March 13

Santee Cooper water levels are up to 75.70 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.1 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures range from about 56-58 degrees and the lower lake is clear while the upper lake is stained to muddy in places. 

Fresh off an impressive second place finish in the National Professional Fishing League season opener on Santee Cooper, Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that you can catch black bass about any way you want right now. There are still fish in winter-mode in 12 or more feet of water, fish staging deep, fish staging shallow, pre-spawn fish, bedding fish, and his biggest bass of the tournament was an 8-14 post-spawn(!) female that had already laid out which he caught in a 4-5 foot depression in the upper lake.  With 54- and 55-degree water temperatures he was looking at fish on the bed last weekend, so they obviously go earlier on Santee than conventional wisdom holds. 

With fish so scattered you can catch them off mid-depth brush, trees in 2-5 feet, grass at the same depth, and in protected spawning pockets. Fish are fairly aggressive and Chatterbaits (which his big fish came on), spinnerbaits, Rattle traps, and other moving baits will all work. And yesterday he also caught worm fish on a drop shot, Carolina rig, and Texas rig. 

Overall, it’s that special time of year where you can fish about however you want and catch bass on Santee!

March 12

Santee Cooper water levels are up to 75.66 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.19 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 55 degrees on the main water, much warmer in the shallows, and clarity in the lower lake is good while the upper lake still has plenty of stained areas.   

It’s hard not to lead off with striped bass on a day when a 23-pounder has been caught, and at the top of Marion Captain Randy Barkley with Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) reports that the action for striped bass has been pretty phenomenal. Before today’s big fish they had seen several 12-15 pound fish, and each week it seems they are getting bigger ones. 

The fishing on the flats is still slower, but in the river the bite is very strong. The best pattern is fishing the shallow side of the river beside the willow trees with cut river herring. Target from the bank out to about 20 feet. 

They are also catching a lot of catfish this way, mostly in the evenings. 

At the same time Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the canal bite for striper isn’t wide open yet, and in the lower lake Captain Joe Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that the action is okay but not great. He suspects that the full moon has the fish messed up as they are feeding so much at night.  They had about 6 or 8 striped bass today but it was slow.

However, drifting in large creeks in about 44 feet of water (where the Moultrie striper are also coming, and they are marking massive schools of striped fish) the catfishing has been outstanding. They had a cooler of fish today and found a red-hot bite until the action petered off mid-day. 

The shallow bite is also picking up, and Captain Bobby reports that with the heat wave this week it will only get better. He is still anchoring in 5-10 feet and targeting deeper depressions or canals feeding a flat that fish will use like a highway. He then fan-casts 10 rods to cover the depression and then areas where fish could come up out of it to roam and feed. The best bite is usually early and late. Normally he will stay in a spot for a couple of hours and gizzard shad has been his preferred bait. 

Right now Captain Bobby is mainly targeting the backs of coves on the north side of Moultrie which warm faster because of the sun’s angle. 

While Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the bream fishing has been outstanding with crickets around deep brush in 34-39 feet fishing 20-22 feet down, the crappie fishing continues to be a struggle. It seems that with the population down catching them any way besides using forward-facing sonar is a challenge, and Captain Steve is hardly seeing anyone long-line trolling with success right now. The fish also appear to be relating to grass clumps way more than before, which is inherently difficult to troll!

Overall fish should be days away from going on beds and so a variety of shallow water techniques should be effective for the near future. 

For an American shad report below the lakes see the Charleston page. 

Black bass report to follow. 

March 5

Santee Cooper water levels are up to 75.59 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.31 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 55 in the shallows and 53 in the canal.  The upper lake is a little muddy in places while there is about 4 feet of visibility in the lower lake. 

Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that the weights in this week’s professional bass fishing tournament will make it look like the black bass are on fire, while the reality is that between wind, fronts, and a cold winter the fishing is pretty inconsistent and things are running a little behind for the beginning of March. In Captain Kyle’s opinion we are a week or two, and some warmer nights, away from fish flooding the banks.

Some fish will be in areas where they will eventually spawn cruising, and there are almost certainly some early bed fish. You can pitch a Texas rig or weightless worm for these fish, and you can also try to get into the middle of spawning bays and fish minor depressions with a bladed jig, spinnerbait, or crankbait for a reaction bite. These fish aren’t focused on feeding and really just have the spawn on their mind. 

But the bulk of the fish are still staging, and so they are mostly in 3-6 feet of water getting close to spawning areas – but not yet there. They are holding around hard spots like mussel beds and stumps, but by far the best action for Kyle has come around eel grass and hydrilla. These fish are pretty aggressive and so he is power fishing with baits like lipless crankbaits and Chatterbaits. 

As is often the case on the Santee you can catch catfish several different ways, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that particularly on warmer days you can find a dynamite bite in the shallows anchoring in 5-10 feet. One morning he caught 15 fish in an hour. The weather doesn’t change this pattern, because some fish are determined to get into shallow water, but they may not bite as well on cooler days. 

His preferred shallow pattern is anchoring and targeting a deeper depression or canal feeding a flat that fish will use like a highway. He then fan-casts 10 rods to cover the depression and then areas where fish could come up out of it to roam and feed. The best bite is usually early and late. Normally he will stay in a spot for a couple of hours and gizzard shad has been his preferred bait. 

