November 10

Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.56 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.90 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface water temperatures are in the upper 60s and while the lakes have some color they are not dirty.

There are probably some bass offshore out deep chasing shad along with the striper, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the most catchable fish right now that he is targeting are extremely shallow around grass and wood. He is fishing in 1 ½ to 2 feet of water in both lakes, and the best action has come on topwater lures including buzzbaits, frogs and Spooks. Right now the action is not on fire but they are catching some fish, and the bass seem to be in an opportunistic mood where they are feeding on whatever is around including crawfish, bream, shad and more.   

It’s most than likely a function of water temperatures, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappie are still very scattered which means they are catching about half as many fish as at this time last year. Fish are around shallower and deeper brush, but the best action has come 8-12 feet down over brush piles in 17-24 feet of water. Because it has relatively less cover Steve finds that the fish are grouped up a little better in the lower lake right now, and minnows are working the best. 

Almost certainly as a result of the mild water temperatures, the bream fishing is actually slower than a month ago when dropping temperatures were grouping the better fish up on brush.  To be sure you can catch a ton of bream on brush, and on one recent trip Captain Steve’s boat caught about 300 bluegill. However, many of them are small right now and there are even some better fish back in the shallows again.  If temperatures drop the action should really improve fishing crickets over brush at about the same depth where they are catching the crappie. 

The wide open fall catfish bite has not really kicked in yet, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that some of the best action has actually come getting up very early and starting to fish an hour or two before daylight – more like a summer pattern. During the day he has found better fish drifting in 17-19 feet of water, while there are numbers but smaller fish out in 30-35 feet. There are people anchoring in the canal but the fishing doesn’t seem to be very good. 

Herring, cut shad and bream are all working a little bit better than chicken.

October 23

Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.93 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.24 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface water temperatures have slightly warmed to about 72-73 degrees, and while there has been a ton of water moving through the lakes they remain fairly clear. 

Over the last few weeks water temperatures have if anything risen, and as a result  Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappie really have not ganged up very well. They are still scattered between shallow and deep water, and the best action he has found has been fishing minnows around brush 8-12 feet down over 17-24 feet of water. There are also some fish to be found in deeper brush, but the numbers are a little thinner. Cooler temperatures in the weeks ahead should concentrate the fish. 

The fall bream fishing continues to be pretty good, but perhaps because of the warmer temperatures the fishing is not quite as reliable as it was when temperatures were dropping. Some days Steve says they will find big fish ganged up on the brush, while other days the bream are small with only the occasional better fish mixed in. 

The best action has come fishing for bluegill with crickets about 8-10 feet down over brush in 15-18 feet of water. 

With water temperatures stable bass patterns have not changed a lot on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the most catchable fish remain shallow in 2-4 feet of water. There is a little bit of schooling activity, but for the most part it is just junk fishing with topwater lures, crankbaits and soft plastics around grass, trees and any other type of cover. Since the shad are generally still suspended out deep most of the fish that have moved up are feeding on bream and crawfish. 

In general the fall catfish bite on Santee kicks off when water temperatures drop consistently, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that without relatively stable cooling the fishing has been a little up-and-down. Sometimes it has been tough. The best action has been found drifting in 20-35 feet of water, and the top baits have been cut herring and chicken.

With a ton of water coming through the system the canal has been too blown out to fish.

October 9

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.14 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.97 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface water temperatures are around 70-74 degrees.

There are more than a few big name bass fishermen targeting Santee Cooper this week, and luckily Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that water conditions have stabilized enough that cooling temperatures could kick in a decent fall bite for the Elite anglers. By and large the fish have moved shallow and so the best fishing is generally in 2-4 feet of water. There is a little bit of schooling activity, but for the most part it is just junk fishing with topwater lures, crankbaits and soft plastics around grass, trees and any other type of cover. Since the shad are generally still suspended out deep most of the fish that have moved up are feeding on bream and crawfish. 

The crappie bite has been pretty good this week, but right now Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that there is a clear difference in how the two lakes are fishing. The numbers are lower but the fish have been bigger in the lower lake, while in the upper lake the numbers are better but the fish are smaller. Steve’s boat is fishing minnows around brush 8-12 feet down over 17-24 feet of water, but there are reports of fish around shallow laydowns in only 5 feet being caught up in the swamp.

As promised, the fall bream fishing has finally gotten good. Steve reports that the better fish have now moved out to brush, and they are setting up 8-10 feet down over brush in 15-18 feet of water. They are catching mostly bluegill and so crickets have been the bait of choice. While Steve is mainly fishing the lower lake, the pattern is about the same in both lakes. 

There are a couple of different patterns for catching catfish, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that at night he has been drifting in very deep water 45 plus feet. This is not a pattern for numbers, but he has been catching some big ones this way. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are willing to wait for just a few big bites setting up in the shallows at night can also produce.  

