July 1
Lake Wateree is at 96.8% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the low 80s. Clarity is normal for Lake Wateree.
While a few people are figuring out to catch 16 or 17 pounds bass fishing on Lake Wateree, tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that overall the fishing has been extremely tough. In particular the consensus seems to be that fish are not stacked up deep right now, and so the summer pattern of fishing around ledges and humps in 10-20 feet with crankbaits, jigs and worms is not really working.
What is left is mostly shallow fishing, and there are some fish being caught around the grass or near bream beds. Fish that are messing with bream can be caught all day on topwater lures, frogs, Senkos and jigs.
However, the most exciting bite that Dearal has found has been fishing for a mixed bag of species in the evening including largemouth, white bass and striper. The fish are out on the main lake near points in areas where they can push bait up. You are looking for surface activity to locate the fish, but once found they will take swimbaits, squarebill crankbaits, Whopper Ploppers, Spooks or about anything.
The crappie fishing has been nothing short of phenomenal on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that most of the brush on the lake is covered up in fish right now. The main exception is shallow brush or brush in the very back of creeks, but Will has found fish in brush from 12 to 22 feet deep from one end of the lake to the other. Generally fish are suspended within a few feet of the bottom, but not always.
While you could get over the brush and fish vertically, Will has had the best success marking the fish, backing off and then casting 2-inch Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew color to them.
There are also fish around the bridges in Dutchman Creek, Taylor Creek and Wateree Creek. There may also be some fish on deeper docks.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that blue catfish are biting very well on the drift. Most fish are relatively small but excellent eating in the 3-6 pound range. Larger blue catfish can be caught at anchor near mussel beds in 10-14 feet of water. Still, drifting you may pick up some fish in the low to mid-teens with the possibility of a bigger one.
The mid-lake section is fishing very well and cut bream, shad and perch are all working.
June 15
Lake Wateree is down to 96.9% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are about 82 degrees. At least up to Beaver Creek the water is very clear for Wateree.
Conditions have gotten a little more normal for bass fishing on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that tournament activity is also picking up again on the lake. Still the bite is not wide open, and it is not taking more than about 18 pounds to win.
There are fish that can be caught both shallow and deep, with shallow fish hanging around grass as well as around bream beds. Fish that are messing with bream can be caught all day on topwater lures, frogs, senkos and jigs.
While the deep bite has not fully turned on yet, there are some bass starting to be caught around ledges and humps in 10-20 feet. Crankbaits, jigs and worms will all catch these fish. Any day now someone could get into a school of big fish offshore and wear them out.
The crappie have gotten into a more traditional summer pattern on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that they are on main lake brush again. He has caught fish in 12-22 feet on the main lake from the dam up to Beaver Creek on both sides, but there are almost certainly fish on the same pattern from one end to the other. As the sun gets higher they will push deeper to the bottom, and in lower light they will suspend more.
All the fish Will has caught have been one-pole jigging with Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew, glimmer blue, black and chartreuse and solid yellow.
There are likely some fish around the bridges but the brush is so loaded that Will has not looked.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fishing is very good drifting mid-lake flats in 10-14 feet of water. Lots of small blues in the 3-6 pound range are being caught, and larger fish can be found anchored near mussel beds.
May 28
Lake Wateree is up to 101.8% of full pool and many access points are closed or unusable. While the whole lake is stained the whole lake is not (yet) muddy, and the lower lake is still a couple of shades cleaner than the muddy upper end. Watch for hazards such as floating logs if you go out. Water temperatures range from about 70-74 degrees.
Conditions are getting even stranger for crappie on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that if you are able to find a place to put a boat in then you will discover that fish are extremely scattered. The massive inflows have essentially washed the fish off of brush, and they are out roaming.
There are really no easy ways to catch them until the water stabilizes, although Will has caught some behind the bridge in Dutchman Creek suspended in trees 8-13 feet down over 16-17 feet of water.