Right now Captain Bobby is mainly targeting the backs of coves on the north side of Moultrie which warm faster because of the sun’s angle. 

But there are also deep fish in the main lakes, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 30-45 feet of water around depth changes including humps, ledges and then the occasional flat he is finding lots of fish up to about 20 pounds. He is using blueback herring.

Somewhere in between, Captain Joe Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that he is finding a really good bite for catfish still deep but moving into the creeks. In 35-45 feet of water he is finding fish that are coming up the creeks on the sides of hills and other depth changes in the lower lake. Drifting with fresh blueback herring and river herring are both working. 

The crappie are a bit of a mixed bag, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are biting really well in some areas but slow in others. There have been some excellent reports out of Jack’s Creek fishing in 8-15 feet of water, and generally both long-lining and casting at fish on forward-facing sonar is working. Interestingly, bass fishermen also report seeing a lot of crappie in the grass. 

With a couple of warm days Captain Steve expects crappie to be all over the banks.

But the best thing going may be the striped bass, and at the top of Marion Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) reports that as of this morning the striper are running. The fishing on the flats is slow because there isn’t much current, but in the river the bite is on fire. The best pattern is fishing the shallow side of the river beside the willow trees with cut river herring. Target from the bank out to about 20 feet. 

Captain Joe Dennis also notes that in the creeks his finding a lot of striper in the 45-foot range mid-creek and they seem to be really moving around. 

Finally, Captain Bobby Winters reports that it’s happening later than usual this year but some fish are starting to be picked up in the canal. Nobody is killing them yet as of a couple of days ago, but some fish are starting to be picked up on down-rods. 

February 27

Santee Cooper water levels are up to 75.52 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.00 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the mid-50s and the upper lake is muddy while, for now, the lower lake is clear. 

Continuing a theme heard around the state this week, on the black bass front Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that anglers are more excited about spring than the fish are. Even though air temperatures are very warm, the water hasn’t caught up yet and bass are just not “in the dirt” so far.

And Captain Kyle should know! Besides being on the water bass fishing every day recently, he had over 28 pounds in the BFL this Saturday, good for fourth place (behind an incredible 35-pound bag).

Again, while anglers want them to be super shallow right now the bass are mostly in 3-6 feet of water staging for the spawn and getting close to spawning areas – but not yet there. They are holding around hard spots like mussel beds and stumps, but by far the best action for Kyle has come around grass. Eel grass and hydrilla in particular, and if they don’t mess with it he thinks Santee could be the best bass lake in the country in a few years. Fish are pretty aggressive and so he is power fishing with baits like lipless crankbaits and Chatterbaits. 

Kyle is targeting Moultrie right now in part because of the better water color, but they are ripping current and he notes that the mud is coming everywhere.

The catfish have made a major move from their winter, deep water haunts, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that they have moved into just 5-10 feet of water along with other gamefish that they like to eat. His preferred pattern is anchoring and targeting a deeper depression or canal feeding a flat that fish will use like a highway. He then fan-casts 10 rods to cover the depression and then areas where fish could come up out of it to roam and feed. The bite is not fast but steady, although action can be fast early and late. Normally he will stay in a spot for a couple of hours.  Gizzard shad has been best. 

Right now Captain Bobby is mainly targeting the backs of coves on the north side of Moultrie which warm faster because of the sun’s angle. He can see the bottom in 7 feet right now, but also realizes that is about to change.  

There are also some deeper cats right now, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he is still finding some fish drifting in about 35 feet of water on lower lake flats. While this may be a dying pattern as everything moves shallower, for now it is still productive and he is fishing herring.  

In striped bass news, at the top of Marion Captain Randy Barkley with Pack’s Landing (803-452-5514) reports that the fish are starting to run a bit and he thinks the water – while previously very muddy – is settling down enough that far up and getting to about a perfect color. On March 2 they will have river herring and expect a very good bite, but for now catfish and small striper have been chomping on shiners. Anchoring cut or live herring on the side of the river channels is usually the preferred pattern. 

Finally, speaking of anglers getting ahead of the fish, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappiefishing has just not caught up with people’s expectations. There are a lot of people still fishing in the hatchery area where there was previously a good bite, but the action has gotten slow. But in just a few days long-line trolling should get good if the water conditions in areas that aren’t too muddy and don’t have too much current. 

For an American shad report below the lakes see the Charleston page. 

February 19

Santee Cooper water levels are up to 75.34 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and have dropped to 73.82 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 53 degrees, and muddy water is now making its way to the lower lake while the upper lake is already very dirty. 

In just two days Lake Marion water levels have shot up a foot as muddy water from the Midlands has made its way down the Congaree and Wateree into Santee, and the lower lake has dropped about a foot in preparation for a river of mud. The influx of dirty water has quickly changed the catfish bite, and Captain Joe Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that tons of fish are now being caught in the shallows. They are catching them in just 2-5 feet of water where they are eating small bream, shad, mussels, crawfish and more. The fish are hanging around the slimy grass, and when cleaning them their stomachs are full of it. 

While the influx of water has actually helped the catfish bite, it can make for much more difficult striped bass fishing conditions. They get higher in the water column, scatter out, and seem to feed less, and certain areas like the canal can become unfishable when too much water is being pulled. It can also mess up the fish around areas like Pack’s Landing, Low Falls, and Stumphole where striper were starting to move up the rivers. Just how much is dependent on how cold the water is as well as the volume, and fishing live and cut herring on the bottom may still be productive along the sides of the river channel. 

