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Freshwater Fishing Trends

DNR does not endorse or otherwise sanction the following Web page. Statewide reporting courtesy SCFishingReport.com.

Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:

bulletTrout: Very good. Troll from the surface down to 40 feet using Bad Creek trolling spoons. Also try drifting live bait (large shiners or herring) in the same zone. Night fishing has also been productive with large fish and good numbers being caught.
bulletLargemouth and Redeye Bass: Good using plastic worms and jig n pigs. Fish finesse worms and trick worms deep and just off the bottom.
 
bullet Jocassee Outdoor Center 2008 Annual Trout Fishing Tournament - April 12.

Lake Keowee:

bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Warmer weather has moved fish shallower. Use 3 ½ inch live magic shad colored Lake Fork Swim baits and topwater jerkbaits.
bulletSpotted Bass: Good to very good. Fish around Mile Creek and Gap Hill Landing. Use 1/8 ounce shaky head worms in redbug color. Also try topwater jerkbaits in black and silver
bulletCrappie: Fair. Try minnows and jigs in 25-30 feet of water around brush piles and structure.
 

Lake Hartwell:

bulletWater temperatures have hit the mid to high 50s and fishing is improving.
bulletStriped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. Striper are attempting to spawn and moving into the tailwaters of the upstream dam, river or large creeks. Big striper are hitting large gizzard shad trolled off points up and down the Seneca.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Largemouth continue to move shallower with the sustained warm weather – look for fish in 10 - 12 feet of water with some moving even closer.
bulletCrappie: Excellent catches in 14 to 15 feet of water. Try trolling small minnows or small white jigs. Also fish brushpiles with small to medium minnows, Alibis and curly tail grubs.

Piedmont Area
Lake Russell:

bulletStriped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Fish early morning with bucktails and cut and live herring and fish deep.
bulletLargemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair to good. Try throwing crankbaits, including shad raps and rattle traps with orange color.
bulletCrappie: Very good. Lake Russell anglers continue to catch lots of crappie. Fish in 12 – 18 feet of water around treetops using small minnows.
bulletCatfish: Good, using cut bait and nightcrawlers along the bottom.
 

Lake Thurmond:

bulletStriped and Hybrid Bass: Fair to good. Best action is coming freelining live herring in the afternoon and fishing shallow in the dam area as striper continue to move towards the banks.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Largemouth bass fishing is improving in the mid to upper lake areas. Fish the Dorden and Hartsville areas with #5 Shad Rap or spinnerbaits, and target shallow areas in the backs of creeks.
bulletCrappie: Good to very good. Fish minnows around shallow structure as fish prepare to go into spawning mode.
bulletShellcracker: Fair. The shellcracker bite is improving and fish are being caught on pink worms fished around shell-covered points.

Lake Wylie:

bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Fish around boat houses in 8 to 10 feet of water and target the Catawba Creek area. Throw a #7 shad rap, jig and pig, or try a watermelon red soft plastic bait.
bulletCrappie: Good. Use a small black jig or solid chartreuse jig tipped with a minnow. Fish around boathouses very slowly. On warm afternoons look for fish to move into shallow water.
bulletWhite Perch: Very good. Fish in 20-24 feet of water next to river channels and crisscross deep to shallow until fish are located. Use a minnow or jig lowered to the bottom, with a slow bump.
 

Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood:

bulletStriped Bass: Fair. Striped bass are scattered. Use jigging spoons in 18-20 feet of water. Some schooling activity is being reported; locate these striped bass by finding feeding gulls.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good to very good. Bass are staging around brush piles and docks in preparation for the spawn. Fish are being caught on crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and plastic worms.
bulletCrappie: Good. Crappie fishing is improving and the fish are on the verge of spawning. Fish 4 to 6 feet of water and look for the fish to continue moving shallower, weather permitting.
bulletCatfish: Good to very good. Lake Greenwood has good catfishing year round. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms in 10 to 12 feet of water.

Lake Wateree:

bulletStriped Bass: Good. Fish in the lower part of the lake using topwaters, shiners, or live herring.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good to very good. Fish are moving shallow and best fishing is coming around shallow boat docks and on main lake points. Throw spinnerbaits, speed traps, shad raps, and other reaction type baits.
bulletCrappie: Good. Due to recent rains water has been a bit muddy for best crappie fishing but things have heated up over the last couple of days. Target the Fishing Creek and Beaver Creek areas using minnows.
bulletCatfish: Very good. Target big blue cats using cut bait fished on the edges of holes.

Lake Murray:

bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Good catches around shallow structure including trees, brush and docks fishing crankbaits and soft plastics. There are isolated reports of some early spawning bass also being caught in warmer areas.
bulletStriped Bass: Very good with best catches using planer boards and free lines, although there is some cut bait and down rod action as well.
bulletCrappie: Very good. Fish 4 to 15 feet of water around brush, particularly near the mouths of creek channels. Crappie will continue to move shallower and enter the prespawn period.
bulletShellcracker: Good to very good. Free line nightcrawlers pieces and look for warm water temperatures.

