Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee:
Trout: Good. Trout fishing is still going strong. Blind trolling 30-50 feet deep in the main lake is also working, with spoons and stick baits the size of shad/herring working at first light and live bait more productive as the sun comes up. Very soon the surface bite should start and the fishing should be very strong for the next 3-4 weeks.
Lake Keowee: (unchanged from April 25)
Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good. Guide Brad Fowler reports that as of a couple of days ago large numbers of fish still had not come shallow on Lake Keowee, and outside of the warm mid-lake area fish were generally still pre-spawn. The best action for these pre-spawn fish has been found around secondary points and just outside of pockets fishing with soft plastics. Very soon bass should move en masse to the banks and the spawn should be fully underway across the lake.
Lake Hartwell:
Catfish: Good. Captain Bill Plumley reports that channel catfish are making their move shallow and feeding, and concentrating in depths of 1-8 feet of water has been most productive. Stinkbait has been working best but cut herring will also produce. The action for blue catfish has slowed a bit, but concentrating in 15-30 feet of water in creeks and at the mouths of creeks is the best bet. Cut herring and shad are both working.
Crappie: Good. Captain Bill Plumley reports that crappie are up shallow around the banks, with some fish already having spawned but the majority post-spawn. Concentrate in 1-10 feet of water around the bank grass that grew up when the lake was down. Long-line trolling as well as casting minnows or jigs under a cork will catch fish. Piedmont Area
Piedmont Area
Lake Russell:
Catfish: Fair to good. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that catfish can be caught anchoring on long points and fishing cut herring in 8-10 feet of water.
Crappie: Fair. Guide Wendell Wilson reports that after a very strong spawning blitz crappie fishing has slowed down on Lake Russell. The best pattern is trolling 1/16 ounce jigs in the backs of creeks in 5-10 feet of water early and late in the day. Fish are also starting to move to brush in the same depth range.
Lake Thurmond:
Crappie: Good. Captain William Sasser reports that crappie were still spawning on Clark’s Hill as of a couple of day ago, and these fish can be caught spread out around the banks in the backs of any of the main creeks. Fishing jigs or minnows under a bobber around shallow cover has been productive, and casting jigs to docks and reeling has also been working. Solid numbers of fish are also in 8-12 feet of water out from the spawning areas, and even the post-spawn fish have not started to group up on the deeper brushpiles yet.
Catfish: Good. Captain William Sasser reports that catfish are cruising the flats and they have been caught by anglers fishing cut bait off the banks, particularly in the Parksville area. A 58 pounder was caught off the bank on a surf rod recently.
Lake Wylie: (unchanged from April 25)
Largemouth Bass: Good. FLW Professional and Guide Matt Arey reports that Lake Wylie bass are in a full-blown spawning mode with the majority of fish up shallowing getting ready to spawn, spawning, or recovering from the spawn. Fish can be caught along the banks throwing soft plastics including a weightless floating worm, wacky-rigged Senkos, and Texas rigs for fish actually on the beds. For fish orienting to docks use jigs. Both sight-fishing and blind fan-casting in areas where fish are bedding will work. Because water temperatures have risen quickly shad have begun to spawn, but because the bass spawn is still underway there are less fish than usual feeding on these shad. Still, fish can be caught on swimbaits and chatterbaits fished in areas where shad are spawning.
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood: (unchanged from April 25)
Largemouth Bass: Good. Veteran angler Stan Gunter reports that bass are up shallow and they should stay there for a while. Large numbers of fish are pre-spawn or bedding, and each day more fish are post-spawn. Topwater lures such as Pop-Rs and floating worms in white, yellow and merthiolate will catch fish, and Bang-O-Lures are also productive. The dock bite has also been pretty good and fish can be caught flipping jigs and soft plastics.
Catfish: Fair. Captain Chris Simpson reports that channel catfish have been caught drifting in water as shallow as 2 feet and as deep as 30, with 4-10 feet the most productive range overall. Creek runs and large shallow flats have been best, but that changes often so be prepared to adjust accordingly. Herring and shrimp have been the best baits.
Lake Monticello:
Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that he has started catching fish in the shallower range of 5-40 feet right now instead of in their winter-time haunts of 60+ feet. The backs of coves and humps and points in that depth range have been most productive, and drifting or anchoring have both been working. There are plenty of fish out deep but at times it seems as if the shallow fish are more aggressive. Big cut gizzard shad and white perch are working for big fish, and if you want to put any size fish in the boat small cut herring is tough to beat.
Lake Wateree:
Crappie: Very good. Will Hinson of the Southern Crappie Tournament Trail reports that now is the time to get out on Lake Wateree for crappie. Large numbers of fish are on the banks spawning in 6 inches of water out to 8 feet. All of the major creeks have fish, and they can be caught around shallow cover, docks, and bridges. Long-line trolling, tight-lining, casting minnows and jigs under a cork, and jigging are all productive right now. This peak period of the crappie season should last a couple more weeks before the fishing falls off into a post-spawn funk.
Largemouth Bass: Good. Guide Dearal Rodgers reports that bass are in full spawn at Lake Wateree. They are spawning so hard that it can be difficult to get a bite on any technique besides bed fishing. Jigs and worms will both work for fish on the beds.
Lake Murray:
Bream and shellcracker: Fair to good. Captain Brad Taylor reports that bream and shellcracker are on the verge of spawning, and on the May full moon there should be a wide open spawn. For now fish secondary points with nightcrawlers on the bottom.
Catfish: Fair to good. Captain Chris Simpson reports that fish are still scattered in various depth ranges, but the bite is getting more consistent. Both drifting and anchoring can catch fish, and anglers need to be willing to try a variety of depth ranges. Cut herring has worked as well as anything, but it’s a good idea to be prepared to use different baits.
Largemouth bass: Fair to good. Veteran Lake Murray tournament bass angler Captain Doug Lown reports that fish at all three stages of the spawn – pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn – can be caught on Lake Murray right now. This should continue well into May as water temperatures have stayed relatively cool. It’s hard to go wrong fishing soft plastics in the shallows right now, including shakey heads, flukes and Texas-rigged worms. Herring are starting to spawn on Lake Murray and a few bass are starting to key on them. For now this bite is day to day, but the herring bite should get better and more reliable. There is not much of a topwater bite yet but once water temperatures hit about 70 degrees topwaters and swimbaits should be wide open.