Overall, the best pattern has been to long-line troll and just cover as much water as you can. With temperatures having cooled off again fish are high in the water column, and they will take Fish Stalker jigs in Mountain Dew, glimmer blue, black with gold flake and black and chartreuse.
It’s really difficult conditions for getting a boat in much less bass fishing on Lake Wateree, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that when the lake is more fishable again there should be plenty of bream up shallow around docks – and bass chasing them. Jigs or worms including shakey heads and Senkos should work, and there should also be some topwater action.
With mild water temperatures and muddy conditions it may be some time until the summer offshore bite gets underway.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fishing has slowed down as the spawn seems to be getting underway. With strong inflows anchoring in current and fan-casting baits in 8-25 feet of water is worth trying, but overall fish are so spread out that the better bite has been found drifting for scattered blue catfish. Cut perch, shad and bream will all work.
May 13
Lake Wateree is at 96.9% of full pool, and the water has a normal stain for Lake Wateree. Temperatures have dropped to around 66 degrees.
The post-spawn bass bite continues to be strong on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in the morning it’s still all about the shad spawn. Shad are spawning around grassy or rocky points, primarily on the main lake but also on points in the creeks. When targeting spawning shad spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, Pop-Rs, swim jigs and Chatterbaits will all work.
After the sun gets up and the shad finish spawning the bass aren’t going anywhere. They can still be caught in the same areas down in the water column on Carolina rigs, jigs and crankbaits.
There are also starting to be more bream up shallow, and at any moment Dearal expects the dock bite to take off. Jigs or worms including shakey heads and Senkos will both work, and there will also be some topwater action.
It’s a strange time for crappie on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the fish are really in limbo between spring and summer patterns. Despite this some people are really catching them, but you have to know where to look.
With water temperatures about ideal for crappie they can be all over the lake, and they aren’t really setting up on brush yet. Instead they are swimming around with little rhyme or reason to their locations, often at the mouths of creeks and on the main lake in 12-19 feet of water.
While fish are not being caught around traditional brush piles, the one type of cover that is holding them consistently is trees and stumps. There are some trees on the bottom of the lake, and there are also some old stump fields, and while fish are not sitting right on top of that stuff they are near it.
Finally, Will notes that the fish are suspended right now and he has been doing the best by marking the fish and then backing off and casting to them. If he were to troll for them he would probably tight-line since fish are at a variety of depths, and it is easier to cover a range of depths with weights tight-lining rather than long-lining.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that anchoring cut gizzard shad on the bottom is the best pattern. Set up on the edge of the channel and fan-cast lines out to various depths in 10-25 feet. Current breaks or points can be good places to look and there are still a lot of fish up the river.
April 30
Lake Wateree is at 96.3% of full pool, and the water is fairly clear for Lake Wateree. Temperatures are around 70 degrees.
It’s a wide open post-spawn bass bite on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that in the morning it’s all about the shad spawn. Shad are spawning around grass, floating docks, and rocks, particularly in coves. However, they will sometimes spawn on the main lake too.
When targeting spawning shad spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, Pop-Rs, swim jigs and Chatterbaits will all work.
After the sun gets up, one productive pattern is to fish shallow docks, and you can also fish a little deeper off points with Carolina rigs. Because of the mild April there are still some fish spawning in the backs of coves, and so you can certainly slow down and run coves with soft plastics.
All but about 2% of the crappie on Lake Wateree have spawned, but tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that even though the fish are in the post-spawn period right now it’s not a post-spawn funk. They are biting well and both Saturday and Sunday he caught limits.
While crappie won’t get up on the bank and chase spawning shad like bass will, they will follow the schools of shad once they pull out a little. Long-lining in 10-25 feet of water has been the best pattern for these fish, and they are suspended at all different depths. The best place to look is in the mouths of major creeks like June Creek near the big water.
There are also some fish getting flat on the bottom around shallow brush. While Will found them on the lower end within sight of the dam on Sunday, this pattern can be replicated in 12-16 feet over much of the lake as fish are definitely starting to pull back out to brush.
