Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – July 2022

Hartwell: Level: 0.2 feet above 660. Temp: 85-90 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The fishing is in on fire at Hartwell right now and is the best it has been in several years. There is a lot of schooling activity going on right now with both bass and hybrids. Most of the fish are offshore and located on the main-lake humps and points. We have been catching them on a variety of topwater lures and the Zoom Super Fluke, especially late in the evenings.” Guide Matt Justice reports, “Fishing has been surprisingly good for the most part with the high temperatures this time of year that usually cause oxygen problems. Fish are biting well on topwater plugs off of points over brush in 20 to 30 feet of water. When fish are reluctant to surface on topwaters, they can be caught on drop-shot rigs and shaky heads in the same areas. As always, some fish remain shallow and are feeding on bream. Target these fish with topwater frogs, Pop-Rs and weightless worms. Fishing at night around lights can produce large bags this time of year. Fishing these areas with 12-inch worms and swimbaits can be effective.”

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Bass/Linesides/Crappie: Guide Preston Harden, of Bucktail Guide Service, reports, “Look for bass around brushpiles 15 to 30 feet deep and drop a shaky head or a drop shot on top of them. I always have a topwater plug ready for surface activity. My favorite is a Lucky Craft Sammy in color ghost minnow. The hybrids and stripers have moved out of the creeks and the upper lake. Look for them from mid-lake to the dam. If you locate a school, drop a lively blueback herring on a Carolina rig to the depth of the fish and hang on. A big spoon or a big jig and swimbait will also work. Crappie have also moved to deeper structure. Electronics become very important to find fish in deeper water. Crappie move out of the shallow creeks to brushpiles 20 to 30 feet deep. Crappie minnows on a slip float or a 1/16-oz. jig head and a soft plastic will catch crappie. The weather is hot this time of year and lots of people quit fishing. That does not mean the fish quit feeding. Just follow the fish to their summer locations.”