During the day he has been catching better numbers, and generally they are targeting 15-25 feet. 

Perch and herring have been the best baits. 

September 25

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.32 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.33 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures have dropped all the way to 73 or 74 degrees. There is a ton of water being pulled through the lakes creating some swift current. 

We got the seasonal cooling that anglers knew was needed to move the bass out of a deep suspended pattern, but  Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that there has been so much current running through the lakes that it has made fishing extremely difficult. The lower lake was pulled so much that it was tough to target bass, and the current was so swift in the canal and the upper lake that it made fishing there almost impossible. For now the best bet is to perhaps head up the river and look for areas with some sort of current break, be it a log, brush or tree. 

Once water levels stabilize the fishing should get really good, and fish will finally move both shallower in the water column as well as shallower towards the banks and set up nicely. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and topwater lures should all work.  

The crappie bite has dropped off a little this week, particularly in the lower lake, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are still catching fish on minnows and jigs 8-12 feet down over brush in 18-25 feet.  Even though numbers are down they have managed some nice ones. 

The better bream remain tough to target, but very soon when water conditions stabilize they should pull out to the brush piles and group up.

There’s may still be a pretty good catfish bite out deep, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the best action he has heard of this week has come drifting shallower in about 10 feet of water.  

Herring and cut perch are still the best baits.

September 18

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.68 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.70 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures have dropped to 80 or 81. It’s been extremely windy and there is a lot of rainwater coming into the system, but the lakes are starting out pretty clear and so the lower lake will probably stay relatively clean while the upper end of Marion may get dirty. 

It was a brutal Carolinas Bass Challenge event last Saturday, and although it did appear that the patterns were not too far off from what was expected (offshore) weights were even lower than predicted.  Gary Michaud and Dustin Compton took the win with 21.89 pounds, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) points out that any time only a couple of teams in an elite 165-boat field break 20 pounds, less than two dozen break 14 pounds, and around half the field does not weigh in a fish – on the big bass factory that is Santee Cooper – things are extremely tough! 

The core problem is that right now the fish are on an offshore suspended bite around schools of shad, and that makes them very difficult to target. They aren’t related well to brush, ledges, mussel beds or any other offshore target that can hold them, which makes these roaming fish extremely hard to locate and present a bait to. Crankbaits and swimbaits are probably the best choices. Brett notes that you can still catch fish on soft plastics around trees, but the bites aren’t easy to come by and the 1-2 pound fish that are there don’t do much good in a tournament.

Temperatures were still hot as of last weekend, but as the water cools fish will move both shallower in the water column as well as shallower towards the banks. The baits will stay the same but fish will be easier to locate and they will bite better.  Topwater baits should also come on. 

While the bass are playing hard-to-get, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappie bite is still pretty reliable. Catches aren’t outstanding but they are approaching 20 fish most trips fishing minnows and jigs 8-12 feet down over brush in 18-25 feet. He’s been in the lower lake more but both lakes are fishing about the same.

The better bream remain tough to target, although if you want to catch small bream you can catch them over brush to your heart’s content. They are creating quite a nuisance for crappie fishermen pulling the tails off of jigs. As the temperatures drop the better bream should pull out to the brush piles and group up – which should be starting right now.

The best catfish bite seems to be in a little deeper water this week, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that he is finding the best drifts in 30-35 feet of water in areas that have tree stumps. He has caught a few fish as deep as 40 feet, and he has heard of fish as shallow as 20. With a major catfish tournament taking place this weekend it will be interesting to see what other patterns emerge. With cooler weather the bite has been improving at the right time for some exciting catches. 

Herring and cut perch are the best baits right now. 

September 10

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.42 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.27 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are down to around 83 degrees and clarity is very high in the lower lake. The upper lake is a bit dingier.  

With many of the state’s best bass fishermen headed to Santee Cooper for the Carolinas Bass Challenge event this weekend, for this week’s report we decided to check in with a Santee bass expert who will not be fishing on Saturday and doesn’t mind giving his frank appraisal. Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) acknowledges that the fall is different on Santee, and while there will certainly be some fish caught shallow as well as around trees he expects the tournament to be won in the 6-14 foot range. At that depth fish will be around brush and stumps, and in the lower lake some of the fish will be over humps that have cover on them. Pulling soft plastics through the brush or crankbaits over the top of it will be the dominant patterns, but a big spinnerbait could also play.  Guiding for other species he has seen some very large bass come out of brush piles recently to try to eat a panfish. 

In the fall fish are focused on shad more than at other times of the year when anglers more typically chase them on Santee, and there could be some schooling activity. This is particularly true in the creeks up the lake. However, these fish generally run smaller. 

