Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – March 2022

Hartwell: Level: 0.7 feet below 660. Temp: 53 degrees. Clarity: Clear. 

Bass: Guide Matt Justice reports, “Fishing in March on Hartwell can’t be beat. Prespawn largemouth should be moving into their staging areas directly adjacent to spawning areas, and they can really stack up. Look for rock 5 to 15 feet deep on secondary points and ledges. Fishing with crankbaits like a DT6 and Shad Raps can be very productive after a warm spell. Fish can still be caught in the ditches and creek runs in 20 to 50 feet of water on football jigs and spoons. Look for this pattern to fade and more shallow fish to play at the upcoming Bassmaster Classic.”

Linesides: Guide Preston Harden, of Bucktail Guide Service, “March is my favorite month of the year. As the water starts to warm, all gamefish move shallow. The best time to fish is afternoons. As the water warms through the day, fish move to the bank. The best banks are the wind-blown ones. I concentrate on the points and pockets. This time of year you can catch lots of big fish shallow casting small shad imitations. I am not looking for schooling fish. I am casting to where I think they should be. I throw a small jig and a fluke or a bucktail jig and fluke. The fish are not ready to eat a herring until the water warms later in the month. When the water warms to the mid 50s, I will use a larger jig and fluke and a live herring freelined. So if you like to cast like a bass fisherman and catch big fish on light tackle, now is the time. Sleep late and fish until dark.”

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