Overall the best advice for targeting striper right now is to look for the cleanest water you can find that has bait. There are plenty of fish in the creeks and there you can avoid the main inflow. 

Between the cold front and the muddy inflow the crappie fishing has gotten tougher and the offshore brush pattern for bream has also slowed, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that some crappie are still being caught in the Hatchery area. There have also been some reports of shellcrackers caught in the shallows.

And we almost forgot to mention that the American shad have started running in the Rediversion Canal. Part-time Bonneau resident Captain Bill Plumley caught 9 earlier this week, and the action should only get better for the coming weeks. 

Finally, once again the black bass are the hardest species to move off their seasonal patterns once they start going. Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reminds anglers that fish are in such heavy pre-spawn mode by now that they aren’t going to head the other direction. 

Basically Captain Kyle is targeting hard spots and cover in 7-10 feet of water near eventual spawning areas, including shell beds, brush piles, and stumps. Jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and more all working. In the muddy conditions big soft plastics that displace a lot of water can also be effective worked slowly.  

February 13

Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.65 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.52 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 50 degrees, and the water is still very clear for Santee.

What a difference a week makes! This time last week water temperatures were in the mid-50s and rising towards 60, and by the weekend our captains were seeing water temperatures as high as the mid-60s in some of the backwater ponds in Lake Moultrie. But after three days of wind and cold rain, yesterday on the water Captain Joe Dennis (843-245-3762) reported 50-degree temperatures!

Either because of the swings in water temperature, or the calendar, or both, Captain Joe reports that the striped bass have done a 180 and turned on in the lakes.  They are starting to move around, and while most of the fish are still in the lakes some are making their way through the Diversion Canal and others are moving into the river around Pack’s Landing. In the lower lake herring on down-lines are still working well, but in the upper lake they are doing really well with planer boards fished in 15-20 feet around hills and points. Up towards Pack’s the best pattern has been fishing cut or live herring on the sides of the river channel and towards the banks in 15-16 feet of water. 

But the change has not been good for the catfish in the last few days, as Captain Joe reports that warm temperatures initially pushed them shallower onto the hills in 25-35 feet of water. However, after temperatures dropped they stayed in those same areas (because their biology tells them which way things are headed) but developed lockjaw. This shouldn’t last for long even with cooler temperatures predicted, and they just need to adapt to the water temperatures. 

Interestingly, the up-and-down water temperatures probably have the least effect on the black bass, as Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that fish are in such heavy pre-spawn mode by now that they aren’t going to head the other direction. 

Basically Captain Kyle is targeting hard spots and cover in 7-10 feet of water near eventual spawning areas, including shell beds, brush piles, and stumps. Jerkbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and more all working. While you could fish soft plastics Kyle is intent on power fishing, even though the very clear conditions can make it tricky.

Overall he rates the bite a 7 out of 10, and notes that fish are active and the key is just being around them.  

The crappie bite has been a bit of a mystery, and despite fishing hard for them this week Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that even when the conditions were ideal they found a very, very slow bite in both lakes. Small bass were absolutely everywhere in the areas where crappie should have been, but they just couldn’t locate any numbers of crappie in the warm backwater ponds or the creeks that should be holding them. About the only place they heard of any big schools was in the Hatchery area. While Captain Steve will keep plugging away, and it will get better, for right now it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the population continues to be significantly down.  

But that’s not true for the bream, and Captain Steve reports that they have found an excellent bite for big bluegills in 30-35 feet of water fishing brush 20-25 feet down. 

Captain Joe was on the same pattern yesterday and caught 90 in two hours in 36 feet!

February 6

Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.44 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.25 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are in the low to mid-50s and heating up fast, and the water is very clear for Santee with 3-4 feet of visibility even in much of Lake Marion. 

With a warm spell and the calendar saying February, all of a sudden Santee Cooper is a black bass lake again. Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that fish are starting to stage for the spawn. They aren’t super close to spawning, but they are getting into pre-spawn mode. 

Basically Captain Kyle is targeting hard spots and cover in 7-10 feet of water near eventual spawning areas, including shell beds, brush piles, and stumps.  Jerkbaits, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and more all working. While you could fish soft plastics Kyle is intent on power fishing, even though the very clear conditions can make it tricky.

Overall he rates the bite a 7 out of 10, and notes that fish are active and the key is just being around them.  

At the same time the catfish action in the upper lake has dropped off, although Captain Kyle reports that patterns are still about the same – with the fish moving a lot from day to day, between the flats and the channels. But the fish are so much more spread out that they are harder to target. Additionally, just as they bit so well when it was cold, as it warms they are biting slower. He is still mostly targeting about 25-45 feet of water. 

The striped bass are still sluggish in the lower lake according to Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762), but the catfish bite is still very good in 50 plus feet of water around big bait schools. Drifting cut bait, anchoring cut bait, and fishing live or cut bait vertically – even off the bottom – will all catch fish. 

The deep bream bite has also been really good, and Captain Joe reports that on deep brush they caught 115 bluegill and shellcracker on their last trip. They were fishing 20-25 feet down in 35 feet of water with crickets and worms. 

