October 9

Lake Wateree is down to 97.2% of full pool and the lake is still pretty dirty but starting to normalize. Morning surface water temperatures are about 75 degrees. 

Considering that ten days ago Lake Wateree was the second or third highest it’s ever been, and that within week Duke pulled it down around 8 feet and back to normal levels, veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt isn’t surprised that with all that current ripping through the lake the crappie fishing got tough.  But he didn’t realize it would get this hard. On his last trip out, in six hours of fishing he had zero bites and couldn’t mark a crappie, bream or white perch on any of the brush he has been fishing.  On the main lake or in the creeks.  The only thing he could see was the occasional catfish. All Will can speculate is that fish got flat to the bottom in areas off to the sides of the channel where there was some sort of drop or other structure that created a current break. 

With lake levels back to normal and the current gone the fish should start to act more normally, and as soon as Will locates them again he will let us know!

Fortunately the bass fishing news is more positive, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in part because water temperatures are five degrees cooler than before the storm he thinks the fishing has substantially improved. The fish are spread out and shallow, but they don’t seem to be as far back in the coves and creeks as they were before the water levels rose and then plummeted – pulling them back out.

He has caught fish around grass and docks, and spinnerbaits and buzzbaits have both been working. They might also take a frog. You can probably also catch fish on soft plastics, but in the dirty conditions the reaction bite seems a little stronger.

 

October 2

Lake Wateree is down to 101.4% of full pool and the whole lake is chocolate milk. 

Wateree had perhaps the most extreme water level rise of any South Carolina lake during Helene, and at its peak it hit 105.7% of full pool Monday night – meaning water was rushing more than five feet over the dam. 

While veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt hasn’t been able to get after them when landings were closed, from experience he knows that as soon as he is able to the crappie will be hunkered tight to the bottom and trying to get out of the worst of the current. With water flying out of the creeks they won’t want to be there either, and instead they will be looking for areas to the side on the main lake where they can get out of the worst of it. 

Tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden has been to the lake many times this week, observing water conditions, but hasn’t been able to put a boat in either. However, he also expects the bass to have moved around because of the storm. They should be shallow if the water levels aren’t dropping too fast and they will be looking for current breaks. 

September 26

Lake Wateree is at 97.2% of full pool and the lake was clear on the lower end before the storm. Morning surface water temperatures were about 79 degrees yesterday.

As of yesterday the crappie bite was strong on Wateree, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that as they pulled the lake down (in preparation for the storm) fish moved out to deeper water. Instead of finding them on the main lake in 13-18 feet he could pretty much only find fish in 25-28 feet of water, around whatever structure from down trees to planted brush was in the water. The fish were also pretty tight to the bottom, again not uncommon when Duke is pulling water. While the fish would most likely take minnows, Will didn’t throw anything besides Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew to get his limit. 

It's a similar story with the bass, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that before the storm there were a good number of fish shallow, particularly around grass. However, as they drew the lake down in preparation for the storm the shallow bite dropped off. Instead Dearal started seeing a lot of fish suspended off of points or even on deeper ledges and other structure. 

As the water comes back up, and probably shoots much higher than before, the shallow bite should come on again and the offshore bite should get worse in the likely muddy conditions. More fish should also get around docks in addition to grass. 

Finally, Dearal reminds anglers to continue to look for fish in the front of creeks and main lake pockets around balls of shad. He has had the best luck around bait with a spinnerbait.  

September 19

Lake Wateree is at 97.6% of full pool and the lake has some stain. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 75 degrees. 

As anticipated cooler weather has significantly improved the crappie bite on Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are nowhere near as finicky as a few weeks ago. They are still in similar locations, with 99% of the fish on on some sort of structure (not yet roaming) and almost all of them on the main lake – from one end to the other. While some smaller fish have gone shallower, most of the better ones are still on brush or other cover in 13-18 feet of water.

The fish have turned back on to jigs and Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color are working well. 

The bass fishing has also picked up, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that as temperatures have cooled more fish have moved shallow. He is targeting fish that are chasing shad around the banks off the main lake, but others have moved into the creeks. Dearal has had the best success with a spinnerbait around bank grass in areas where there is bait, but first thing there is also a good topwater bite. For him it seems a little early for crankbaits but they should come on at any point. 

