October 6

Lake Jocassee is at 95.4% of full pool and water temperatures have dropped to about 73-74 degrees on the main lake. With no recent rains water clarity is very high. 

It’s questionable to call it a seasonal improvement since the water temperatures haven’t changed much down where the trout live, but Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports

October 6

Surface water temperatures around Charleston are down to 72-73 degrees. The creeks are full of shrimp and finger mullet and the big mullet are running the beaches. Shrimp boats report an excellent white shrimp season and the baiters are also netting good catches. 

All year inshore fishermen wait for October, but now that it has arrived Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports

September 25

Lake Jocassee is back up to 95.1% of full pool while water temperatures have dropped to about 77 degrees. Water clarity is still very high. 

The trout fishing continues to be slow, and while Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports

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

September 25

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.06 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped into the mid-70s. Up the lake is pretty muddy and there is a lot of current.

A week ago it looked like the offshore suspended/ cane pile bass bite was about to peak, but after the recent rains and lots of moving water veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

September 25

Lake Russell rose after the storms but water levels now dipped back below full to 474.40 (full pool is 475.00), while water temperatures have dropped more than 10 degrees in the past two weeks to the lower 70s. In addition to being muddy in certain areas (including some that don’t usually get muddy), much of the water is coffee-colored and the lake appears to be turning over. 

It’s still an uncharacteristically tough bass bite on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports

September 24

Lake Wateree is back up to 96.6% of full pool while temperatures have dropped to the upper 70s or low 80s. The upper end is already muddy and the water is coming down. 

They dropped the lake in anticipation of extremely large amounts of rain, and while there was not as much water as feared tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports

September 24

Lake Wylie is back up to 96.7% of full pool and surface water temperatures are around 76 degrees on the south end of the lake. The water is a chalky color almost like it is starting to turn over (which it probably is not.)

As temperatures drop the bass on Lake Wylie are starting to get more and more into fall patterns, and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports

September 24

Inshore surface water temperatures have dropped to about 76 in the main rivers around Beaufort and the water is very dirty. Shrimp, mullet and menhaden are all abundant.

Really big high tides have made for an outstanding flood tide bite in Beaufort, and Bay Street Outfitters (843-524-5250) reports

September 24

Inshore surface water temperatures around Edisto Island are about 77 or 78 degrees in the main rivers, while a couple of miles out temperatures are still over 80.  The South Edisto is very dark with recent rain events. High winds and tides have also generally dirtied the water. Bait is at its peak for the year with the mullet run in full swing and big shrimp coming out of the creeks. 

With so much bait around the fish have gotten into the period where they are putting on the weight that will get them through the winter, and Captain Ron Davis, Jr. (843-513-0143) reports

September 24

Lake Keowee has dropped a few feet to 96.5% of full pool, and at the same time water temperatures are down into the upper 70s over most of the lake. Water clarity is normal. 

The air and water temperatures are dropping at Lake Keowee, and N&C Marine/Skeeter Team member Guide Charles Townson (864-324-2065) reports

September 22

Clarks Hill water levels are way above full pool at 331.37 (full pool is 330.00) while water temperatures have dropped all the way to 72-76 degrees. Up the lake is muddy. 

For the second straight week one of our regular Insider reports correspondents won big on Clarks Hill, and this weekend it was tournament angler Josh Rockefeller of Augusta who took first place in the 63-boat, 2-day BFL event on Clarks Hill.

September 22

Lake Hartwell water levels have risen to 660.82 (full pool is 660.00) while water temperatures have dropped substantially to about 76 degrees. The water is still very clear. 

It’s a zoo on Lake Hartwell right now, and Guide Brad Fowler (himself a competitor) reports

September 18

Lake Monticello water temperatures are in the low-80s, and the water is typically clear. Lake levels normally fluctuate daily.

It’s getting to be a better and better time to bassfish on Lake Monticello, and FLW angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports

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

September 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.19 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped to around 80 in the big water. Clarity dropped with yesterday’s rain. 

It’s hard to know how long this pattern will last, but right now Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

September 17

Surface water temperatures are around 83 degrees around Hilton Head and the wind and rain today have likely dirtied the water up some. Even before today some areas that are customarily clear were dirty as well as vice versa, and so right now it’s all about the wind direction. 

No one is saying that the tarpon have left Hilton Head, and in fact Captain Kai Williams (843-816-7475) has

September 17

Surface water temperatures around Charleston have dropped to about 82 degrees, and wind and rain have dirtied up the water. The creeks are full of shrimp and finger mullet.

While the fall bite hasn’t arrived to the whole South Carolina coast, Captain Rob Bennett (843-367-3777) reports

September 17

Lake Greenwood is down to 439.68 (full pool is 440.0) and surface water temperatures have dropped into the lower 80s. The lake is in good shape with fairly good water clarity from top to bottom (before today’s rains). 

Even as water temperatures have dropped a couple more degrees there’s not a lot of change from last week on Lake Greenwood, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

September 16

Water temperatures are still in the low to mid-80s in Murrells Inlet. Mullet and shrimp are both everywhere and early indications are that it is a good baiting season.

Baisch Boys Bait and Tackle (843-651-1915) has regular and jumbo mud minnows, live finger mullet, live shrimp, live fiddler crabs, blood worms, fresh shrimp, salt clam, and a full range of frozen baits. 

It’s not that the fishing is bad on the south end of the Grand Strand, but Captain J Baisch (843-902-0356) reports

September 16

Lake Wateree is down to 95.3% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are around 82-83 degrees. It’s dingy up the lake but from June Creek to the dam is clear for Wateree. 

Bass fishing continues to improve on Lake Wateree as temperatures drop, and  tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports

September 16

Lake Wylie is down to 95.7% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 80s.   

Some positive seasonal changes are starting to take place with the bass on Lake Wylie and tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports