December 12

Lake Wateree is at 95.8% of full pool and the lake is still relatively clear. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the mid-50s. 

It’s been a minute since we’ve had a catfish report on Lake Wateree, but The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that the lake is still full of them. On his last trip they caught 25 in three hours, and 10 times had doubles! Everything came drifting cut perch and shad on main lake flats in 20-25 feet of water that were adjacent to the river channel, or actually drifting 35-40 feet of water in the channel or on channel ledges. 

Of course they are still catching striped bass too, and Captain Chris reports that the striper are in the main creek mouths in 25 feet as well as suspended over the main river channel. They caught all of them free-lining shad or on down-rods fished 10-15 feet down. The striper bite is very early and very late in the day. 

The black bass are moving further into winter patterns, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the best action is now on the main lake and at the mouths of creeks. He is looking especially for rocks and steeper banks where fish can quickly move from deeper to shallow then back to deeper water depending on conditions.

Fishing crankbaits on points is one good pattern, and you can also fish a jerkbait. If you locate some bait then slow-rolling a spinnerbait can be a good pattern. 

While there are still some fish on docks, now that the bream have largely moved out fishing the front of docks when there is some brush is usually more productive than flipping to the backs. 

Perhaps 25% of the Lake Wateree crappie are still on brush in 15-25 feet, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that’s more likely on the lower end in the deeper water where it takes longer for the fish to feel that temperatures have cooled. But most of the fish are starting to pull off of brush and roam in about 20 feet of water. Some are running 10-12 feet deep, while others are closer to the bottom in 18-20 feet. As always on Lake Wateree substantial numbers of fish are starting to move up the rivers to the area around Wateree Creek.

While a few years ago most anglers would have been tight-lining with a vast array of rods, and that will still work, now more often anglers are using forward-facing sonar to cast at fish. Both minnows and jigs are still working but as we come into the winter months having a minnow on your hook often becomes more important.

December 4

Lake Wateree is at 95.4% of full pool and the lake is still clear for Wateree. Morning surface water temperatures have dropped into the mid-50s. 

The crappie have finally made their move on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are starting to pull off of brush. There are still fish that can be caught on main lake structure in 15-25 feet, but every day higher percentages of fish are roaming in about 20 feet of water. Some are running 10-12 feet deep, while others are closer to the bottom in 18-20 feet. As always on Lake Wateree substantial numbers of fish are starting to move up the rivers to the area around Wateree Creek.

While a few years ago most anglers would have been tight-lining with a vast array of rods, and that will still work, now more often anglers are using forward-facing sonar to cast at fish. Both minnows and jigs are still working but as we come into the winter months having a minnow on your hook often becomes more important.

The black bass seem to have gotten a little tougher to catch as this cold front arrived, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that fish can be found around rocky points. Most of the fish are moving out to the main lake, and they are highly oriented towards following bait schools. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits will all catch fish.  

As always on Wateree there are also a decent number of fish around docks, and flipping a jig is a good option. 

While the striped bass aren’t schooling right now on Wateree, The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that it’s still a very exciting to time to catch them. The best place to look for fish is on main lake flats near where the mouths of creek channels intersect with the main river channel in about 20-25 feet of water. The active fish are generally suspended about 10-18 feet deep, and while you will mark some on the bottom in 30-40 feet these are usually passive fish that won’t eat. Key on feeding fish by using your electronics to find them in 10-15-20 feet and then start fishing. 

You can either catch them by fishing down rods about 12 feet down or running free-lines 4-8 feet down. 

November 20

Lake Wateree is at 95.8% of full pool and the lake is still clear for Wateree. Morning surface water temperatures are about 65 degrees. 

The crappie fishing is getting better and better on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that there is no doubt fish are feeding better. They are still on main lake structure in 15-25 feet of water, be it brush, stumps, trees, or any other sunken cover. Again this week there are no signs the fish are breaking up into smaller pods, but that will change almost overnight when it does. 

Fish Stalker Slab Tail jigs (2-inch) in Mountain Dew, glimmer blue, and black emerald are working very well.  

But the most exciting thing going on Wateree is the schooling striped bass, and Will notes that he is seeing them all over the lake but especially on the lower end.  Early and late they are on the surface over the middle of the channel usually in the deepest water, although he has also seen them follow shad into just 18-20 feet. Generally they are going wherever the bait goes. 

At the same time tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the black bass are doing something similar on Lake Wateree, and while he is still finding them back in the creeks on shad and around grass he is noticing more fish starting to relate to main lake points and the channel. Generally these fish are adjacent to areas where the striper are attacking bait. 

While there is still a place for flipping creek docks or throwing spinnerbaits in the grass, he is now spending more time with crankbaits, shaky heads, and jigs on points. 

November 13

Lake Wateree is at 96.2% of full pool and the lake is still clear for Wateree. Morning surface water temperatures are about 67 degrees. 