Finally, while there has been very little other fishing pressure on the crappie (although this weekend could change that), Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the patterns are changing really fast with this warm spell and getting exciting. In low light conditions you can head back into the blackwater ponds and fish minnows or maribou jigs under a bobber, particularly when you see fish flipping. However, often the best catches come just blind-casting a curly tail grub in these areas. 

While the crappie are most likely be shallow early and late, during the day spider-rigging in the creeks in 8-12 feet of water is getting very effective. You can also long-line troll, and of course these days some anglers will be using forward-facing sonar and casting. 

January 29

Santee Cooper water levels are at 73.89 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.85 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 46 degrees in the lower lake but range from 40-46 in the upper lake. Overall the lakes are a bit dingier than normal for this time of year. 

There is at least one species that feeds better in the bitter cold, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that the catfish bite – which he rated a 9/10 before the snow – has gotten even better. Santee Cooper blue cats are still following the bait, and in the upper lake where Captain Kyle is fishing they will stay in the same general area from day to day but each day their specific locations continue to vary significantly. Two days ago they were feeding on flats in 27-30 feet, while yesterday they were in the channel in 40-45 feet. Most cut bait is working. 

That’s consistent with the report from Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762), who concurs that catfish love the cold and they are still biting really well in deep water in the lower lake. They are stacked up with the bait in 50 plus feet of water, and the cold has them grouped up even tighter. Drifting cut bait, anchoring cut bait, and fishing live or cut bait vertically – even off the bottom – will all catch fish. 

While there are still plenty of striped bass in the same areas, and you will pick up one occasionally, that bite has really slowed down. 

The black bass fishing has also slowed, and fishing slowly is also about the only way to catch them. Captain Kyle reports that they have also headed deeper, and right now he recommends concentrating on 15-25 feet of water. The deepest water in creek mouths, bends, and ditches are all good places to look, and slowly working jerkbaits, Damiki rigs and deep-diving crankbaits is the best option. Fish will be following bait and brush piles will also serve as magnets for cold-water bass. 

While he has heard some credible reports of a few crappie being caught since last Wednesday, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has not fished for them since the snow.  He expects the bite to pick up rapidly as temperatures warm.

More information to follow next week.  

January 15

Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.67 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.26 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 50 degrees in the big water but can be as low as 41 in the backs. Overall the lakes are pretty clear. 

There’s some pretty phenomenal black bass fishing right now on Santee, and Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that by his calculation this is about the third year where there is a really good amount of grass in the lakes and it is showing in the bass population. He is seeing giant schools of big fish, and next time there is a major tournament that isn’t just at bed-fishing time he believes people are going to take note of how good the fishing has gotten. In a recent, small tournament there were 28- and 26-pound bags weighed! 

Unsurprisingly the best pattern is fishing around grass in 5-10 feet of water, where you can use about any moving bait from jerkbaits to Chatterbaits to Rattle Traps to spinnerbaits or worms. Grass ledges will also hold a lot of fish.

The other major pattern right now is fishing over brush piles at any depth from about 10-25 feet, and this is pretty much LiveScope fishing right now. Minnow-style baits are good but an Alabama rig pulled over the top of brush is hard to beat. 

The catfish and striped bass action is also very strong, and Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that basically the key for him has been fishing deep in the lower lake. Fish are flat on the bottom in about 50 feet, and herring has been working very well.  Live herring for striper, and dead whole herring for catfish, but both species will also eat both presentations.  

That’s consistent with the report from Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762), who advises that the catfish are on fire right now in the lower lake. They are stacked up with the bait in 50 plus feet of water, and there are also lots of striper in the same vicinity. 

While the two species are often in the same areas, the catfish are often mostly on the deeper side while you will also find striper in depths from 40 feet down. Both species will take herring, but for striper they are also catching a lot of fish that will come up to 25-30 feet to take trolled Stretch 25s and other big plugs. Striper and catfish will also take live bait fished from the bottom to 20 feet above it, and there are even times when the best way to catch catfish is suspending cut herring in the water column. Of course they will take dead herring on the bottom. 

In the upper lake Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) also reports the catfish bite a 9 out of 10, and they are filling coolers by 10:00 or 11:00 every day. But the big difference is that fish continue to move around a lot, and some days the fish are in 15-20 feet while other days they are in 25-40 feet. But again, it’s all about the bait – and when you find where the bait is set up the fish will be there. As far as what to offer the fish it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. 

While the big predator species are in feeding mode, unfortunately Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappie and bluegill are really slowing down as the water gets colder. They did have a good trip for both species about ten days ago over 20-foot brush, but since water temperatures have dropped both species are getting much more lethargic. 

January 3

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.01 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.27 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 50 degrees and the lower lake is fairly clear while the upper lake has more color.  

As expected we can now offer a “deeper” perspective on the catfish, and Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that he is finding an outstanding bite for catfish and plenty of striped bass in 40 plus feet of water on the lower lake. He expects the same thing is going on in the upper lake but isn’t fishing it right now. Both species can be caught drifting with live herring, and for catfish they are also having success dragging cut herring on the bottom. Striper are also being picked up pulling large plugs with a heavy weight in front of them to get them down.

The key to locating both species is pretty simple right now – finding the bait and the fish will be there.

