Freshwater trends

Midlands Area

LAKE GREENWOOD: Striped Bass: Fair. Some striped bass are being caught up the river but fishing in the main lake is slow. Largemouth Bass: Very good. Many bass are still on the beds and being caught by anglers sight fishing with jigs or worms. Other bass have already bedded and moved back onto secondary points. Crappie: Good. Crappie have generally finished spawning and moved back out to deeper water. A few can still be caught shallow but best action is on deeper brushpiles or trolling with minnows and jigs. Catfish: Very good. Fish on the bottom using cut bait or worms, and try fishing at night.

LAKE WATEREE: Striped Bass: Good. Fish in the lower part of the lake using topwaters, shiners, or live herring.Largemouth Bass: Off and on. Some days are very productive, while some days the fish seem completely unwilling to bite. Crappie: Good. Due to recent rains water has been a bit muddy for best crappie fishing. Catfish: Very good. Multiple 40 pounders are still being taken. Target big blue cats using cut bait fished on the edges of holes. Bream: Good. Bream are beginning to move shallow and onto beds.

LAKE MURRAY: Striped Bass: Fair. Fish are in anywhere from 3 to 60 feet of water, and anglers are catching fish using a variety of methods including planer boards, free-lines, and down rods in 50 to 60 feet of water. Largemouth Bass: Excellent. Most bass have already spawned but the fish have skipped the traditional post-spawn slowdown and continue to feed aggressively. Crappie: Fair. Crappie have generally finished spawning and moved back out to deeper water. Bream and Shellcracker: Excellent. Fish are coming onto the beds and will continue to spawn for the next month or two, especially around full moons.

Mountains Area

LAKE JOCASSEE: Trout: Very good. Troll from the surface down to 55 feet using trolling spoons or large plugs. Largemouth and Redeye Bass: Excellent. Bass are moving towards the banks and biting aggressively.

LAKE KEOWEE: Largemouth Bass: Very good. Warmer weather has moved fish shallower. Spotted Bass: Very good. Fish the upper part of the lake around Mile Creek and High Falls. Crappie: Fair. Some very large crappie are being caught but not numbers.

LAKE HARTWELL: Striped and Hybrid Bass: Good to very good. The large striper have pinned the baitfish into shallow water. Largemouth Bass: Excellent. The largemouth bass bite is red hot and fish are on the banks and feeding aggressively. Crappie: Excellent. The crappie bite is very good and fish are feeding aggressively in 2 to 8 feet of water.

Piedmont Area

LAKE RUSSELL: Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. Fish early morning with bucktails and cut and live herring. Crappie: Very good. Lake Russell anglers continue to catch lots of crappie. Catfish: Good, using cut bait and nightcrawlers along the bottom.

LAKE THURMOND: Striped and Hybrid Bass: Fair. The striper bite has unexpectedly slowed but should pick up again soon. Largemouth Bass: Very good. Most bass have completed spawning but many are still hanging around shallow water and feeding aggressively. Crappie: Excellent. Crappie are shallow and most are being caught 10 to 15 feet off the bank. Shellcracker: Fair.

LAKE WYLIE: Largemouth Bass: Very good. Many fish are still on the beds while others have already spawned. Crappie: Slow to fair. Crappie are in a transitional phase and most anglers are having trouble finding them. White Perch: Very good. White perch are moving into 15 foot deep water to spawn. Catfish: Very good. White perch and crappie fishermen are picking up lots of catfish.

Santee Cooper System

LAKE MARION: Striped Bass: Fair. Use cut bait and live herring; occasional striped bass are being caught. Largemouth Bass: Good to very good. Fish soft plastics or try topwater lures as the water continues to warm. Catfish: Very good. On both the upper and lower ends of the lake catfish are moving very shallow to spawn. Crappie: Very good. Most crappie have already completed spawning but are still feeding very well. Bream and Shellcracker: Very Good. Fish shallow water along the banks near Santee Park and Stump Hole.

LAKE MOULTRIE: Striped Bass: Slow to fair. The striper bite is not good enough to plan a trip around it. Largemouth Bass: Very good. Some bass are still on the beds and some very big fish are being caught. Catfish: Very good. Lots of blue and flathead catfish in the 30 to 40 pound range are being caught as well as plenty of smaller blue and channel catfish. Crappie: Good. Some crappie are still spawning and remain near the banks. Shellcracker: Good. Catches of shellcracker are starting to pick up as the fish move shallow and start to spawn.