South Carolina DNR freshwater fishing report 12-29

Mountains Area
Piedmont Area
Midlands Area
Santee Cooper System
SC Freshwater Fishing Regulations (Adobe PDF)
Purchase a fishing license
Boat Ramp Locations
State Fish Consumption Advisories

StriperFishing trends courtesy www.SCFishingReport.com. Check the site for recent updates and detailed reports.

Mountains Area

Lake Jocassee: (unchanged from Dec. 22)

Trout: Fair. Captain Steve Pietrykowski reports that fish can still be caught in the main lake, but the best concentration of fish will be found up the rivers. Troll from the surface down to 50 feet with live bait, including free lines far back from the boat, planer board rigs, and weighted baits at a variety of depths.
Black Bass: Fair. Captain Pat Bennett reports that bait and bass remain in the creeks and rivers. Try targeting bass related to shoreline cover proximate to deep water, where they can be caught on shakey head worms and crankbaits. As water temperatures drop further and fish move into a winter pattern the best action will come fishing over deep water for suspended fish. Look for bait schools on your graph, and then lower down a jigging spoon or drop shot rig.

Lake Keowee: (unchanged from Dec. 22)

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Fair to good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that fish are still running bait up on main lake points, where there is sporadic topwater activity. It’s hard to catch these fish on topwater lures, and jerkbaits and scrounger heads have been more effective for targeting them. Fish can be caught up the lake shallow and in the creeks, but Brad’s boat is catching most of its fish around deepwater structure. Jigging spoons have been working well, and drop shotting as well as fishing shakey head worms will both work.

Lake Hartwell: (unchanged from Dec. 22)

Black Bass: Good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that fish remain spread out, and bass continue to be caught on a variety of techniques. Because of the warm late fall/early winter temperatures more fish remain shallow than usual and it’s possible to catch fish on jigs, spinnerbaits, scrounger heads and other lures around shallow cover. Fish can be caught shallow in main lake pockets, at the mouths of creeks and partway back in the creeks. There continues to be a good deep bite, and in 25-40 feet of water fish are being caught on shakey head worms.
Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that striper fishing is improving, and he is catching most of his fish relatively shallow in 0-35 feet of water. Fish are spread out, with plenty of fish up the big rivers and some in the creeks. Pulling umbrella rigs and following the birds is the most efficient way to locate fish.
Crappie: Fair to good. Captain Bill Plumley reports that crappie continue to feed pretty well around brush and bridge pilings. Fish minnows and jigs 15-20 feet down over brush or around bridge pilings in 20-25 feet of water.
Catfish: Fair. Captain Bill Plumley reports that decent numbers of channel catfish are being caught in 18-20 feet of water on cut herring and nightcrawlers. A few big blue catfish are also starting to show up in the creeks where they can be caught in 7-25 feet of water with cut gizzard shad, but water temperatures have not dropped enough for the bite to get hot.

Piedmont Area

Lake Russell: (unchanged from Dec. 22)

Black Bass: Good to very good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the bass pattern remains very similar, and bass are feeding well around bait schools 20-25 feet deep in large coves in the mid-lake. Whether the coves have brush or not is unimportant – the presence of bait schools is the key. Drop shot rigs fished just off the bottom and baited with a plastic worm or live minnows will produce, and jigging spoons are also working. Another good pattern is fishing around flooded standing timber at the same depths (20-40 feet) where the bait is holding. Texas rigs and jigging spoons will both catch fish.
White and yellow perch: Good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fishing minnows just off the bottom in 25-30 feet of water, particularly in the lower lake around the mouth of the Rocky River, is the best pattern. Yellow perch are showing up in good numbers. Perch make of part of a mixed bag right now and will be caught along with bass and crappie.
Crappie: Fair to good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the crappie are mixed in with the bass and perch around bait schools in large mid-lake coves. Fish minnows to target crappie. Catfish: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the best bet for catfish is fishing on the bottom around the large bait schools found in major coves. Anchor and put out cut herring offerings on the bottom, and don’t be afraid to chum to draw in the cats. Lately catfish catches have been a bit off.
Striped bass: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that gulls have arrived on Lake Russell, and so there are visual clues to locate the bait and striped bass. Strong gull and striper activity has been seen in the Beaverdam area. Casting plugs or pulling free lined live herring remains the best technique.

Lake Thurmond: (unchanged from Dec. 22)

Crappie: Good to very good. Captain William Sasser reports that crappie are feeding well in the mid-lake area and the South Carolina Little River. Pulling minnows and jigs along the edges of the creek channels 15 feet down in 20 feet of water is producing.
Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good. Captain William Sasser reports that fish are feeding better up the lake towards the pumping stations and in the Raysville area. Buffalo Creek and the South Carolina Little River have also been strong. Good numbers of 8-12 pound fish have been caught pulling planer boards and free lines, and fish have also been caught fishing down lines 12-15 feet deep in 15-30 feet of water.
Black bass: Fair. Buckeye Lures in Augusta reports that bass are starting to move into a typical winter pattern on Clarks Hill. Fish are in ditches 15-25 feet deep where they can be caught on lead head fluke rigs, spin blades and possibly Alabama rigs. Fish are spread out all over and not especially active.