That’s exactly consistent with the cat report from Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726), who says that every day continues to be completely different in Lake Marion. He is having to fish multiple different depths, and some days the fish are in 15-20 feet while other days they are in 25-40 feet. But again, it’s all about the bait – and when you find where the bait is set up the fish will be there. As far as what to offer the fish it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. 

Finally, black bass fishing activity is still light but Captain Corey reports that one pattern remains fishing offshore ledges. However, by far the most productive pattern seems to be fishing grass in less than ten feet of water. One recent day they caught over twenty-five fish working grass that was in a depression in 5-8 feet of water, and with daytime temperatures warming into the 52-53 degree range fish will take both Chatterbaits and Alabama rigs. 

January 2

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.05 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.52 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are around 50 degrees and at least the lower lake is fairly clear. 

No doubt we will be hearing about deeper catfish patterns as more reports filter in, but part-time Bonneau resident Captain Bill Plumley reports that this week he found a pretty phenomenal bite drifting shallow water. All the fish he caught were at least in the teens, and he landed blues up to 41 pounds. 

He concentrated his efforts in 6-10 feet of water, focusing on underwater “swamp ditches” where there are minor depth changes. The depth might only drop a couple of feet, but the fish use these ditches like highways to move around the flats. Everything he caught came drifting cut bream.  

Even though the brush fishing for crappie and bluegill should be winding down, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they have actually had some very good trips in the last week. And while the coming cold weather could change this, for now the fish have not gone very deep.

Generally the crappie are suspended about 14-20 feet down over brush, while bluegill are on the bottom on brush in only 14-16 feet of water. While the bream want crickets the crappie are favoring jigs over minnows.

More to follow. 

December 19

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.01 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.55 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have rebounded to about 55 degrees and the lakes generally have a light stain. 

The striped bass bite has been pretty phenomenal in the lower lake, and Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that in the evening fish are schooling like crazy from about 2:00 pm to dark. They are usually in 25-35 feet of water. 

Beyond that there is also a very good deep bite with down-rods and live bait in 35-55 feet of water (around 45 feet has been best this week), and that is actually how they have caught their biggest fish. Yesterday they had his boat’s two biggest of the year, a 34-inch and 32-inch fish.  The fish are in small pods following bait.  

You can also catch striped bass trolling, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that pulling big 9-inch plugs around suspended bait schools in 20-25 feet of water every fish they have caught has been over 26 inches. 

Captain Joseph is also still doing very well for catfish, and the 25-35 foot range has picked up. It was good for numbers of fish, but now they are finding more big fish there again.  However, the deep bite is still the most consistent place for big fish, with almost all of the fish in the 50-foot range seeming to be 15 pounds or better – while in shallow water fish as small as two pounds will be caught.

These big cats are holding around bait schools in the deepest water in the old creek and river channels, and these areas are generally pretty flat. 

Captain Stevie is also favoring the deeper areas for drift fishing, and he is targeting 35-50 feet of water in the deepest area of every slough. Mullet has been his go-to bait. 

There’s still not a ton of black bass activity on Santee as most people seem to be targeting striper and cats, but Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that since it still isn’t super cold the 8-15 foot brush pile bite remains pretty good. Fish are related to ditches, either on the edges or in the middle, that feed large expanses of the shallows. Spinnerbaits and jerkbaits are good around these brush piles, but an Alabama rig is hard to beat. 

Of course trees in 3-5 feet of water are still fishing pretty well, and the grass in 3-7 feet of water continues to hold a lot of fish. Hunt for fish with a Chatterbait or a spinnerbait, and once you locate them you can slow down with a worm on a Carolina rig or drop shot. 

Unfortunately it has not been a hot bite for crappie, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports they are only picking up a few fish on their brush piles. At the same time the activity for bream has been pretty outstanding, and they are catching numbers of big bluegill on brush in 25-30 feet of water fishing 14-18 feet down with crickets. Even when they use worms not many shellcracker are showing up. 

Next week there will be no new fishing reports with the Christmas holiday, but regular reports will resume after the New Year. 

December 11

Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.65 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.46 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 53-56 degrees and the lakes generally have a light stain. 

We have a ton of information on Santee Cooper this week, and Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that as the water continues to clear and the striped bass group back up into tighter groups the schooling activity is taking off. Most of it is in 25-35 feet of water in areas with bait, and they have been catching multiple limits of fish this way. The last time out they had five limits by 10:00. There are also still fish super deep, and generally the fish range between about 25 and 55 feet. Fish can be found about anywhere in that depth but they are mostly in the lower lake. Herring or gizzard shad on down-lines are working well. 

 

Captain Joseph is also still doing very well for catfish, again ranging from about 25-55 feet. The fish are still basically in two groups, and in 25-35 or so feet they are catching 5-40 pound fish but mostly medium-sized cats. Another group of fish is in around 50 feet of water. These are generally all big fish in the 15 plus pound range, with lots of fish in the 20s. Interestingly, there is often a dead zone in about 40-45 feet.

These big cats are holding around bait schools in the deepest water in the old creek and river channels, and these areas are generally pretty flat. 