Overall Steve predicts that it will take around 26 pounds for the win. 

While the bass guys are plugging away at the fish on Saturday Steve will be guiding for crappie, and overall he reports that the bite has slowed down a little. He is marking plenty of fish but catching 15-18 has been a pretty good day recently. He is catching them on minnows and jigs 8-12 feet down over brush in 18-25 feet, and Steve finds that both lakes are fishing about the same.

The bream remain tough to target, although if you want to catch small bream you can catch them over brush to your heart’s content. They are creating quite a nuisance for crappie fishermen pulling the tails off of jigs. As the temperatures drop the better bream should pull out to the brush piles and group up.

It’s hard to know exactly what to make of the catfish bite, and really the only valid conclusion seems to be that the Santee Cooper lakes are full of catfish. Captain Bill Plumley reports that early and late he has been having the best luck drifting in 10-12 feet of water, and this morning he doubled up with a 34-pounder and a 19-pounder at the same time and also caught a bunch of smaller fish. He believes they are coming up shallower to feed on mussel beds in low light periods, but then during the day they head out deeper. Drifting in 30 feet he has caught more small fish.

At the same time, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) has found a good drift bite in 26-40 feet of water at night, with the best action when he is in the 30-35 foot sweet spot. During the day he is finding the best action a little shallower in 25-30 feet. 

Cut bream, white perch and blueback herring are all working, and if you want to catch smaller channels until you are tired of it worms are hard to beat. 

August 26

Santee Cooper water levels are up to 76.09 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.55 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are have dropped to about 80-85, and so far clarity is still good even as dirty water moves towards the system. 

It’s August on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that usually means tough fishing. This year is no exception. The best action has come around shell beds in 6-12 feet of water with crankbaits and Carolina rigs, and you basically have to know where they are or look for hard bottoms on your depth finder. Brett has not found a topwater bite or much action around grass, but you can catch a few fish shallow early on worms. As is the case 12 months a year on Santee you can find fish around trees right now in 2-4 feet, and there are also some fish that can be caught around brush on worms, jigs or spinnerbaits. 

The crappie fishing has picked up a little on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they have caught 10, 18, and 22 pretty good fish the last three times he has been out. Fish have been about 8-12 feet down over brush in 15-24 feet, and both minnows and jigs have been productive. He has caught fish in both lakes.

The bream are really tough to target right now, and all of the bluegill out on the brush are small. They are also not on beds, but if you are willing to really hunt for them it is possible to find them around mid-depth structure like stumps and trees in 10-12 feet. 

There is one more possible spawning moon this year, and Steve believes that around the September 2 moon there could be another wave of fish spawning shallow which will concentrate them. While bluegill and shellcracker will both eat worms and crickets, bluegill show a preference for crickets while shellcracker show a preference for worms. You can generally sit right on top of shellcracker beds and fish for them, while bluegill will scatter if you get too close. 

The catfish bite has gotten a little less predictable, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 25-35 feet has been the most effective pattern.  The night action also appears to be picking up in that same depth range. 

There have been some very scattered reports of decent shallow catches at night, but this is not yet especially reliable. 

White perch and blueback herring have been the most effective baits lately.

 

July 29

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.60 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.47 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the upper 80s to lower 90s, and overall clarity is good. 

Even though bass fishing is seasonally tough on the Santee Cooper lakes, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that there are certainly still some good fish being caught. Early in the morning there is a decent topwater bite on lures like frogs, and even though this can continue into the day the shade bite is not like it once was. There are also a fair number of fish being caught on weightless worms, Senkos and floating worms – with early again being best. 

Once the sun gets up a little the best action is coming in 6-10 feet of water around wood, and soft plastics are the best way to target the fish. Dragging a Carolina rig around brush and stumps is working pretty well. 

On the next full moon in a few days there should be a decent bream bed bite. 

There is limited fishing activity on the lakes right now and a lot of people are fishing the tidal rice fields in the Cooper River. 

The crappie bite is still slow on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the fish are just not feeding very well. You can catch a few, but you really have to work to catch them. Probably the best bet is to start on shallow brush and then gradually move deeper, but around the August 3 full moon there should be a shad spawn and there will be some crappie feeding around shallow brush in 12-14 feet. Concentrate efforts in the evening. 

The bream are a little scattered right now, but Steve reports that there are fish in the shallows that can be caught. It won’t be until October that the better fish get on the brush. 

On the August full moon there should be another wave of fish spawning shallow which will concentrate them. While bluegill and shellcracker will both eat worms and crickets, bluegill show a preference for crickets while shellcracker show a preference for worms. You can generally sit right on top of shellcracker beds and fish for them, while bluegill will scatter if you get too close. 