And as (almost) always on Wateree you can catch fish on a shaky head worm around docks. 

September 5

Lake Wateree is at 97.7% of full pool and visibility is returning to normal. Morning surface water temperatures are around 81 degrees. 

There is every expectation the cooler weather will turn the crappie bite back on, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that for right now the fishing is still pretty tough. They are still finding very large schools of crappie and only catching one or two before the fish completely shut down. Fish are still on structure in the main channel, mostly in 13-18 feet of water, near the bottom. They are spread out on brush from dam to dam.   

There seems to be very little rhyme or reason to their feeding pattern, and sometimes the fish want jigs and sometimes they want minnows. You just have to experiment and spend a lot of time because they are very finicky. 

With only a couple of cool nights the bass fishing hasn’t fully turned on either, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that especially early and late you can find a lot more shad up top in coves and creeks and some fish are starting to key on them. The bite is best early and late, but at times (and on cooler days) you can also find fish around pods of shad chasing bait during the middle of the day. In the morning or on cloudy days a buzzbait or other topwater lure can be a good choice, while spinnerbaits and square-billed crankbaits should work most of the time. 

One other place to look with high water levels is around the grass with a spinnerbait or swim jig in white and chartreuse, and there are also still some fish being caught deep. 

August 28

Lake Wateree is at 96.9% of full pool and the lake is stained but no longer muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are back to around 83 degrees. 

The crappie bite is still pretty tough on Lake Wateree, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that all the freshwater inflow did move fish shallower (and temporarily created a thermocline around 21 feet). Now they are mostly in 13-18 feet of water, still on structure in the main channel, near the bottom. Unfortunately there seems to be very little rhyme or reason to their feeding pattern, and sometimes the fish want jigs and sometimes they want minnows. You just have to experiment and spend a lot of time because they are very finicky. Its not unusual to find a school with 300-400 crappie and only catch a couple before they completely shut down. 

Will notes that fish are all over and in the last week he has caught fish from one dam to the other. 

In better news, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that bass fishing has picked up a little as the shad have started to move shallower and the fish are following them. That’s not to say you can’t still catch a bass deep, but shad have moved up in the water column and made their way into the creeks. They could be at the very back of short creeks and coves off the main lake, while Dearal generally avoids the backs of major creeks as they have become so silted in.  You just have to look as the bait is often on the surface.   

The bite is best early and late, but you can also find fish around pods of shad chasing bait during the middle of the day. In the morning or on cloudy days a buzzbait or other topwater lure can be a good choice, while spinnerbaits and square-billed crankbaits should work most of the time. 

Finally, as the grass has come back a spinnerbait or swim jig in white and chartreuse can be a good choice shallow. 

August 14

Lake Wateree is down to 98.3% of full pool and the lake is very muddy. Morning surface water temperatures have likely dropped a couple of degrees into the low to mid-80s. 

Along the same lines, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that bass fishing was tough before the storm – but so much has happened in the last few days that changes in water conditions may offer a fresh start. While Dearal hasn’t been able to go the first couple of days this week, like Will with the crappie he says there is every reason to think the fishing will improve.

On the one hand high water levels make Dearal want to try some of the newly covered shallow stuff, especially with the lake having been down for as long as it has. That includes bank grass and other shallow cover, including new growth. But the fact that they have pulled the water back below full so fast adds another wrinkle, and when that happen it can make the fishing get a little “wacky”. But at other times having a lot off current running through the lake can be really good, and it can make the fish set up off points and humps. 

In the morning Dearal would throw a topwater walking bait, and in current crankbaits can also be a really good. It’s also worth trying Carolina rigs, jigs and shaky heads. Basically, when water levels do what they have done you kind of have to start from scratch – but when the fishing has stunk that can be a good thing!

August 13

Lake Wateree is down to 98.6% of full pool and the lake is very muddy. Morning surface water temperatures have likely dropped a couple of degrees into the low to mid-80s. 

On Saturday veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that Lake Wateree crested at about 102% of full pool, with water two feet over the dam and all the gates open. They are pulling water through the system so fast that it is basically already a foot and a half below full pool again, but the whole lake is chocolate milk and there is debris floating everywhere.  The water got so high that it was hard to get a boat in the water and so basically no one was fishing – and conditions obviously still aren’t especially inviting. 