Part-time Bonneau resident Captain Bill Plumley also reports a very strong catfish bite, catching 17 fish in 4 ½ hours on his last trip out. He was drifting Lake Moultrie in 6-32 feet, but most of the fish came around 20 feet. Consistent with Captain Joseph’s description, they ran up to 21 pounds but most were medium-sized fish.   They were not really related to bait but scattered all over on flats and ditches. All of the better fish came on bream heads, while the smaller fish came on frozen American shad. 

Last on the catfish front, Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that he is fishing the upper lake exclusively and finding the fish moving around every day following the bait. The bulk of the fish he is catching have been in 20-25 feet of water, but the basic pattern is to ride around until you mark a bunch of bait and then start drifting. The most fish have been on flats near the river channel – not in the channel itself. No bait is standing out and herring and shad are working about the same. 

It's not a hot bite for crappie, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is a little disappointed that after a few better weeks the bite seems to be slowing down again in the lake. He hasn’t found much action in either lake, although generally fish in the upper lake are in 15-20 feet and in the lower lake in 25-30 plus. Usually this time of year he can find fish in the upper lake near the dam, but he wonders if during the flooding when they opened the floodgates many of these fish were swept into the river. The fish he is marking in the upper lake haven’t been especially inclined to eat, and the lower lake hasn’t been much better. 

Captain Joseph reminds anglers that there is always a group of crappie in the swamp. This time of year they will hold in deeper areas with at least 5-6 feet of water around trees or grass mats, and as it gets colder the action usually gets better as they group up tighter. 

Both Captain Steve and Captain Bill report good catches of nice bluegills in brush in about 25-28 feet of water. The only odd part was that Steve has been catching them on the bottom, while for Bill they were just 6 feet below the surface!

There’s only minor change this week with the black bass on Santee as temperatures are about back to where they were, and Captain Kyle and Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) report that trees in 3-5 feet of water are still fishing pretty well. The upper lake still has some good color in places and fish are being caught off trees with a spinnerbait. 

Beyond that the grass is still holding a ton of fish, and the best action is in 3-7 feet of water. Hunt for fish with a Chatterbait or a spinnerbait, and once you locate them you can slow down with a worm on a Carolina rig or drop shot. 

There are also still some deeper patterns, and there are fish on brush piles that will take a worm. And of course looking around schools of bait and casting minnow-imitations at fish you can see on electronics is a productive pattern. 

December 4

Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.80 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.37 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 55-58 degrees and the lakes have cleared substantially but still have some color in places. 

Once again we have a unique crappie report for Santee, and Captain Joseph Dennis (843-245-3762) reports that yesterday up in the swamp they found the crappie stacked up on tree tops in about 6 feet of water just 2-3 feet deep. They also found some fish around floating grass mats (which attract crustaceans, bait fish, and warm up quickly) but trees were the key. The fish were very grouped up and if you caught one in an area you were assured of catching more. Most were running in the one-pound range. 

As we write Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is on the water chasing slabs in the lower lake, and at last report the best action seemed to be on brush in 15-25 feet of water with minnows. Fish have moved a little deeper with the cooler temperatures. 

There’s not a lot of change this week with the black bass on Santee, except that Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that trees in 3-5 feet of water seem to be fishing a little better. The upper lake still has some good color and fish are being caught off trees with a spinnerbait. 

Beyond that the grass is still holding a ton of fish, and the best action is in 3-7 feet of water. Hunt for fish with a Chatterbait or a spinnerbait, and once you locate them you can slow down with a worm on a Carolina rig or drop shot. 

There are also still fish on brush piles that will take a worm. 

The catfish have moved deeper and really turned on this week, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that in 28-40 feet of water he is finding a very good drifting bite with herring, white perch, and shad. He is having the best luck on ledges and other depth changes at that depth, but other anglers are fishing even deeper and also having success. 

One of those anglers is Captain Joseph, who reports that basically he is seeing two groups of catfish. One is in that 25-35 or so foot depth range, where they are catching 5-40 pound fish but mostly medium-sized cats. Another group of fish is in around 50 feet of water. These are generally all big fish in the 15 plus pound range, with lots of fish in the 20s. Interestingly, there is often a dead zone in about 40-45 feet.

These big cats are holding around bait schools in the deepest water in the old creek and river channels, and these areas are generally pretty flat. 

When they are moving then drifting with cut herring (or gizzard shad as a second choice) is working well, but when they are stationary then live herring (or gizzard shad) have been working very well for both catfish and striped bass. As the lakes have cleaned up the striper have grouped back up into massive schools of fish between 20-30 inches, and they are catching both species together. In general the best striper fishing is also in 50 feet, but on windy days when they are forced to fish closer to the shore for some protection so they can keep baits close to vertical then 30-35 feet of water has been holding fish.   

November 20

Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.44 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.1 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are still about 65-67 degrees and the lakes have cleared substantially. Marion is now “normal” color.

The biggest excitement with the fishing this week on Santee is with the crappie, and veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that a tournament last weekend yielded some impressive weights.  Multiple teams averaged more than two pounds per fish, a 2.86 pound slab was weighed in, and Will and his tournament partner managed to catch what could have been multiple limits of fish. Of course it was still Santee, and unlike a lake like Wateree where most of the brush is covered with crappie Will says that they had to scan miles and miles of water to find six or seven places holding fish. And there was no rhyme or reason to where they were, except that they had the best luck in creeks in Lake Marion. But brush from 17 to 31 feet held fish, mostly suspended about 12-13 feet down.