The bright spot continues to be a still-strong catfish bite, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 20-30 feet is pretty effective.  The best action is right at sun-up but the fish will continue to feed into the morning. 

Some guys are doing very well anchoring at night in the shallows, but it can be a little unpredictable.

Anchoring on the flats at both ends of the canal in about 10 feet of water has also been working pretty well, and at night anchoring or drifting in the canal has also been good. 

Herring has been the best bait lately. 

July 17

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.49 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.43 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are 88-90 degrees, and overall clarity is good. 

It’s not exactly the peak time for fishing – let alone bass fishing – on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the bite for green fish has gotten slow. The best action is now coming in 6-10 feet of water around wood, and soft plastics are the best way to target the fish. Dragging a Carolina rig around brush and stumps is working as well as anything. 

On the shallower side, there is some limited topwater action first thing. You can also throw a frog in the shade or around bream beds. 

It’s that time when the crappie bite also slows down on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the fish are not feeding very well. You can catch a few, but you really have to work to catch them. Probably the best bet is to start on shallow brush and then gradually move deeper, but for the best success try waiting until around the August 3 full moon. There should be a shad spawn then and there will be some crappie feeding around shallow brush in 12-14 feet. Concentrate efforts in the evening. 

The bream are a little scattered right now, but Steve reports that there are fish in the shallows that can be caught. It won’t be until October that the better fish get on the brush. 

On the August full moon there should be another wave of fish spawning shallow which will concentrate them. While bluegill and shellcracker will both eat worms and crickets, bluegill show a preference for crickets while shellcracker show a preference for worms. You can generally sit right on top of shellcracker beds and fish for them, while bluegill will scatter if you get too close. 

The bright spot recently has been a still-steady catfish bite, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 18-30 feet has been pretty effective. The fish aren’t eating equally well every day, but overall catches have been fairly good. 

Some guys are doing very well anchoring at night in the shallows, but it can be a little unpredictable.

Probably the best bite has been in the canal, where there the flow is moderate right now, and both anchoring and drifting have been good. Fish can be caught at a variety of depths but if you had to target one depth in the canal 16 feet would be a good bet.

Both herring and white perch are working.

June 26

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.90 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.48 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures range from about the mid-70s to low 80s because of all the cool freshwater coming into the lakes, and overall clarity is good. 

Even though water temperatures are relatively mild on the Santee lakes, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that bass are starting to get a little deeper. There is still some action shallow beating the banks with topwater lures first thing in the morning, and fish will take buzzbaits, frogs, Pop-Rs, Spooks, and more.  

However, more fish are starting to be caught around deeper brush piles in 6-12 feet of water. Big worms and jigs are the best way to target them.

With all the water coming into the lakes – as well as high water levels for summer - there are also some fish being caught in the swamp in areas with current. Spinnerbaits and jigs are working well around trees, grass and other areas where current is flowing. 

Finally, Brett points out that there are always fish on trees in 3-5 feet of water in Santee, and worms have been working the best for them.  

The crappie bite is pretty steady on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they still catching some good fish even though the numbers are not spectacular. The fish are around relatively shallow and medium-depth brush, from 8-14 feet down over 15-25 feet of water. Jigs and minnows are working about equally well, and typically minnows work better early and things come on later once the sun is up. A barrel swivel will help avoid line twists when jigging. 

The bream have not been piled up in the shallows recently, but Steve reports that on the next full moon July 5 there should be another wave of fish spawning shallow. While bluegill and shellcracker will both eat worms and crickets, bluegill show a preference for crickets while shellcracker show a preference for worms. You can generally sit right on top of shellcracker beds and fish for them, while bluegill will scatter if you get too close. 

The catfish bite has picked up a little, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that drifting in 20-30 feet of water has been the best pattern. You can also catch some fish drifting in the canal since they are pulling a lot of water through, but generally these have been smaller fish. Anchoring at the mouths of the canal is a good pattern for bigger fish.

While Steve has not been doing it anchoring shallow around trees early and late can also work. 

Cut herring has been the bait of choice. 

June 9

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.38 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.20 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s in the morning. The lower lake is clear while the upper lake has improved from muddy to just dingy. 

There have been some really good bass catches recently on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that in the Sunday Showdown Series finale the best boat had 3 fish for an impressive 18 pounds. Second place had 16, and there were a bunch of 12-13 pound bags with a 4+ pound average.

The best action still seems to be shallow, and the lower lake seems to be producing better fish.  

In both lakes there is topwater action beating the banks in the morning, and fish are taking buzzbaits, frogs, Pop-Rs, Spooks, and more.  You still have to mix it up because they continue to show a preference for different baits on different days. During the day most of the fish are on trees in 3-5 feet of water, and worms have been working the best. 