There are also some fish starting to get around the bridges such as Colonel Creek and Dutchman’s Creek. They can be caught sling-shotting jigs into the darkest corners.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish are up the river. Anchoring up near the power line at the top of the lake you can also catch some nice striped bass as both species move up the river to spawn.
Anchoring cut gizzard shad on the bottom is the best pattern. Set up on the edge of the channel and fan-cast lines out to various depths in 10-25 feet. Current breaks or points can be good places to look.
April 15
Lake Wateree dropped even lower but is now back up to 96.4% of full pool, and the water is getting muddy again. Surface temperatures are in the mid to upper-60s. Access is highly restricted on the lake with no public ramps and very little private access available.
For those who can get on the water, bass fishing on Lake Wateree is pretty good. Tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that the bite is largely a spawn and post-spawn bite right now, and there even seem to be some more big females that will move up.
Fish are generally shallow in pockets and around cover, and the best way to target them is with “in-your-face” baits instead of reaction baits. Worms including shakey heads, Senkos, and floating worms will all work as well as jigs. Dearal has also caught a few fish on frogs.
The shad spawn is just getting started, and as we get later into April the main pattern will be looking for shad in the morning and then fishing docks and shallow cover after that. Shad will spawn around grass, floating docks, and rocks, particularly in coves. However, they will sometimes spawn on the main lake too.
When targeting spawning shad spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, Pop-Rs, swim jigs and Chatterbaits will all work. Around docks and shallow cover soft plastics including Senkos and light worms, finesse jigs, and swim jigs can all produce
Bass will also start to get around bream beds before too long.
It’s an especially bitter pill that this is among the best times to catch crappie on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that for those who can get on the lake there is still a mix of pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn fish. You can still long-line troll shallow in the creeks, and for about another week you should be able to cast bobbers at the bank.
However, while approximately only 25-40% of the fish have already spawned at this point, by the end of this month virtually all will have. The fish will move to deeper brush in 12-18 feet of water in the creeks as well as at the mouths of the creeks towards the main lake. Single-rod jigging should get really good, and minnows will also work.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that even though he can’t get on the lake right now he knows where he would be fishing if he could. In April fish will be up the river, and anchoring up near the power line at the top of the lake you can also catch some nice striped bass as both species move up the river to spawn.
Anchoring cut gizzard shad on the bottom is the best pattern. Set up on the edge of the channel and fan-cast lines out to various depths in 10-25 feet. Current breaks or points can be good places to look.
April 1
Lake Wateree is down to 96.7% of full pool, and up the lake the water remains muddy. Water temperatures are in the mid to upper-60s.
It continues to be an outstanding time to bass fish on Lake Wateree if you can get access, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that some fish are spawning, large numbers are pre-spawn, and there are probably already a few post-spawn fish. Bass are generally shallow in pockets and around cover, and the best way to target them is with “in-your-face” baits instead of reaction baits. Worms including shakey heads, Senkos, and floating worms will all work as well as jigs.
Post-spawn fish will eventually head out to the points or docks, and eventually they will be keying on a shad spawn around grass, rocks and docks. For post-spawn fish crankbaits, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are all good options.
This is most people’s favorite time to catch crappie on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the spawn is very close but from what he has seen so far the vast majority of the fish are still pre-spawn (although he has caught a couple of what appear to be laid-out females). They have caught some big females trolling 8-12 feet down in 18-19 feet of water, and there have also been some good fish caught in 5-6 feet of water. With fish headed towards the banks anglers should look in the middle to back of all the major creeks as well as some of the more overlooked minor creeks. Because fish are so scattered long-line trolling with light jigs and covering plenty of water has been preferred.
Some of the male fish are already on the banks, and very soon the females will come up for a few days and lay their eggs before they leave. Males will stay up shallow guarding the nests as well as waiting for other waves of females to arrive. When that happens there will be a period when you pretty much have to cast at the banks to catch fish.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish have mostly moved into the upper 1/3 of Lake Wateree. Anchoring in the main river channel around Wateree Creek is a good starting point. Set up on the edge of the channel and fan-cast lines out to various depths in 10-25 feet. Current breaks or points can be good places to set up. Gizzard shad are generally the best bait with white perch second choice.