The black bass are on similar patterns on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that he is still seeing the greatest concentrations of fish shallow in the creeks. They are heavily keying on shad, although they are also eating bream which are still mostly shallow. 

In the tournament Saturday Dearal managed a fair limit fishing grass with spinnerbaits and Texas rigs, but too late he realized that with dropping water levels fish were becoming more point-oriented. When that happens fish are likely to make their way out of the coves and group up on points. 

The crappie patterns haven’t changed this week but the fishing is getting better, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are still on main lake structure in 15-25 feet of water. He is mostly fishing the lower end.  While a week ago it seemed like more fish were starting to roam, for now he is still seeing giant schools of 700 plus fish on brush and they don’t seem to be leaving yet. 

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color are working very well.  

November 8

Lake Wateree is at 97.5% of full pool and the lake is surprisingly clear, from the lower end to at least near the top. Morning surface water temperatures are about 70 degrees. 

We have another very fresh black bass fishing report from tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden, on the water right now, who reports that in the post-frontal conditions the fish are not biting particularly well. They are clearly shallow, and Dearal is finding better concentrations of fish in the creeks than on the main lake. But the fish that are biting are often biting short. 

The best catches have come on crankbaits (perhaps because of the trebles for short strikes), but he’s also throwing jigs, swim jigs, and buzzbaits. The buzzbait in particular they are just slapping at.

Conditions should improve soon but it’s useful to know fish are shallow in the creeks around bait. 

Meanwhile the crappie bite has been pretty consistent this week, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are still on main lake structure in 15-25 feet of water. He is mostly fishing the lower end. Just now fish seem to be starting to roam a bit in open water, but there are still plenty of fish on brush, stumps, etc.  There are also a lot of bream stacked up on the same structure, and if you find bream you will also usually find crappie.

Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color are working very well.  

October 30

Lake Wateree is at 97.7% of full pool and the lake has cleared significantly. Morning surface water temperatures are about 66 degrees. 

The most exciting thing going on right now on Lake Wateree is the striped bass bite, and The Carolina Angler Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that, while there are times when they are stacked up on the bottom and won’t bite, in the afternoons he has found them rising up in the water column with some pretty incredible schooling activity. When that happens you can cast at the fish with your favorite topwater, and they will also hit live bait rods. At one point on his last trip Captain Chris had six fish on at once!

Another Lake Wylie guide, Captain Rodger Taylor with Catfish ON! Guide Service (803-517-7828), hasn’t run into schooling fish as much so far this fall but has been able to entice deep fish to bite by swimming a live gizzard shad over their head. Down-sizing line and hooks, and sometimes using planer boards to get the bait away from the boat, seems to be the trick. They are also catching some seemingly inactive fish right under the boat. 

Meanwhile crappie fishing is fair, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that he is catching fish on the main lake towards the dam. The fish are definitely in a transition phase before they start roaming in open water, and while they are still on structure in 15-25 feet they are in small schools of 5 or 6 fish. Casting Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color or hair jigs has been catching fish.

While the crappie aren’t roaming yet, the bream certainly are and at times it can be difficult to a get bait through to crappie they are so thick. 

Finally, on the black bass front tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that pretty much all the action is shallow right now but it varies from day to day. Friday the fishing was excellent, but on Saturday with bright sunny skies and a rising barometer fish were hitting short. In those conditions you have to slow down and finesse them with a shaky head or the like.

Generally, they have been catching fish around rocks and docks in the creeks and coves running the banks. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits can be good in low-light conditions (Saturday they were hitting both short), but when the sun rises you usually have to flip into shade right now. 

No one seems to be fishing offshore right now. 

October 16

Lake Wateree is at 97.4% of full pool and the lake is stained but not muddy. Morning surface water temperatures are about 72 degrees. 

The crappie have showed up again, and as he suspected veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt is virtually certain that they were hugging the bottom after Helene with the raging current moving through the lake. That’s because the fish he was catching immediately after conditions settled down all had red, scratched bellies as if they had been on the lake floor.

While they are still on the main lake the fish have moved shallower, and Will is now catching them in 13-18 feet of water around brush, stumps, and other structure. Mostly they are on river ledges out away from the bank, and he has caught fish from about Clearwater Cove to the state park but not yet way up the lake.  That’s coming.  Fish Stalker “hot mess” jigs (pink with a yellow tail) have been his most productive baits. 

The bass fishing is fair on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the fish are shallow. They are mainly catching them around grass, although his son has caught fish on docks, and they are having the best luck running the banks in pockets off the main lake. Still, Dearal is certain there are also some fish in the creeks. They have caught fish on a spinnerbait and flipping a bream-colored beaver-style bait around the grass, but they have also heard of anglers catching fish on a swim jig and buzzbait around grass. Dearal and his tournament partner couldn’t find any action on topwaters this week, however. 

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.