Santee Cooper System            
Lake Marion:

bulletStriped Bass: Fair. Use cut bait and live herring.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Good to very good. Fishing is particularly strong on the upper end of the lake. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and worms are all effective.
bulletCatfish: Very good. Blue cats are being caught shallow in just a few feet of water on down to 18 to 30 feet. Big herring cut into chunks are the bait of choice, and threadfin shad and white perch will also produce.
bulletCrappie: Good. Catches of crappie are improving and some nice stringers are being caught, particularly in the upper end of the lake. Poplar creek near Santee State Park is producing fish as is the area near Stump Hole landing, and the Jack's Creek area will also be productive. Lower down the lake fish are a bit deeper but nice slabs are being caught.
bulletShellcracker: Excellent. Fish shallow water along the banks near Santee Park and Stump Hole.
 

Lake Moultrie:

bulletStriped Bass: Slow to fair. Some schooling activity reported in the Bonneau area and at the mouth of the Diversion Canal. Anglers should have a rod ready with a bucktail in case a school hits the surface.
bulletLargemouth Bass: Very good. Some fish are already attempting to spawn in warmer areas with the full moon. Target the backs of coves and use shallow running crankbaits and plastic worms.
bulletCatfish: Very good. Fish cut herring or other large, oily chunks of baitfish in 6-8 feet of water on the bottom around ditches and stumps. Also try drifting in 20 to 25 feet of water when the winds are favorable.
bulletCrappie: Very good. In the Northeast area of Lake Moultrie crappie are biting very well around shallow brush. Anglers are using minnows and jigs. Further down the lake fish are still suspended in deeper water. On the west side of the lake anchor minnows under floats 4-6 feet down over 8 or 9 feet of water.
bulletShellcracker: Fair. Catches of shellcracker are starting to pick up. The mouth of the Diversion Canal on the Moultrie end is producing shellcracker in late afternoon but overall fishing in the Upper Lake is much stronger.
 

South Carolina Rivers

Catawba River

bulletLargemouth Bass: Fair. Bass fishing in the Catawba is beginning to improve using crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Calmer conditions should improve fishing in the next couple of weeks.
 

Chattooga River

bulletTrout: Good to very good. The water level remains high but fishable. Fly Fishing report: Fly fishermen should continue to use nymphs and other wet flies but should expect the March Brown hatch to usher in the dry fly bite in the next few days. Best flies this month are the Hare’s Ear, Pheasant Tail, Prince, and Zug Bug. Early in the day fish Black Stones or small Dun Caddis flies. Conventional tackle report: Fishermen continue to take large numbers of trout on rooster tails and other spinners. White and pearl colors continue to be strong.
 

Cooper River

bulletShad: Excellent. The shad run is in full swing up the Tailrace and the bucks and now females are making their way from the ocean up the river towards the Lake Moultrie Dam Tailrace to spawn. Conventional fishermen should use a small green grub and fly anglers should use a chartreuse Clauser on a #4 hook.
 

Great Pee Dee

bulletFish the main river for catfish and target bass and panfish in the surrounding oxbow lakes
bulletCatfish: Good to very good. Fish on the bottom using cut eels in holes and around channel breaks.
bulletCrappie: Fair. Anglers fishing ox bow lakes off the main channel are starting to report improved catches. Use minnows.

Lynches River

bulletBass: Slow to fair. Try crankbaits and soft plastics.
bulletBream: Slow to fair. Fish worms on the bottom. Catches will continue to improve as the water warms.

Saluda River

bulletTrout: Good. There are reports of large numbers of small stocked trout being caught as well as some larger trout. Fishing should only improve as the spring approaches.
 

Santee Diversion Canal

bulletLargemouth Bass: Good. Nice largemouth catches are being taken fishing in the breaks and rocks at both ends of the canal.
bulletCrappie: Good. Large numbers of crappie are being taken in the canal. Fish 15 to 20 feet of water.
bulletCatfish: Slow. Catfish seem to have moved out of the canal area or at least are not biting there.
bulletShellcracker: Shellcracker are beginning to be caught on the Moultrie end of the canal. Look for warmer water conditions in late afternoon.

Santee-Cooper System

bulletWater levels in the Santee-Cooper system have risen about three feet in the last several weeks and marinas and boat landings that have been closed for months are starting to reopen. Recent rains promise to raise them even more.
 

Savannah River

bulletYellow Perch: Excellent. Huge yellow perch are still being caught in the two plus pound range.
bulletStriped/ Hybrid Bass: Good. Fish are being caught directly under the Lake Thurmond Dam in the slack areas where baitfish are being pulled through.
 

Waccamaw River

bulletCrappie: Good. Fishermen are beginning to report nice catches of crappies with minnows around structure. Catfish: Good. Use large goldfish or shiners to target big catfish. Anglers are having success using set hooks and trotlines but the same baits will work rod and reel fishing.

 

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