March 27
Lake Wateree is at 99.0% of full pool, and up the lake the water is muddy. Water temperatures are as high as 65-67 degrees.
This is most people’s favorite time of the year to fish for bass on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that fish are moving shallow and the spawn is getting underway. Because of visibility issues it is difficult to actually see the beds, but already there are probably some fish that have actually completed spawning.
Fish are back in coves and pockets, and they will eat about anything. A variety of soft plastics, spinnerbaits around the grass and even buzzbaits and frogs are catching fish. Fish can be found in the shallows all over the lake, from the main lake to the very backs of creeks.
This is also generally considered the best time of year to catch crappie on Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are biting all over the whole lake with most people who try catching them.
There are a wide array of techniques that will catch fish, including tight-lining or long-line trolling for suspended fish in 10-18 feet of water. However, even these deeper fish – a mix of pre-spawn and post-spawn crappie – are suspended in the top 8-10 feet of the water column and so light 1/48 or 1/32 ounce jigs are preferred.
There are also plenty of fish close to spawning that are near the banks around docks and shallow brush that can be caught on jigs and minnows under corks.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish have mostly moved into upper 1/3 of Lake Wateree. Anchoring in the main river channel around Wateree Creek is a good starting point. Set up on the edge of the channel and fan-cast lines out to various depths in 10-25 feet. Current breaks or points can be good places to set up. Gizzard shad are generally the best bait with white perch second choice.
March 12
Lake Wateree is at 97.2% of full pool, and the water is still essentially orange muddy even though it has cleared a little. Water temperatures in the shallows have risen into the high 50s. There is so much debris in some yards from flooding that it looks like a hurricane came through.
Even though it is still muddy fishing has definitely improved on Lake Wateree, and tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that they are biting pretty well. Water levels are low and so that is keeping fish from heading into the pockets, but the catchable fish are still in 5 feet of water or less. They are around grass and rocks on the main lake and in the front section of creeks, and jigs and crankbaits are working the best. There has also been a pretty good bite on spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits.
The crappie bite has started to pick up all over Lake Wateree, and tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish are being caught in most all of the creeks over the whole lake. Generally fish are from the mouths back to about 12 feet of water, and they are suspended at a range of depths but generally pretty high in the water column. Fish are still a few weeks out from spawning but they are getting shallower.
Both tight-lining and long-lining are catching fish, and minnow as well as jigs are working. In the muddy conditions darker jigs that have a good silhouette such as Fish Stalker black and chartreuse are working well.
On the catfish front, Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that fish are making a move into the upper 1/3 of Lake Wateree. As the current settles down anchoring in the main river channel around Wateree Creek is a good starting point. Set up on the edge of the channel and fan-cast lines out to various depths in 10-25 feet. Current breaks or points can be good places to set up. Gizzard shad are generally the best bait with white perch second choice.
February 28
Lake Wateree is all the way down to 97.3% of full pool, but the water is still orange muddy even though you can now put a boat in. Water temperatures are in the low 50s.
The last couple of CATT tournaments have had to be canceled due to water conditions, but tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that he expects that this weekend when they are able to fish it will be important to fish big, bulky, highly visible lures in bright colors that the fish can see. With low water temperatures and dropping levels fish are on the main lake and in the front of creeks even though they are shallow, and fishing around rock that holds heat is important. Crankbaits, slow-moving spinnerbaits and jigs could all work.
It’s almost March, and even though water conditions have been crazy veteran tournament crappieangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that fish will be getting into pre-spawn mode and they will need to eat. He looks for them to head shallow but first school up in the mouths of creeks, with Beaver Creek, Singleton Creek and Dutchman’s all good places to look. Get in about 16 feet of water and tight-line or long-line troll.
