Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – June 2006

Level: 1.5 feet below full pool. Temp: 72 degrees. Clarity: The main lake is clear.

Bass: Good. The Spooks & Flukes pattern is well underway. Zara Spooks, Sammys, Creek Chubs, and unweighted Zoom Super Flukes on main-lake points, humps and reef markers is a top pattern in June and throughout the summer. When the fish go down, try a Fluke on a weighted leadhead jig, or a green-pumpkin worm on a Carolina rig in the same area. For more on the June pattern at Hartwell, see page 92.

Stripers/Hybrids: Good. Hartwell fishing guide Steve Crenshaw’s party on May 22 had 20 fish in the boat by late morning. Most of the fish were stripers, including two or three in the 11- to 12-lb. range. Steve was fishing ditches about halfway back in creeks in the mid-lake section and dropping bluebacks on a downline. The fish were holding in the 35- to 40-foot range. The linesides had been schooling on top early and late in the day on the main lake in the mouths of the creeks until the cool snap in late May. That activity should pick up as the water warms.

Crappie: Good. Find brush in the 15- to 20-foot range, and drop minnows or jigs. Steve said a friend had caught 80 fish recently fishing minnow-tipped jigs over brushpiles.