Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – June 2023

Hartwell: Level: 1 foot over 660. Temp: 72-78 degrees. Clarity: Clear except for the backs of creeks.

Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The bass fishing has been good if the weather cooperates, and now that it has warmed up, hopefully the fishing will continue to improve. We have been catching bass on several different patterns and anywhere from 2 to 15 feet deep. Some mornings there is still some baitfish spawning, and we have been catching them on crankbaits, swim jigs, topwater and Zoom Super Flukes. There are a good many bass still on secondary points and shoals, and this should continue through June, but as the water continues to warm, the bass should begin to migrate more to the main-lake points, humps and timber later in the month.”

Guide Matthew Justice reports, “The bite on Hartwell has begun to slow. Fish on the herring points that were aggressively feeding have left and began to make their way to the canepiles and timber off the ends of the points. Look for canepiles in 15 to 35 feet of water. These fish will come up on a topwater walking bait when casting lures over the piles. If the fish are not coming up on the topwater, casting a shaky head or a drop shot into the brush can catch inactive fish. Bream beds are another pattern worth trying this time of year. Some really large fish can be caught on topwater around them. The lake is flooded at the moment, so look for willow trees in the backs of creeks. These areas can produce first thing in the morning.”

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