The crappie bite has picked up a little on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are not catching a ton of fish but some good ones over 2 pounds. The fish are still on mid-depth brush in the 15-25 foot range, and they have even caught some shallower fish 7 feet down over brush in 13 feet. Minnows and jigs are still working about the same. 

Around the full moon they found some really good bream beds, with a mix of bluegills and shellcracker on them. Even after the full moon fish will continue to bed in certain areas, and a sure way to know when they have left is that the channel cats move in which will also eat crickets.  

In the past few days the catfish bite slowed down a little, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that they are still able to get some good fishing drifting herring in 12-20 feet of water. You can also anchor shallow on both ends of the mouth of the canal when there is not too much wind for an effective anchor. 

Anchoring at night has also been pretty good in the shallows, and drifting in 25-35 feet of water has also been working. 

June 2

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.72 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.89 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface water temperatures are around 80.5 in the morning, and the upper lake is very muddy which is also coming to the lower lake.   

Even though it could come back on the next full moon the shad spawn seems done for right now, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that fish have settled into a pretty normal seasonal pattern. The best action is shallow. 

There is some topwater action beating the banks in the morning, and fish are taking buzzbaits, frogs, Pop-Rs, Spooks, and more. You have to mix it up because they show a preference for different baits on different days. 

During the day most of the fish he is catching are on trees in 3-5 feet of water, and worms have been working the best. Both lakes are fishing about the same. 

The crappie bite has slowed down on Santee, although Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the best action still seems to be on mid-depth brush 10-14 feet down over about 18 feet. 

Minnows and jigs are working about the same. 

Bream fishing has been a little tricky the last couple of days because of a major mayfly hatch, but it is expected that there should be good fish on beds as the June 5 full moon approaches. Today they had left their bedding areas to go eat mayflies and it was hard to get the fish to eat.

The brightest spot for hungry fishermen has been the catfish bite, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that there are a bunch of good patterns and fish seem to be pretty hungry. Drifting relatively shallow in the upper lake has been effective even as it got so dirty, and anchoring at the mouth of the canal has also worked. You can still catch fish drifting in 10-30 feet of water, and anchoring both early and late has also been working. The night bite is also coming on.

Cut herring has been the most effective bait.

A nice catfish caught with Captain Stevie English

May 20

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.90 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.07 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are around 74 degrees in the morning and the lakes – which have been dingy to clear – are about to get very muddy. 

The bass are still shallow on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that he is still not aware of any deeper pattern. Most of the fish he is catching are on trees in 3-4 feet of water in both lakes. Soft plastics, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are all working.

The biggest change this week is that there seem to be a lot more fish protecting fry that are around the grass and so fishing baits like frogs is working better. 

For now time of day does not seem to make a big difference although sun does pull the fish tighter to trees.

The crappie bite has picked up on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they have had good numbers as well as some big fish. Fish are on mid-depth brush 10-14 feet down over about 18 feet. 

Minnows and jigs have both been working. 

It’s still in-between time for bream on Santee, but while the better shellcracker have gone deeper there are more big bluegill up shallow spawning. This will just get better and better as water warms and the June 5 full moon approaches. 

The catfish bite has been decent, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the main problem seems to be that fish are so spread out that finding concentrations is difficult. However, the upside is that fish can be found all over the lake in 4-30 feet of water. 

Overall the best pattern seems to be anchoring early in shallow water, and then drifting in 10-30 feet of water after that. There are also a lot of fish being caught in the canal, although very soon it may be unfishable with all the water coming into the system. Stevie has been anchoring at the mouth of the canal early.

Cut bluegill and herring have been working the best. 

May 12

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.79 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.75 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the upper 60s. The upper lake is muddy while the lower lake is just colored. 

The bass remain in a similar pattern on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that he still is not aware of any deeper pattern. Most of the fish he is catching are on trees in 3-4 feet of water in both lakes, although slightly deeper trees have picked up with the cool conditions. Soft plastics, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are all working.

Some anglers report a shad spawn and some early schooling, but Brett has not seen it. He is also not finding much of a topwater bite around grass, but once air temperatures get back into the 80s that should take off. 

For now time of day does not seem to make a big difference although sun does pull the fish tighter to trees.

The crappie bite has been decent on Santee, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that it will get much better once conditions get warmer. He is catching fish around shallower stuff, particularly 8-12 feet down over brush in 15-20 feet of water.

Minnows and jigs have both been working. 

It’s an in-between time for bream on Santee, and there are a few shellcracker and bluegill shallow. However, the shellcracker are starting to slow down while it has not gotten quite warm enough for the bluegill. The last full moon did not generate significant spawning activity because of the cold front. 

