Clarks Hill Lake Fishing Reports – July 2020

Clarks Hill: Level: 0.5 feet low. Temp: 80 degrees but cooler up in the rivers. Clarity: Very clear.

Bass: Tournament angler Josh Rockefeller reports, “Fish are being caught down the lake in brush, but I’ve found success fishing around bridge pilings and the rocky corners with a drop shot and a Ned rig. Lots of spotted bass are hanging in and around the corners of the rocks. The bigger fish are coming from up the rivers and creeks on a buzzbait with a white frog as a trailer throwing around any laydowns or rocks. It’s slow fishing, but you will get a few good bites a day.”

Linesides: Guide Bradd Sasser reports, “The hybrid and striper bite has been extremely good right around sunrise.  We have been doing a lot more cove and pocket fishing this year than we have in summers past. Not sure if it may be due to higher lake levels or cooler conditions or a combination of both but the fish haven’t pushed out to where you are open-water fishing in deeper water yet. They have been holding 25 to 30 feet deep in ditches and feeding extremely aggressive. The size of the fish have been all over the board from 1- to 2-lb. hybrids to 8- to 10-lb. stripers and back to 3- to 5-lb. hybrids. Lower lake areas have been very good, but we have seen similar trends throughout the mid to upper lake, also. The afternoon bite has kind of tapered off, but when the heat finally sets in and the water temperatures rise into the mid to upper 80s, this will turn back on. Soon we will be fishing downlines in the middle of the channel 35 to 50 feet deep.” 

Crappie: Guide Bradd Sasser reports, “The crappie spawn and population must have been very good this year. We are seeing a lot of really nice catches coming from fishing brush in 25 to 30 feet of water fishing 10 to 12 feet down.”

GON’s Clarks Hill Lake Page