Clarks Hill Lake Fishing Report – December 2024

Clarks Hill: Level: 3.1 feet below 330. Temp: 64-70 degrees. Clarity: Slightly stained to clear.

Bass: D.J. Hadden, with Hadden Outdoors, says to “scope, scope, scope.” D.J.’s son, Tanner, wins many tournaments, including the recent Super 6 Championship with his uncle. Tanner also won the Gerald Jones Tournament with partner Caleb Hudson. Tanner is an expert with FFS and does guide trips where he will teach you. FFS is not some magic tool. It will help you catch fish, but you must learn to use it. “Water temperatures started to cool the week before Thanksgiving and will drop fast in December,” D.J. said. “That means bait will move back in the pockets and creeks. There will be an early morning ditch bite, and surface activity should be seen early in the month. If you’re not scoping, cast a Spot Choker underspin with a 2.8 or 3.3 Keitech early to bait balls and schooling fish. Then start looking for isolated fish in ditches to cast to. Use a jerkbait, underspin or a swimbait on a jig head and cast to fish you see. Rock is always important in December. A Spro RkCrawler or Greenfish Tackle jig in the ‘spot-on’ or ‘brown purple rubber’ colors will get the bigger bites. Up the river arms, fish spinnerbaits, Jack Hammer bladed jigs and flat-sided crankbaits around rock or wood cover.”

Catfish: Noah Dowis, with Bonefinz Outdoors, reports, “The weather cooling off has the bite picking up. Fish are spread out, so dragging cutbait with Santee rigs in the mouths of creeks 25 to 45 feet deep works best. Smaller fish can be caught shallow on humps and points. Perch, bluegill, herring and gizzard shad works for bait.”

Clarks Hill Page: Archived Articles, Fishing Reports & Lake Records