, and depending on conditions you can either work your way in or out from there. Right now fish are trying to decide which way to go – shallower or deeper – but these points are an excellent starting spot. And with rock holding heat they are most likely to gravitate towards rock once they decide. 

February 26

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.01 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is much clearer than last week. Morning surface water temperatures are back up to around 49-51 degrees. 

Fishing every day this week until today Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that he is killing the crappie, and yesterday they had the best day of the year catching limits and four fish over 2 pounds. While they are marking some fish on brush in stained water they won’t bite right now, and the best action is coming around docks. Fish are stacked from the bottom to just below the surface under medium depth to very deep docks. They have found fish stacked from the bottom in 50 feet all the way up to just 4 feet below the surface around the deepest docks!  In general, the deeper fish are biting better than shallower ones, and they are showing a strong preference for minnows over jigs.  

That’s not to say there aren’t anglers using LiveScope to chase some big female single fish that have moved up, but numbers have not gotten there yet. But with this warm weather it shouldn’t be long. 

The hybrid and striped bass also haven’t moved too much with just a few warm days, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports they are biting a bit better and he can also see a slight shallowing. Now the fish are more likely to be on the bottom off points and ridges in 35-40 feet instead of 40-50, but they are also seeing more fish chasing bait on the surface. Some of the better striper catches are coming this way, while when you fish on the bottom it’s not unusual to get into huge schools of white perch that also have some hybrids mixed in. 

The best pattern, especially for big fish, is still fishing in the afternoons and pulling planer boards and free lines along the creek channel banks where fish are likely to move up as temperatures rise. On windy afternoons casting artificial lures like swimbaits can be very productive. 

The black bass are also showing signs of making a transition, and even though Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that there are still huge numbers out deep (which is pretty much the norm all the time on a lake full of spotted bass) there are also signs that fish are starting to move shallower and getting closer to pre-spawn areas. Secondary points and areas adjacent to spawning flats are now good places to look dragging a football jig or slow-rolling a spinnerbait, and on warm afternoons you can even try pulling a Rattle Trap across spawning flats for fish that are exploring. It’s also worth looking for fish that have moved up around docks with a wacky-rigged Senko.

While the best numbers are still out deep, we are getting closer and closer to the best shallow fishing of the year. 

But we are in the midst of some of the worst catfish fishing of the year! Captain Bill Plumley reports that in the last two days he has fished from 15-85 feet, drifting and anchoring every fishable area he knows, with very little to show for it. They are just not biting right now. 

February 20

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.28 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake is clearing but still stained in places. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 46-47.

Yesterday afternoon on the water Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) was surprised by just how much the creeks on Lake Hartwell had cleared in a couple of days, and he reports that there has been a corresponding improvement in the crappie bite. Brush piles 10-15 feet deep in the creeks arms were loaded with fish, and they were sitting on top of the brush 4-8 feet down. Fish were also relating to docks at the same depth holding about the same number of feet below the surface.

Minnows far out-fished jigs yesterday, and Captain Rodney expects that to be the case until the water warms. 

February 19

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 659.13 (full pool is 660.00) and much of the lake is just lightly stained, while some of the creeks that get dirty easily are muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are about 49 but expected to drop with this new front. 

There’s no doubt it’s winter fishing for black bass, but Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that – as predicted – once the false spring evaporated and it got cold again the fish eventually adjusted and started feeding better. Right now it’s all about fishing the ditches and drains of creeks, which fish are using as a home base but moving deeper and shallower. They will go about as deep as 50 feet, but during warmer periods – or when the bait moves up – they will sometimes go to less than 10 or 15 feet of water. But that’s not automatic or daily with these temperatures. 

While Scott is fishing a prototype lure to give the fish something different to look at, drop shots, football jigs, and underspins are also catching fish. 

For at least a few days erring on the side of deeper is probably better, especially with the freezing rain and snow coming in. 