The catfish bite slowed down a little with recent cold fronts, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that overall fishing has been pretty good once temperatures have a chance to stabilize. For example, Sunday the bite was much better than Saturday.

The best pattern has been drifting in less than 10 feet in the morning, and then drifting in 15-25 feet during the day. There has also been some good action anchoring early or late in shallow water around humps or drop-offs.

There are also a lot of fish in the canal, but the current is so hard that you basically need to drift. The flats in front of Black’s Landing have also produced at night in about 10 feet of water.

Herring or other cut baits are all working.

April 30

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.71 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.26 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the upper 60s and both lakes are dingy with so much wind and some recent rain. The canal is muddy. 

The bass fishing remains strong on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the vast majority of the fish are still shallow. He is catching them around grass and trees out to about 3-4 feet of water.  The spawn is winding down now, but while he has not seen much of a shad spawn yet it should be starting soon.

There has been a little topwater action early, but there has been so much wind that it has been tough. Spinnerbaits and jigs have been working the best. 

The crappie bite is getting better on Santee Cooper, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that numbers are improving and they have been getting 20-25 fish on good days. Fish have pulled out a bit but they are still around shallower brush. The best action has come 8-12 feet down over brush in 15-20 feet of water.

Minnows and jigs have both been working. 

The bite for bream has gotten pretty strong, and working the grass for shellcracker in 2-3 feet of water has been good. The upper lake seems to be fishing a little better than the lower lake, and while you can catch them on other baits red worms are hard to beat.

Right now we are between spawns and some days they are mainly catching males, but around the full moon on the 7^th it should be wide open again.  

A few bluegill are being caught shallow but more seem to be deeper around brush. The next full moon should see wide open shallow bluegill fishing. 

The catfish bite continues to be pretty good, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that the shallow bite has slowed down a little and the best action recently has been found drifting in 15-25 feet. While anchoring shallow has not been very good, there have been some fish caught anchored at the mouth of the canal. The shallow bite may improve when blue catfish get into the pre-spawn period around mid-May.

River herring are done, but small herring, bluegill and perch are all working. 

There have not been a lot of good reports from night fishing.

April 15

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.46 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.15 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Before the mud from Sunday’s rain arrives the lakes are clearing, while morning surface water temperatures have dropped back into the upper 60s and lower 70s with the cold snap.   

The bass fishing remains excellent on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that there are fish at all stages of the spawn. The first waves of fish have completed the spawn and there is a smaller group of fish currently on beds, but there will be another big group on the next moon cycle. After that it will be pretty much stragglers.

While there are fish out deeper, particularly recovering post-spawn fish, there is really no reason to look anywhere besides 1-3 feet of water. They are around shallow stumps, assorted wood, grass and other cover.

Topwater lures, soft plastics including worms and Senkos, and spinnerbaits in cloudy conditions are all working. 

There are some straggler crappie still winding up the spawn that can be found shallow, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the bulk of the black crappie are starting to pull out to brush. They will be caught over brush at a variety of depths, ranging from 8 feet to about 25 feet, through the end of April.

In the upper lake, which has a larger population of white crappie in the standing timber, the spawn may not be as far along.

Bream are making their way shallower, and shellcracker fishermen on the early April full moon reported some good catches in just one or two feet of water around islands, grass and cover. Red wigglers are hard to beat. For now bluegill are still on shallower brush, but both species will be shallow in excellent numbers by the end of the month. 

The catfish bite is picking up again, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that fish are shallow in the morning where they can be caught drifting in 5-10 feet of water. You can also anchor shallow early or late. During the day fish pull out a little deeper and drifting in about 10-20 feet is the best pattern. Drifting the canal or anchoring at the mouths has also been productive. 

River herring may be becoming a less effective bait, but shad or other fresh cut bait are still working very well.

March 31

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.25 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.43 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5) and the lower lake is dirtier than the upper lake. Water temperatures have gotten as high the low to mid-70s in places. 

The bass fishing is wide open and pretty fantastic right now on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that yesterday they caught 20 fish ranging from 3-8.5 pounds. At least one wave of fish has already spawned but the vast majority of the fish have yet to do it. He believes the biggest wave of fish will probably spawn on the April full moon. 

With the fishing so wide open you can pretty much pick your spots in 1-2 feet of water, and they will eat about anything. Frogs, soft plastics, spinnerbaits and more are all producing. 

The fishing for crappie has picked up a little, although Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that they are still not killing the fish. While some anglers are fishing shallower, he is having the best luck fishing 8-12 feet deep over brush in 14-20 feet of water. These fish are a mix of pre- and post-spawn crappie.

With some more consistent weather the bank fishermen may do better for crappie, but right now there have not seemed to be a lot of people doing terribly well for them in the shallows.

