Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – April 2020

Hartwell: Level: 1 foot above full pool. Temp: 62-68 degrees. Clarity: Most creeks and rivers are stained, but it’s clearer on the lower end of lake.

Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The water temperature has jumped up fast this past week, and the fish are in transition daily. There are still some prespawn fish staging on main lake and secondary points leading into the pockets, and a Carolina-rigged lizard or Trick Worm is hard to beat right now. The next couple of weeks the bass should really stack up in the pockets and creeks as the spawn will be in full swing. If you like fishing shallow, now is the time to go. When fishing shallow, I like to throw a spinnerbait and crankbait early. Then when the sun gets up good, I start looking for bass cruising or locked on beds, and I use a Zoom Trick Worm or Zlinky.”

Guide Matthew Justice reports, “Fish are in spawning, prespawn and postspawn stages. Prespawn fish can be found on shallow flat points fishing a 3.8-inch Keitech on a 1/4-oz. jig head. Look in protected pockets with flooded cover to find spawning fish. Best bet to catch shallow fish is a green-pumpkin Senko wacky rigged. Throw at light spots, which could be beds, and cover water. Fishing a buzzbait on flats can also catch spawning fish you can’t see. Herring are beginning to spawn and will get better in April, so expect a topwater bite to develop on main-lake points.”

Linesides: Guide Preston Harden reports, “April means fishing shallow. April also means spawning fish. Fishing becomes simple in April as all game fish move up on the banks. March has been on fire with warming water temps and less rain. As the water warms in the afternoons, fish move up on wind-blown banks and eat small jigs and flukes worked slowly. By April, the morning bite will become as good as the afternoon bite. Hybrids and stripers will start to eat freelined herring as well as artificials in shallow water. Many fish will run up the Keowee and Tugaloo rivers to spawn. Lots of fish will try to spawn down lake on shallow banks. Bass and crappie also spawn in April. Bass can be sight fished as they make beds in shallow water. Crappie will drop eggs on wood and rock structure in shallow water. After a long winter, April is a perfect month to get out on the water.”

Read archived fishing articles at GON’s Lake Hartwell Page