The succession of cold fronts have the hybrid and striped bass fishing pretty screwed up on Lake Hartwell, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that the good news is that they are marking a ton of fish. They just won’t bite or will only strike short. However, if the weather predicted for next week does come in, then they are optimistic that the beginning of March should actually be above average. 

While much of the time fish are sitting in 40-50 feet off points, the best pattern is pulling planer boards on days with some afternoon warming. On those days you can ride in about 45-50 feet in the middle of a creek channel but catch fish that have pulled up to about 25 feet off to the sides.  Fish are in the rivers but often moving between the creek mouths and further back. 

Before the creeks he likes to fish got muddy, Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143), reports that the crappie were moving between shallow and deeper structure (depending on temperatures) and biting well. But the fishing has been very slow since the water got dirty. He is on the water right now and will report back whether he finds a muddy water pattern for his trips this weekend – or finds fish in clear water. 

Meanwhile the catfish stay pretty shut down, as Captain Bill Plumley reports that they simply aren’t feeding much.  The deep bite should get better again once temperatures turn back around. 

February 12

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 656.54 (full pool is 660.00) and the main lake is clear while the feeder creeks have some color. Morning surface water temperatures have risen and fallen wildly but are now back in the lower 50s. 

It’s a mixed report from Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143), who reports that on Monday as the cold front was just arriving crappie were biting extremely well around brush in 10-15 feet of water and even around the banks. They were only a couple of feet under the surface, and everything came casting jigs.

However, once the cold front arrived they turned around and headed back out to deep water. Now they are stacked up on docks again, although some have just gone deeper in the brush. 

Overall this pattern is likely to persist for a while, as crappie are highly sensitive to temperature and will move in reaction to changes. 

We wish we had better news on the hybrid and striped bass, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that they are still marking fish on the ends of points in 40-50 feet in the rivers but they are really hard to catch. They are on very small bait and will hardly look at a herring – if they do go after it they just strike short. About the only way to catch them has been casting something very small like a crappie jig, which is a pretty tough pattern to fish consistently. 

Meanwhile the catfish have just plain old shut down again this week, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that they simply aren’t feeding. The deep bite should get better again once temperatures turn back around. 

The black bass have also slowed way, but Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that even though the cooler temperatures will last for a little while the fish will start biting again soon. It will just be deeper patterns for a bit. Look in the mouths of creeks or on main lake structure, and expect to find fish between 30 and 80 feet. Drop shots and football jigs will both be productive, but it’s also a really good time to drag an underspin slowly.  

Overall, while the weather will delay them for a little while, fish are in a transition from winter haunts to pre-spawn spots. They are just beginning to think about moving up when the water temperatures and weather allow.  

February 6

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 656.51 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake has high clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are about 47 degrees. 

For about the last week Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that the crappie have been almost completely shut down on Lake Hartwell, and catching 7 or 8 fish has been a really good day. They speculate it’s related to the very cold water, and after an initial feed when temperatures dropped things just haven’t improved even as temperatures have slowly risen this week. 

They are marking plenty of fish but they won’t bite, and unusually almost all of the fish are very high in the water column. Even over standing timber in 35-40 feet they in the top 4-6 feet of the water column, and under docks in 15-20 feet it’s the same thing. You can pick off one or two on minnows and jigs and then it just stops. 

The rare times when you mark deeper fish they are more cooperative. 

In a similar vein Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that the hybrid and striped bass are still pretty “aggravating”, and really they are only picking up a few white perch and black bass(usually spots) when they go. Finding bait is really hard, and it seems that a lot of it died off in the extreme cold. When this happens it usually makes for tough winter fishing, but for some reason it generally makes for a great spring. If you can find bait you are likely to get bit right now.

The best pattern at the moment is to look on flat spots off the ends of points in 40-50 feet of water early, and “chum and drum” to dry and rouse some fish. Whether that is productive or not it will give the water time to warm up, and then often the best pattern is to pull planer boards back in the creeks in the same areas where the fish will eventually think about spawning. It’s wise to have one line in 25-30 feet of water and another running up closer to the bank. 

