Clarks Hill Lake Fishing Report March 2017

Clarks Hill: Level: 9.9 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 50 to 60 degrees. Clarity: Slightly stained.

Linesides: Guide William Sasser reports, “Water temperatures are rising quickly due to the mild winter, and the lake level is maintaining around the 320 mark. For the most part, the water is very clear except for the layers of pollen on it. With the weather conditions being the way they are, we are seeing all of the stripers and hybrids move into spring patterns very quickly. Seems as if the fish are at least a month ahead of schedule this year. The Clarks Hill hybrids and stripers are busting at the seams with eggs. They have started moving into the shallower water and are feeding extremely heavy and aggressive. We are finding some good groups still in the 30-foot range, but for the most part they are moving on up around the 15- to 25-foot range. They will hold in the shallower water even after they go through the spawning motions due to the herring spawn following soon after. The bait has shallowed up also, with pods of bait showing up from the surface to about 15 feet deep. The gulls and loons have been giving away where the bait is, and the hybrids have been close by. Most of the action has been coming off of secondary points in creeks and along the edges of the ditches that feed the creeks. The action has been very good all over the lake, with good reports coming from up around South Carolina Little River and Soap Creek, and also really nice catches are coming out of Georgia Little River near the Little River bridge. This time of year it is best to be prepared with downlines, freelines, planer boards and a pitching pole with a topwater plug. With the patterns changing over and spawning season showing up, you may catch them really good on downlines in 27 feet of water one day, and then the next you may be pulling planer boards across points and shoals in 10 feet of water, followed by casting into 2 feet of water. This time of year produces very nice catches of good eating-size hybrids and nice trophy-sized stripers. Just be sure to watch your graph, and work points over really well.”