Right now there is probably still too much current for the catfish to want to be at the top of Lake Wateree, but Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that as we get further into March and water conditions (hopefully) settle down fish will start to make a move into the upper 1/3 of Lake Wateree. Right now it is probably a better bet to anchor in shallow water back in the creeks where current is not so strong, but soon the main river channel around Wateree Creek should be a good starting point. If the river is very high then moving down can be better.
Anchoring is the best bet in March, and setting up on the edge of the channel with lines fan-cast out to various depths in 10-25 feet is the best pattern. Current breaks or points can be good places to set up. Gizzard shad are generally the best bait with white perch second choice.
February 14
Lake Wateree is at 102.0% of full pool, and the water is cold and muddy.
Lake levels peaked at more than 105% of full pool, but even as levels have dropped veteran tournament crappieangler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that it is still too high to be fishable. With no boats on the water it’s anyone’s guess as to where the fish are, but when the lake gets back to a fishable level Will expects the crappie to be found shallow in the backs of coves and pockets where they are escaping the current. He expects that they will be caught in 9-20 feet of water.
Tournament bass angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden agrees that the lake is so high as to be close to unfishable right now, and he notes that the CATT tournament for this Saturday was cancelled. It seems that they are unable to drop the water any faster because there just isn’t anywhere to send it right now that is not also flooded.
Lake Wateree is down to 94.7% of full pool, and water temperatures are around 52 degrees. In addition to being cold and low the lake is very muddy.
There are a couple of productive patterns right now for catching Lake Wateree catfish, and Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that one of the best ways to catch them is to fish the big June Creek flat by drifting the whole mile-and-a-half stretch when there is a favorable wind from the north. The water is about 20 feet deep, and cut shad are usually most productive. The presence of birds will usually indicate that there are baitfish around.
The other preferred way to catch fish right now is to head into the backs of creeks where you see gulls and cormorants and anchor the same baits in 4-8 feet of water. This pattern works the best when there is some afternoon sun that moves the fish shallower. Some patience is required, and the fish seem to be on the move because you can easily wait for 30-40 minutes before having a series of bites within a brief period.
January 20
Lake Wateree is back up to 96.4 % of full pool, although there are reports that they will be dropping water levels again. Water temperatures had gotten as high as 55-56 but are dropping back into the 49-53 degree range, and the lake is muddy.
Changing water temperatures are moving the crappie around right now on Lake Wateree, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that before the cold snap there were some fish that had gone shallow in the backs of coves on the lower end of the lake. They are were being caught in 6-18 feet of water tight-lining as well as long-line trolling, but the cold weather has pushed them back out towards the mouths of creeks and coves. If temperatures stay cold then they could even head back to the river channel, but after getting so shallow that would probably require a significant drop in temperatures.
With the upper lake such a mess, for now the best place to look for fish is in 18-24 feet of water at the mouths of creeks on the lower end of the lake. Tight-lining with plain minnows is most effective.
Conditions for catching bass remain pretty tough, but tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that before the hard cold snap there were some fish being caught shallow on crankbaits and jigs. Rising water levels have also pushed fish towards the banks.
While the cold front has slowed the bite, the best places to fish are still around rocks in the main lake or at the mouths of creeks, and having deep water nearby is important. Banks that receive a lot of sunlight, generally north-facing, are also good areas to look.
January 10
Lake Wateree is all the way down to 94.1 % of full pool, and the water remains muddy from the top to the bottom of the lake. Water temperatures are in the upper 40s on the main lake.
With low water levels it can be difficult to put a boat in on Lake Wateree right now, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that even if you can get on the water catching crappie is pretty tough. There has been so much current and mud for so long that fish have been washed down from the river channel up around Wateree Creek, and the best success has been in the area around the state park. Anglers are catching fish there in the main river channel tight-lining only a foot or two of the bottom in 25-31 feet of water. Minnows have been working best and moving very slowly is important.
In January some fish usually move into Beaver Creek, but with water levels low anglers will need to look in the front part of the creek. If we have a prolonged warm spell fish will move into the backs of most of the major creeks and suspend in 8-10 feet of water where they can be tight-lining – until temperatures drop and they pull back out.