That’s consistent with the report from Captain Bill Plumley, who reports that the deep catfish bite is basically non-existent after the cold. He has picked up a small mixed bag of perch, occasional channel cats, and occasional crappie fishing in 66-68 feet of water, but the big cats seem to have shut down.

Looking for something different he went all the way to the dam searching for bait, and eventually set up in about 25 feet of water with cut bait and caught the big striper pictured below in a creek after it had warmed. 

Perhaps bass are the best thing going, and Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that with water temperatures rising it has the fish on the move. You can now catch significant numbers of fish shallow, and the best shallow pattern is to fish secondary points and work your way back. Basically fish your favorite pre-spawn lure right now, be it a spinnerbait, Chatterbait, swim jig, crankbait, or Rattle Trap.

Of course it’s still Lake Hartwell and so of course there are always fish deep, and the pattern for them is basically fishing any sort of offshore structure or cover including channel bends and deeper brush. You can catch fish on a drop shot rig, dragging a football jig, or shaking a minnow-type bait on a jighead.  

January 29

Lake Hartwell water levels are at 656.90 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake has normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 43-44 degrees. 

Nothing that’s happened in the last two weeks has energized the hybrid and striped bass, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports the bite has basically been “aggravating”. One day you can catch 7 or 8 hybrids and black bass (spots), and then the next day not much will bite. The fish are still moving with the bait, and there are times when birds are working the surface and you can catch fish around them. But overall that pattern is pretty hit-or-miss and it could happen anywhere. When fish are not feeding under birds then they are generally setting up on long flat points at about 40-50 feet. 

Captain Chip notes that it’s not unusual for jigging spoons to fish better than live bait right now. 

“Hit-or-miss” is the exact same phrase Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) uses to describe the bass fishing, and he reports that at least to start the day right now you have to fish deep. Using forward-facing-sonar to target fish on brush piles with drop shot rigs is the primary deep pattern.

The other major pattern is waiting for the sun to warm the shallows and then primarily fishing rock. Big spinnerbaits, Rattle Traps, and football jigs will all work. 

While Captain Bill Plumley reports that the deep catfish bite is basically non-existent in the cold, from the report of Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) the best thing going is probably the crappie. He has been marking a lot of fish under docks, mostly in 20-25 feet of water. As usual they are mostly set up about 10 feet down. He is also marking a ton of big schools of fish 5-20 feet down over standing timber in open water, but these roaming crappie are extremely hard to catch.

Minnows are working the best right now. 

January 15

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 657.18 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake has normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 48 degrees. 

Unfortunately it’s a typical winter phenomenon, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that as temperatures have dipped below 50 degrees the hybrid and striped bass bite has slowed down.   Some decent fish were caught in a recent tournament by anglers targeting individual big fish, but for captains looking to put numbers in the boat it has gotten tough.

One of their last times out they absolutely hammered the black bass (spots) but did not catch a single hybrid or striper. On another trip they fished a lower lake creek about halfway back and managed one fish on a planer board, a few on down rods, but again mostly caught spots. Another time when they caught a few hybrids and striper it was on jigging spoons, and with herring they didn’t get a bite. 

Overall the majority of the fish are still set up in 40-50 feet of water off the ends of ridges and points that have a long, slow taper which create a flat spot at the key depth, in the front to middle of the rivers and creeks. However, on days when the hybrids and striper aren’t biting they often slide up to 30-35 feet where the bass action is usually better. There are also bass being caught shallow, and Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that he is still finding the best bite with a football jigs, fishing a wide range of depths from 8-40 feet. Fish main lake and secondary points and keep your bait in contact with the bottom. There has also been a pretty good jerkbait bite. 

But the best thing going may be the crappie, and Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that he is finding the fish stacked up about 10 feet under docks in roughly 25 feet of water. He has also found schools of literally thousands of fish about 5-10 feet down over the top of timber in 30 feet of water. Despite the cool water temperatures fish are biting well and he is catching limits throwing a black and chartreuse hair jig. 