Their timing was good because at the same time Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has found a significantly improved bite this week, again especially in creeks in the upper lake. In the main lakes he is finding just small groups of fish on brush. His best depth range has been 8-10 feet down over 15-20 feet, with minnows. 

Meanwhile the catfish are still scattered all over the place on Santee, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services(843-209-3726) reports that he is really waiting on cold weather to group them up. For now he is still drifting Marion near deep water ditches and river channels in about 15-20 feet of water. The fish are spread out, and he is having the best luck with smaller pieces of threadfin shad. 

Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the deep catfish bite has slowed, although he is still marking lots of big catfish and striped bass as deep as 60 feet on humps, underwater hills, deep points, and sometimes even deep flats. However, it may be more an issue that with the wind it has been hard to get live and cut baits down to the fish rather than that they aren’t feeding. 

Finally, a new contributing expert Captain Corey Casey with Corey Casey Guide Service (843-214-6989) reports that right now the black bass are moving into the grass on Santee. While there are other places bass could be, the grass has gotten so abundant – often with flats ten miles long – that the vast majority of the fish are in the grass in both lakes. Like on a Florida lake, often you just have to put your trolling motor down and hunt for them. The best action right now is in 3-7 feet, and any kind of moving bait from a Chatterbait to spinnerbait to a topwater will work. Once you locate fish you can slow down with a worm or Carolina rig on a drop shot. 

If Captain Corey had to name a secondary pattern it would be fishing brush piles in 8-15 feet, either in the main part of creeks or close to some sort of flat, with a spinnerbait or worm. 

November 13

Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.59 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.25 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are still about 68-70 degrees and the lakes are still dirty but the upper end is clearing first. 

The catfish are still scattered all over the place on Santee, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that he is drifting Marion near deep water ditches and river channels in about 15-20 feet of water. The fish are spread out, and he is having the best luck with smaller pieces of threadfin shad. 

While Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) is targeting a similar depth range, his father Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) has been catching fish in just 8-10 feet of water. Both captains are drifting herring and finding a pretty good bite for blues and a few channels.

But Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) is on the opposite end of the depth range, and he is fishing as deep as 60 feet. Down there he is finding bait, catfish and striped bass all stacked up together, and they are catching both species on cut and live bait. Bluebacks, mullet and gizzard shad are all working well. Humps, underwater hills, deep points, and sometimes even deep flats have all been strong, and it’s not unusual to catch catfish on live bait and striper on cut bait. Big pieces of bait continue to fish the best for Captain Bobby, and it’s just a matter of waiting for bites. 

At the same time the crappie bite remains tough, although Captain Steve reports that as the upper lake clears it’s getting better. The lower end is still painfully slow. 

Veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt has also spent some time after the crappie on Santee, and he is finding fish on cover from about 15 feet out to 28 feet. In the stained conditions they have been holding pretty tight to it, and for whatever reason they only seem to want minnows and not jigs. 

Finally, Captain Kyle reports that not a lot of black bass fishing is going on, although in a recent kayak tournament there was an incredible 26-pound bag (in a kayak, at this time of year!) converting from inches to pounds. Fish are in standard fall patterns and they are chasing shad on the outside of trees and in small depressions. Anything that imitates a shad from a small swimbait to lipless crankbait to a square-billed crankbait can work. 

Of course there are always fish offshore, too. 

October 30

Santee Cooper water levels are down to 74.85 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 74.70 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 68-70 degrees and the lakes are still dirty to muddy – with the upper lake starting to clear first. 

It’s kind of hard to describe the catfish bite on Santee right now, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) reports that fish are basically everywhere.  However, even as the upper lake starts to clear the water still has some color to it and there are a lot of fish shallow, and he is finding a decent number of fish on shallow flats in Marion. But the biggest concentration of bait seems to be in about 20-25 feet in the upper lake, and drifting flats at that depth has also been productive. He is having the best luck with smaller pieces of shad.

Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) also reports that fish can be found both deep and shallow, but in the very muddy lower lake he is having the best results drifting in about 10 feet of water.  Gizzard shad have been his bait of choice, and flats have been working the best for him. 

But confirming the point that fish can be anywhere, Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the best bite he is on is in the lower lake fishing 20-55 feet of water on deep flats. The bait is stacked up down there, and they are catching big fish. The best baits have been large pieces of fish, and big blueback herring threaded onto a hook have been out-producing all else. 

At the same time the striped bass are a struggle, and Captain Bobby reports that is almost certainly related to the muddy water. About the only place he has heard of anglers having success is around the dam in deep water, and not much there.  You will mark a lot of fish deep but they are not eating live bait. Perhaps trolling umbrella rigs deep could trigger a reaction strike.

Anglers can get lucky and find a school of birds diving, but he hasn’t seen much of that recently. 

In the muddy water the crappie bite has been almost non-existent, with Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) catching 4 in the upper lake and none in the lower lake on recent trips. Even the bluegill aren’t doing much in the conditions, and Captain Steve is telling people to wait until mid-November when the water should clear. 

Finally, Captain Kyle reports that not a lot of black bass fishing is going on right now, but as the water clears up behind the islands where a lot of the fish live you can find a frog bite up shallow.  In the cooler weather swimming a jig or fishing a Texas rig can also work.  The deeper patterns are also still there, and around offshore grass and brush piles you can catch fish on crankbaits or spinnerbaits. You can also call them up on topwater lures. 

