Information on fishing trends provided courtesy of www.AnglersHeadquarters.com, South Carolina’s premier fishing report source. Customers of the Angler’s Headquarters online tackle store have access to daily updates and full-length reports on its site. DHEC Fish Consumption Advisories can be found at www.scdhec.gov/environment/water/fish
Freshwater Report
Lake Keowee (Updated June 16)
Bass: Fair to good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that fish are getting into a pretty standard summer pattern. Early in the morning there is a topwater bite, and later in the day fish can be caught on drop shots and shakey head worms.
Lake Hartwell (Updated June 16)
Bass: Fair to good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that there is a pretty good topwater bite over points and humps, and fish can also be caught on drop shots as well as around bream beds.
Striped Bass: Good. Captain Bill Plumley (864-287-2120) and Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) report that the best striper actions is the middle to lower part of the lake about 30-50 feet deep on down-lined herring.
Catfish: Good. Captain Bill Plumley reports that channel catfish are scattered out in the shallow to middle depths where they will eat dip baits, cut bait, worms and more. Flathead catfish can be caught at night on live bait and most blues are in deeper timber.
Crappie: Fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that the crappie bite is pretty good around mid-depth brush and bridges on minnows, and night fishing has been a litter better than daytime fishing.
Lake Jocassee (SC) (Updated June 22)
Trout: Good. Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that some nice trout have been caught recently. Fish are getting deeper and moving into a summer pattern, and they are being caught as shallow as 40 feet down into the 70-foot range. Spoons are working best.
Lake Thurmond (Updated June 16)
Bass: Fair to good. Buckeye Lures reports that some big bags have been caught in local tournaments even though it has gotten very hot. Fish can be caught around main lake humps on jigs and soft plastics, and there is also some shallow activity early and late.
Striper and Hybrids: Very good. Captain William Sasser (864-333-2000) reports that early in the morning his boat is catching fish 40-50 feet deep on down-lines. In the backs of coves tons of two-pound hybrids can be caught.
Crappie: Good. Captain William Sasser reports that crappie are still biting well over mid-depth brush.
Santee Cooper (Updated May 25)
Bass: Good. Steve Harmon reports that one group of bass can be found up shallow in 1-5 feet of water where they will eat frogs, but many of the bigger fish have moved out to deeper points and ditches. These fish can be caught on worms as well as spinnerbaits and swimbaits.
Catfish: Fair to Good. Captain Jim Glenn (843-825-4239) reports that catfish are moving back and forth between shallow and deeper water, and a ton of small blue cats continue to be caught to go along with some occasional big fish.
Bream: Fair to Good. Captain Steve English reports that bluegill and shellcrackers are moving up to spawn around new and full moons, and then heading back to deeper water in between moon phases. Worms and crickets will catch fish.
Crappie: Fair. Captain Steve English reports that crappie can be found around mid-depth brush where they will eat minnows. Fishing in the lower lake has been a little better than the upper lake.