Clarks Hill Lake Fishing Report – August 2017

Clarks Hill: Level: 6.1 feet below full pool. Temp: High 80s. Clarity: Mostly clear except slight stain in some smaller creeks.

Linesides: Guide William Sasser reports, “The bait population is very strong right now, resulting in some really fat hybrids and stripers. It’s a very good, steady bite—nothing really fast, but fast enough to keep your interest and result in some very nice boxes of fish. First thing in the morning, they are pushing up onto points in the 35-foot range and feeding on the schools of bait. As day starts to break, they start moving back out into deeper water along the edges of the channel and are more in the 40- to 60-foot range. When they do this, the fish are not very active due to the heat, but when they hit, you definitely know it. The hybrids and stripers have been very nice-sized, averaging between 5 and 20 pounds. The afternoon bite has also been very good starting around 3 p.m. and lasting until dark. This has been an exceptional summer. Normally this time of year the bite shuts down right around daybreak, but this year it has been more of a steady bite lasting throughout the day. There has been quite a bit of activity on the oxygen lines with the fish coming from 35 to 45 feet deep. The spoon bite has really turned on during generation. The spoon has also been helpful when downline fishing to get the fish active if they are just sitting there. The catfish are eating good, too. We have seen a lot of healthy channels and flats mixed in with the hybrids and stripers. As we get toward the end of August and beginning of September, we should begin to see some surface activity with the smaller hybrids chasing the bait to the top and the better quality fish holding underneath. When this begins to happen keep a topwater plug close by—Sammy, fluke or thing popper.”