Lake Hartwell Fishing Report January 2015

Hartwell: Level: 5.6 feet low. Temp: Mid 50s.

Stripers: Guide Preston Harden reports, “January is a transition month on Lake Hartwell. Stripers, hybrids and bass are still active early in the month. If we have a cold winter, fishing usually slows down by late January. Fish will eat small flukes on jig heads and bucktails. They will eat small clouser flies. They will eat herring, but medium shiners work better sometimes. The key is to imitate the small threadfin shad that become the primary food when the water is cold. Look for fish in the upper end of the lake and in the major creeks. Seagulls will usually be close. Sometimes the nasty, cold, overcast days are the best. Fish slow and small. Wear your life jacket, as hypothermia happens quickly when the water is so cold.”

Crappie: Preston said, “When the water temperature gets below 48 degrees, fish become inactive. Crappie are active at the coldest water temperature, and they become my target then.”