Before the rain the crappie patterns were exactly the same – namely fish around deep structure on the main lake, but mostly lethargic and unwilling to bite. Will is very optimistic that the storm, subsequent flooding, current, and dropping temperatures will shake things up and soon improve the bite, but where the fish will be is anyone’s guess. 

More to follow. 

August 1

Lake Wateree is around 99% of full pool and the mid-lake up is dirty, but after recent rains conditions could get worse. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped from the 90s to about 87. 

One would hope the crappie would feed better after a slight drop in water temperatures, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that in the fact the bite is really, really tough. He can sit there and look at the fish on the screen, but often they will only half-heartedly chase baits for a minute before they give up on even that. It’s the worst fishing he’s seen in a while, probably due to a combination of heat and boat traffic, and the fish are just lethargic. Almost all of them are right on the bottom. 

Right now Will is only seeing perch and catfish on shallow humps, and all the fish which were in 12-18 feet have pretty much cleared out.  Even the small crappie are now in 20-30 plus feet over structure on the main channel, and they have shown very little interest in any jigs. It’s possible minnows could fare a bit better.   

It’s also tough sledding with the bass, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that neither deep nor shallow is very consistent between the heat and the traffic. Early and late when it’s a little cooler and there are less boats on the water is a bit better, but nothing is good. 

Dearal rates the deep bite better than the shallow bite, but the deep fish have been beat on so much that he advises using smaller worms or hopping a jig in hopes of making them react.  And points out that with rising water levels it’s still worth looking shallow. 

Another possibility is to target suspended fish using electronics, as the oxygen levels may be better off the bottom. 

July 17

Lake Wateree is at 97.5% of full pool and conditions have normalized. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 86 degrees or more.

The Lake Wateree crappie are biting well, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the better fish are still holding in deep water. They are 18-25 feet down over structure in 30 or more feet on the main channel, and they will take both jigs and minnows. There are still fish on the main lake in 12-18 feet, but again these are generally smaller fish. And except for deeper bridges in the creeks, with heavy shade, almost all the fish remains on the main lake. 

The news is less positive on the bass fishing front, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that it only took 10 pounds to win on Saturday! The shallows are super hot and deep water has not been producing either, so it’s hard to know exactly what to do right now. It’s hard to know if fish are suspending around the thermocline or if they just aren’t biting very well. 

July 11

Lake Wateree is at 98.2% of full pool and even though water levels are still up the lake is clearing, and certainly there is now less debris floating than a day or two ago. Morning surface water temperatures are still about 86 degrees or more.

Even though water levels are way up, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that from what he has seen and heard the bass have not moved back shallow. There could certainly be some fish caught in the grass, but if anyone is catching them that way they aren’t telling people!

Even though the bulk of the fish are offshore they have been out there long enough, and it has gotten hot enough, that the action has slowed way down. Fishing brush or depth changes next to deep water with deep-diving crankbaits, big worms, and jigs can catch fish, but anglers may find better luck by down-sizing to more finesse-oriented soft plastics. 

July 10

Lake Wateree is up to 98.3% of full pool and the lake has gotten muddy with lots of debris floating after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures are about 86 degrees or more.

The Lake Wateree crappie still are doing some of the same things in the summer heat, but veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that there are a number of changes in the bite this week. Location is not one of those, though, and the majority of the bigger fish are still out in 30 or so feet of water. There are still some smaller fish closer to the bank in 12-18 feet, but the majority of the better ones have moved towards the main channel. They also remain structure oriented – be it brush, stumps, timber, etc. And again, except for bridges in the creeks almost all the fish are on the main lake. 

But in the summer heat the bite has slowed, and instead of catching limits off a single brush pile you have to move around more. The fish are still there but they have just gotten more stubborn.  Boat traffic is also a major factor, and Will says during the day on weekends it can feel like fishing in a washing machine! Early or during the week is definitely the best time to fish.

Finally, Will is still having success with Fish Stalker jigs but as the water has gotten more stained Mountain Dew is working much better than pearl white again. 

More to follow.