October 16

Santee Cooper water levels are down to 75.20 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and bouncing around 75.1 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures have dropped to about 70 degrees and the lakes are still dirty to muddy. 

With all the crazy water conditions oddly enough he thinks it’s the full moon that’s to blame, but Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that the catfish bite has been off for him the past couple of days. He is still drifting in 20-35 feet of water around hills and other steep depth changes, but on each spot he has been catching about one fish and then nothing else. He’s hearing similar reports from the shallow guys targeting big blues.   

About the only thing he’s found that can improve your chances is to use big baits right now, and whether it’s mullet, gizzard shad, or some other cut bait the fish seem to want something big. 

The only bright spot with the catfish seems to be with the teenage and smaller fish, including channels and white cats, and Captain Bill Plumley reports that anchoring in about 9 feet of water on a ledge he was able to catch a mess of eating-sized fish. The bigger ones came on frozen shad but numbers on worms, and he also managed to catch some really nice shellcracker up to 1 ¾ pounds! 

No new crappie reports this week as in the muddy water Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) hasn’t even tried. 

These are also really tough conditions for striped bass fishing, and Captain Bobby reports that he doesn’t know anyone who has been catching them. When he takes a trip out this weekend his plan is to fish deep points and hills, and hopefully fish the cleanest water he can find. He believes the cooler weather will have pushed the bait deeper. 

Bass report to follow if we can get one!

October 9

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.09 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.44 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are about 78 degrees and most of the lakes are now very muddy. 

It’s been about the wildest couple of weeks imaginable for water levels on Santee, and almost two weeks ago in anticipation of Helene they dropped the lakes around five feet in a couple of days. Within another couple of days Marion shot back higher than it had been before the storm, and only a couple of days ago it slowly started dropping, while Moultrie is still down a couple of feet but rising. Basically the entire lakes are muddy except for a small section of water at the lower end of Moultrie by the dam.

The clear consensus is that all the current and up-and-down water levels have been a boon for the catfish, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in shallow water just 6-10 feet deep in Moultrie the current had the fish biting a couple of days ago. He stuck to the edge of the mud line and eventually to slightly cleaner water, drifting bluebacks, but his father had the same results drifting 10-20 feet in the mud. While Captain Stevie did catch blues up to 27 pounds he also picked up a lot of channels and even a couple of bullheads, and he thinks that if you fished dip baits just out of the current you could wallop the channels in these muddy conditions. 

Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) says you can also catch fish at anchor near the banks in Lake Marion, and in the super muddy conditions he points to fish that are in newly re-flooded areas in 3-5 feet of water. They will eat about any protein you put in front of them as the bite has really turned on.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish deep, and Captain Bobby Winters with Bob’s Guide Service Encore (843-751-3080) reports that yesterday he had “one of those days” drifting in 20-35 feet of water around hills and other steep depth changes. The fish were stacked up and hungry – see below. 

He thinks he could have been targeting fish that left the shallows when water levels dropped, or they could just be deep fish that have been there a while but have really put on the feed bag. Bluebacks were also working for his boat. 

But these are terrible conditions for striped bass fishing, and Captain Bobby says that you basically have to go to the cleanest water by the dam if you want to catch fish – and even there reports aren’t good. He recommends putting some live bait on down-lines where you mark fish and then some free-lines on top where they can see them. 

It’s a similar story for the crappie, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that before the lower lake got muddy he actually had a really good day catching 15-20 fish on brush in 20-24 feet. They were 14-16 feet down. However, after it got muddy he couldn’t even catch bluegill on the same brush. The bad news is that he doesn’t expect the crappie fishing to be decent for a while, until the lake clears, but the good news is that the results do show that there is a glimmer of hope with the crappie population once conditions normalize. 

Finally, Captain Kyle reports that right now the place to look for bass is shallow. They want to be there because the bait is there, and in muddy water they also like to orient themselves by moving to the banks. The topwater bite is probably dead for a while with visibility around an inch in most of the lake, but reaction lures like spinnerbaits and crankbaits will generate some action. Target cypress trees, stumps and other cover that the fish can relate to in 2-4 feet of water. 

October 1

Santee Cooper water levels are about down several feet in both lakes although the very upper end of Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) is just starting to fill back up. Lake Moultrie is still extremely low at 70.75 (full pool is 75.5). Morning surface water temperatures are still about 80 degrees and the lake is about to get extremely dirty.  

For right now lake levels are dangerously low on Santee, and Captain Kyle Austin with KA Guide Services (843-209-3726) estimates that there are only a couple of boats on the water in the whole system with ramps inaccessible and the obvious danger. The levels are so low because Santee Cooper is preparing for a deluge of water coming into the lakes, and they started dropping water levels very aggressively several days ago. 

That made for some pretty incredible catfish fishing over the weekend, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 8-14 feet they were catching 20-30 good fish during the day over the weekend on herring. The night bite was still good but a little slower. Moving water excites catfish, and at one point the water dropped a foot while they were fishing for several hours. You could see swells around trees. 

It's hard to know what to expect with any species, as an unprecedented amount of water is coming into the system as well as a ton of debris. At the very least anglers should use extreme caution when they are able to get a boat on the lake again.