While Lake Keowee is one of those lakes where bass can be caught deep the year round, and certainly in December and January, it’s not every winter that around the New Year bass can still be found on the surface.  However, Guide Brad Fowler of Pendleton reports that is exactly what has been going on over the last couple of weeks.  Even though during the late fall and early winter Brad doesn’t have much luck on topwater plugs, with water temperatures very slow to drop it has been possible to catch visible fish only a few feet below the surface on scrounger heads rigged with flukes.  Until the very recent cold snap this action could be found throughout the day, both in overcast and sunny conditions.  Fish could also be found on the surface over deep water as well as in the shallows.

While the surface pattern will probably wane as the water starts to approach more normal winter temperatures, the deep/ drop-shot pattern will get stronger and stronger.  On recent trips Brad has found “deep” (bottom) fish as shallow as 45 feet of water and as deep as 60 feet, although this is basically just the area he has been targeting.  Brad believes they can almost certainly be found on the bottom shallower and deeper.  As is typical finesse worms fished on drop-shot rig are accounting for the greatest number of his fish, but small spoons have also been catching bass.

Brad has spent more time on the upper end, which he likes to target in the winter.  Because of the warm water discharge water temperatures on both ends are cooler than mid-lake where the hot hole is located.

Overall Brad rates the bite as pretty strong and reports that a decent number of 2-3 pound fish are being caught right now.  On recent trips the action has been pretty steady with 2 or 3 fish caught at a time, then one here and there, and then another small flurry of activity.  As is their reputation, voracious Lake Keowee spots never really stop eating!

Overall, Lake Keowee is at 97.9% of full pool and as noted water temperatures are still unseasonably warm.

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