The shellcracker are definitely moving shallower, even though it is just a little bit early for them to be wide open. Fishing worms on the edge of shallow water is the best pattern, and the fish seem to concentrate around grass.

It’s not clear why but the catfish bite has gotten tougher in the last week, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that it seems that the catfish have gotten into a transition period. It’s not as easy as just going out and catching fish for most people, although some very good ones have been caught.  

The best pattern for right now is drifting shallow to mid-depths from about 5-20 feet during the day, and then anchoring in shallow water in the evening and at night. The fish have been a little picky about baits and so it’s a good idea to have shad, herring, bluegill and white perch all available.

March 25

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.20 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.90 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures have risen into the 60s and the lakes have cleared considerably. 

There might be other ways to catch bass on Santee Cooper, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that when he catches five bass over 5 pounds in the shallows on a trip he sees no reason to do anything else. The first and perhaps second waves of fish are spawning in 1-2 feet of water, and you can throw soft plastics or pretty much whatever you want to catch them.  Brett caught all five of those fish on a frog, and spinnerbaits and other topwater lures are also working.

The fishing for crappie has been a little bit slower, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that he has caught some fish in shallow water around laydowns, and some on shallow brush piles, but finding concentrations willing to feed has been difficult. There have also been some small fish on deep brush, but no big ones. 

The better fish should turn on soon. 

There are some early signs that shellcracker are moving shallower. 

Part of the reason Steve may not have honed in better on the crappie is that the catfish have been biting so well it is hard to justify pursuing anything else. Steve has been anchoring in shallow water in the Rediversion Canal where they caught a half-dozen fish over 25 pounds on a recent trip.  The canal has also come on, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that as the current has moderated they have caught some big fish there.

In the lakes generally Stevie reports that the best action has been in 9-20 feet of water on shallower flats, and as fish have spread out drifting has worked much better than anchoring. There have also been some good fish caught deep in 35-45 feet drifting at night.

River herring and gizzard shad have been the best baits.

March 12

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.57 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.15 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures range from the upper 50s to low 60s, and the whole lake is still muddy.

It’s March on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that bass are really starting to eat well. While you can catch fish working deeper trees and deeper brush, very few people are going to want to do that when fish are pulling up shallow in certain spots and you can beat the shallow pads and bushes. Until the next cold front Brett expects fish to stay around the blackwater holes and trees in 1-3 feet of water.

Most anything you want to throw is working, from Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits to jigs to soft plastics. 

The fishing for crappie is also improving, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that fish are starting to get shallower and scatter out. On warm afternoons there have been some fish caught around shallow cypress trees, but generally fishing the creeks in 6-15 feet of water has been the best pattern.  You can either target brush or troll with minnows and jigs.

It is unlikely that there are any fish actually spawning yet, but they are very close. 

While a few nice catfish have been caught during the day, Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that generally the daytime bite both drifting and anchoring has been very slow. In contrast, shallow anchoring at night in 10-12 feet of water has been working well in the muddy water.  Gizzard shad and herring have been outperforming everything else. 

There is still so much water moving through the canal that it remains unfishable.

February 28

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.36 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.01 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The whole system is muddy, and water temperatures have dropped into the low 50s. 

When bass are able to move away from extremely dirty water that is often what they will do, but when there is no clean water to be found they have no choice but to get used to it. And figuring out how to adapt to the mud is exactly what Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the fish are having to do right now since there is really nowhere they can go to get away. Proof that they have adapted is that some good fish are being caught, and in the most recent Sunday Showdown Series tournament first place in the three-limit tournament was 20 pounds and second place had 17. 

Because of the water conditions baits like Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits are the best choices right now. When temperatures were in the 60s in January fish had moved very shallow into around 2 feet of water, and they even stayed up there when temperatures dropped to around 55-58. Now that temperatures are more like 50-51 they have backed out into 4-10 feet of water, where most of the bigger fish are being caught. There are still some small fish shallow but it is rare to get one much over 2 ½ pounds. Brush and deeper stumps have been fishing well as most of the fish are related to wood right now.   

With water conditions high and muddy it won’t take much warming for fish to move up shallower again. 

In the muddy conditions crappie have been pretty finicky, but Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that before the latest cold snap anglers were having some luck long-lining the creeks for fish suspended in 12-20 feet of water. 

This month he expects fish to move into the creek channels and stage over brush piles before finally moving to the banks to spawn. Expect the best bite to be early and late once fish are shallow. 

Water conditions haven’t changed much and neither have the catfish, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that fish are still feeding well at night anchored in shallow water. During the day there has also been a decent anchored bite in 4-8 feet of water, and drifting in 15-35 feet has also been productive. Gizzard shad and herring have been outperforming everything else. 

