Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – November 2018

Hartwell: Level: 2 feet low. Temp: 65 to 72 degrees. Clarity: Clear to dingy.

Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The lake is turning over hard right now, and the fishing is tough. There are some areas of the lake that will still hold some feeding fish, so if you find biting fish, don’t leave them. The baitfish are making their fall transition now, too, so that makes it tougher because the fish will be there today and gone tomorrow. The shallow fish are a little more predictable and can be caught on crankbaits and plastics, especially on wood and rocks in the creeks and on main-lake ditches. Once the water settles and clears back up the next few weeks, the fishing will be good.  When this happens, I will target bigger, aggressive fish with a jig or a crankbait, but for numbers of fish, I like to use a drop shot rigged with a Zoom Z-Drop or finesse worm. I also keep a Zoom Super Fluke ready because the bass are likely to come up schooling anywhere this time of year.”

Linesides: Guide Preston Harden reports, “November can be tough. It is a transition month. October has been good for smaller hybrids and stripers. They have been schooling all over. They have been eating threadfin shad and have not wanted to eat a bigger bait. Small jigs with flukes and other small imitations have been the ticket. They need to be less than 2 or 3 inches long and represent a threadfin shad. Hopefully they will continue schooling in November. In November, the lake turns over, and that causes the transition to the creeks and up the lake. After a cold snap in November, the lake will be turning over. It will get a brownish color with foam on top. It will have an organic smell like rotting leaves. The deep water rises, and the cooling surface water sinks. Turnover starts up the lake and in the creeks. This is where turnover completes first. The fish migrate up the lake and into the creeks. Fishing can be good in November after stable weather. Try not to fish right after a cold snap since that is when it is turning. I look for greener-colored water and try to avoid the brownish color. By Thanksgiving, turnover is usually complete. The water becomes a pretty green color. The fishing can be real good for about a month until it gets cold in January.”