Whether crappie or spotted bass are feeding better, there is little doubt those bites are much better than the catfish action.  Captain Bill Plumley reports that he is either getting one or no bites fishing the very deep water where he knows the fish are holding, like the last blue he caught this week which weighed about 12 pounds and came out of 75 feet. While you could probably pick up a few channels on nightcrawlers they are mostly semi-dormant. 

January 10

Lake Hartwell water levels are down to 657.08 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake has normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 50-52 degrees but should drop fast with today’s snow.  

It’s been a great week for black bass fishing on Lake Hartwell, and it could get better because Guide Scott Allgood with Lake Hartwell Fishing Guides (864-364-1733) reports that the fish usually eat really well when there is snow.  You can catch fish from shallow to deep this week with your favorite bait, and a jerkbait should be very strong in these conditions. But Scott has been whacking them with a football jig, fishing a wide range of depths from 8-40 feet. Fish main lake and secondary points and keep your bait in contact with the bottom. 

While he has not seen any fish schooling in the ditches on bait it’s always possible. 

The hybrid and striped bass continue to bite very well on Lake Hartwell, but Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that it will be very interesting to see how the patterns change after the snow. The majority of the fish are set up in 40-50 feet of water off the ends of ridges and points that have a long, slow taper which creates a flat spot at the key depth. Those fish are being caught on down-rods just off the bottom.  They are still in the first 7-8 miles of the Seneca and Tugaloo as well as up the major creeks. 

While down-rods with herring are still the predominate pattern, jigging spoons are also working well. That bite could get really good in the coming days.

It’s been a strong couple of days for the crappie, and Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that yesterday in particular the fish bit extremely well in the pre-frontal conditions. They have moved deeper into brush and standing timber in 35-40 feet at the mouths of major creeks. They are tight to the structure, and while they will take jigs minnows fished vertically have been working the best. 

Finally back on the water after the big catfish, Captain Bill Plumley reports an extremely slow bite. While he marked a ton of fish in 75-80 feet on clean sections in the main channel of the rivers, it’s unclear what they were. That continues to be the best depth range, and perhaps it’s a situation where fish will bite one day and not another as their metabolism slows and they don’t have to feed daily.   

January 2

Lake Hartwell water levels are up to 657.40 (full pool is 660.00) and the lake has normal clarity. Morning surface water temperatures are about 52 degrees. 

The hybrid and striped bass continue to bite very well on Lake Hartwell, and Captain Chip Hamilton with Lake Hartwell Fishing Charters (864-304-9011) reports that in addition to catching good numbers of striped fish they are also getting plenty of black bass (spots) and white perch. On the last trip they had 28 hybrids and striper, 12 spots and a handful of perch. 

The majority of the fish are set up in 40-50 feet of water off the ends of ridges and points that have a long, slow taper which creates a flat spot at the key depth. Those fish are being caught on down-rods just off the bottom.  They are still in the first 7-8 miles of the Seneca and Tugaloo as well as up the major creeks. 

While down-rods with herring are still the predominate pattern, jigging spoons are also working well. That bite could get really good after the coming cold front. 

While Captain Bill Plumley hasn’t been back after the big catfish with the holidays and then time at Santee, but he expects that they are still very deep in the main channels of the major rivers. Today he went minnow fishing and caught spotted bass and a few channel catfish in 35-40 feet of water. 

As for the crappie, Captain Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that they appear to be pulling off of brush and starting to roam more in open water. There have been some big schools in the middle of major creeks chasing bait, and looking at them on forward-facing sonar and throwing jigs you can catch fast limits. Fish seem to be holding about 15-20 feet down over deeper water.

At the same time, there are also plenty of fish still suspended under docks – pretty much a year-round pattern on Hartwell. Because of the clear water they like to have something over their heads, and point docks with at least 20 or more feet of water are fishing the best.