There is still so much water moving through the canal that it is unfishable.

February 18

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.39 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.73 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface temperatures in the lower lake are around 55 degrees, but with so much inflow the upper lake is running closer to 50. The whole system is muddy, and even though some areas are slightly cleaner it is generally not much.

To say that the Santee Cooper lakes are muddy is really an understatement, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the lake are as red and muddy as he has seen them in 10-15 years. Brett reports that the key to catching bassright now is to find some slightly cleaner water, and everything he has caught in the last couple of days has been very shallow in 2-3 feet or less. These fish are already close to their spawning areas, either because it is a wave of over-eager fish or because of water conditions, and they will eat Rattle Traps or spinnerbaits.  If they won’t take those slow down and work soft plastics.

A secondary pattern is to look for fish that are chasing shad in the backs of pockets in 6-7 feet of water. This pattern is hit-or-miss because there is so much bait back there, but on some days it has been productive.  

There are also some fish related to brush piles, although most of them are in such muddy areas that the fish will not bite.

While he has had some fair days where they caught 15-20 crappie, overall Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that with high, muddy water the bite has been pretty tough. For right now fish seem to be fairly scattered, and the best action has been over brush 12-14 feet down in about 20-25 feet of water. When clarity improves Steve expects to head shallow and look for suspended fish 8-14 feet deep in the creeks. On colder days they may be a little deeper, and if it is warm and sunny they may move up more. 

It’s not really clear why, but recently Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that catfish on the Santee Cooper lakes have been feeding well at night anchored in shallow water. During the day there has also been a decent anchored bite in 4-8 feet of water, and drifting in 15-35 feet has also been productive. It seems that everything has moved shallower with the flooded conditions.  Gizzard shad and herring have been outperforming everything else. 

There is still so much water moving through the canal that it is unfishable.

January 24

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.29 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.88 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface temperatures have dropped all the way into the low to mid-50s in some places, and there is still a ton of dirty water moving through the system.

It was always an anomaly to have almost a week in the 70s that pushed water temperatures into the 60s in January, and the cold front of the last week has been a reminder of just that fact. Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that similarly it was only a temporary situation to have bass up roaming around in the ponds chasing bait, and it could be until March that they move this shallow again. 

This week fish have gone deeper, and instead of wanting fast moving baits they are eating soft plastics and jigs fished very slowly through wood and brush. If temperatures warm back up fish could eat crankbaits and spinnerbaits again, but it seems likely that fish will stay in more like 4-8 feet of water for the foreseeable future. 

The last Sunday Showdown Series tournament on January 20 was won with a 3-fish limit of 13.4 pounds, with a big fish a little under 6 pounds.

While warm weather in January wasn’t completely a boon for the crappie and bream since it scattered them out, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the very cold spell has definitely slowed down the bite. More fish are grouping up about 18-24 feet deep around brush in the 35-foot range, but they are biting very slowly. 

The cold front has catfish on the Santee Cooper lakes on the move, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that most of the fish have moved deeper into 35-55 feet of water. Drifting cut bait has been the best pattern.

There is just so much water coming through the canal that it still seems virtually unfishable.

January 14

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.83 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.47 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface temperatures have risen into the low 60s in some places, and the water ranges from stained to muddy.

All of this warm weather has completely changed the bass bite on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that even though the bite is still centered around shad with all of the warm, muddy water the fish have gotten much, much shallower. They are finding fish in 1-2 feet of water where they are following the schools of shad, and they are catching them on Chatterbaits, other fast moving lures, and even topwater baits! Fish are still heavily related to current, and they can be found from the mouths of pockets all the way to the backs.

Right now it is taking about 15 pounds to win the 3-fish limit Sunday Showdown Series tournaments which Brett hosts each Sunday afternoon out of Black’s Camp, and while there are obviously some very nice fish being caught the biggest Santee bass are not showing up yet. However, with more January days in the 70s than the 50s so far this month we are in uncharted territory as far as what to expect going forward.

 

As would be expected, Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that the crappie and bream are scattered because of the warm weather – which is making it hard to locate and catch good numbers of fish. While he is still catching some deep fish 18-24 feet down around brush in the 35-foot range, there are also fish being caught as shallow as 6-8 feet. Fish don’t know whether to think this is still winter or spring, and if it keeps warming up more fish will go shallow regardless of the calendar. 

Right now is a really good time to catch catfish on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that there are a lot of different ways to catch fish. With the warm weather there has been an excellent drift bite relatively shallow in 15-25 feet of water, and there have also been a lot of little fish caught out in 35-55 feet. At night there has been a good drifting bite in 35-45, but there are also fish that can be caught anchored shallower.

There have not been a lot of good reports from the canal, and so much water is being pulled that it is hard to fish.