Lake Wylie: (unchanged from Dec. 22)

Catfish: Very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that winter catfishing on Lake Wylie is turning into a premier fishery, and fish are getting bigger and can be found spread out from dam to dam. Warmer air temperatures have kept the water temperatures from dropping as much as last winter, but shortened days and cooler water temperatures are still pulling fish deeper. Channel catfish can be caught on cut bait fished both deep and shallow, and blue catfish are roaming from the riverbed to ledges to shallow structure like points and humps. However, they still relate to the river more often than not. Don’t overlook the warm water discharges which can offer some of the best fishing on the lake at this time of year.
White perch: Very good. Captain Rodger Taylor reports that white perch fishing is the most consistent that it has been in months, and fish are feeding in open water on the edges of humps 25-30 feet deep. Fishing small minnows on a modified Sabiki rig is the best technique.
Largemouth Bass: Good. FLW Professional and Guide Matt Arey reports that most of the bass are making their way back towards the main lake following the bait schools, and most are now about mid-way back in the creeks. Some have already arrived back in the main lake. Finding the shad is the key to finding the fish. Spoons and grubs fished around bait will catch fish, and most fish are suspended from the middle of the water column to the bottom in 15-30 feet.

Midlands Area

Lake Greenwood:

Catfish: Good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that drifting is the best way to put quantities of fish in the boat, while anchoring may lead to higher quality fish. The fish are holding very close and down in the river channel, and the upper half of the lake where the channel ranges from 20-30 feet has been most productive. Cut herring, gizzard and threadfin shad have been the most effective baits.
Crappie: Fair. Sportsman’s Friend reports that spider rig trolling in 6-15 feet of water has been most productive. Jigs have been outfishing minnows recently.

Lake Monticello:

Catfish: Good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the big fish bite has been pretty good but should get even better in the coming weeks. Some big fish have been caught free line drifting and Santee-style drifting, but anchoring has been the most effective way to catch a trophy. 35-60 feet has been a good depth range, and some days the fish can get in a very narrow band such as 55-60 feet – and fishing at any other depth can be a waste of time. Finding schools of bait balls on your depth finder is important, but finding bait balls that are smaller and more broken up (meaning fish are feeding on them) is more important. A variety of bottom structure has been productive, including deep flats, vertical ledges and everything in between. Gizzard shad, white perch, and crappie have all been good baits.

Lake Wateree:

Crappie: Good to very good. Will Hinson of the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail reports that crappie fishing remains strong on Lake Wateree. The best bite is from Dutchman’s Creek out towards the mid-river and up towards the dam at the top of the lake. Fish are all along the old river channel, and some days they are holding on top of the river ledge in 12-13 feet of water and other days they are flat on the bottom in 18-20 feet of water (particularly if the sun is high and bright). Fishing a maximum of 1-2 feet off the bottom has been a key, and both minnows and jigs are catching fish. Fish Stalker Jigs in Ugly Green and Pearl White have been working.

Lake Murray:

Catfish: Good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that the drift bite has been good and both blues and channel catfish have been feeding well. The best action has been in 30-40 feet of water, whether that depth is on a flat, a hump rising out of deeper water, or up a feeder creek in that range. Channels have been the bulk of the catch on flats, with blue catfish orienting to ledges near the flats and on the main river channel. Cut herring bas been the best bait, and a lot of striper are also being picked up.
Striped Bass: Good. Lake World reports that fish migrated up the lake towards the river a few weeks ago, and now many of the fish seem to have come back down and spread out along the north side of the lake. A variety of techniques will catch fish, including free lining live herring, downlining about 20 feet deep, trolling bucktails and fishing cut bait on the bottom. Be sure to look out for the birds and be ready to throw spoons and bucktails at schooling fish.
Shellcracker: Good. Lake World reports that the shellcracker bite is surprisingly good, including in very shallow water. Look for fish around points and fish worms on the bottom in 2-10 feet of water.
Crappie: Fair to good. Lake World reports that anglers are having success trolling minnows and jigs up the Little River and Big Saluda.
Largemouth Bass: No new report. Veteran bass angler Doug Lown reports that areas with rocky bottoms are producing much better than soft bottoms, probably because the food is there. Early morning working shakey head worms off secondary points is a good bet, and after the sun starts to get up fishing a worm or jig around docks may produce. After water temperatures drop further the deep bite should get strong.

Santee Cooper System (unchanged from Dec. 22)

Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that most days the blue catfish bite is fair to good, and fish are being caught in various depths from 4-10 feet on down to 50 feet. The concentrations may be greatest in deeper water. Both anchoring and drifting with fresh cut gizzard shad, menhaden, perch or mullet will catch fish in the right places. There have been recent reports of good night fishing for anglers willing to brave night time lows and winds.
Largemouth bass: Fair to good. Captain Jimmie Hair reports that the primary pattern remains similar. Fishing around eel grass with Gambler Super Studs and swimming jigs will catch fish, and in the swamp working square-billed crankbaits around cypress trees is effective. Soft plastics will also catch fish around trees. In the Cooper River sizes are still small, but when temperatures drop just a few more degrees some big bass should be caught on bucktails and jigs thrown at breaks in the rice fields.
Striped Bass: Fair to good. Captain Jim Glenn reports that anglers are catching plenty of striped bass in both lakes, but very few 26 inch fish are being landed. Perhaps 1 in 50 is a keeper for most anglers, but the good news is that striper appear plentiful and most are robust and healthy. Fishing 35-50 feet deep with live baits including big shiners and gizzard or threadfin shad is working, and anglers are also having success trolling and chasing schooling fish on the surface with jigs, spoons and surface plugs.
Crappie and Bream: Fair to good. Captain Steve English reports that the crappie and bream bite is still pretty good around offshore brushpiles, but the fish are in deeper brush. Bream are around brush in 12-18 feet, and crappie are around brush in 18-24 feet. At the next cold front the bites should pretty well shut down – so enjoy the fish while they will take minnows and crickets!