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Clarks Hill Lake

Lake Strom Thurmond, known by most Georgia fishermen as Clarks Hill Lake, is a reservoir at the border between Georgia and South Carolina in the Savannah River Basin. It was created by the J. Strom Thurmond Dam during 1951 and 1952 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers near the confluence of the Little River and the Savannah River. Fishing for largemouth bass and striped bass in particularly popular at Clarks Hill, and the lake also offers very good shellcracker fishing during the late spring spawn, and there are some giant catfish in the lake. Crappie fishing can also be very good on Clarks Hill. At 71,000 acres, it is the third-largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi River, behind Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River and Lake Marion on the Santee River. The J. Strom Thurmond Dam is located upstream from Augusta. Clarks Hill is one of the southeast's largest and most popular public recreation lakes.

Clarks Hill Lake Resources

Clarks Hill Lake Fishing Report – May 2025

By GON Staff | April 30, 2025

Clarks Hill: Level: Full at 330. Temp: Low 70s. Clarity: Clear. Bass: David Earl Thorton, with Franklin Gun Shop in Athens, reports, “The herring bite is in full effect on the lower end of the lake. Spinnerbaits, flukes and topwater will get the job done. Fish them over shoals and shallow gravel points. Blow-throughs are especially good and wind helps. After that early bite, go to the bank and run shallow, shaded pockets with a Greenfish Toad Toter Buzzbait. Bream will bed around the full moon, making this shallow bite much better.” Clarks Hill Page: Archived Articles, Fishing Reports & Lake Records

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Clarks Hill Lake Articles

Clarks Hill Lake Update Following Hurricane Helene Impacts

 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, J. Strom Thurmond Lake has experienced significant impacts, damage and property loss in the area due to Hurricane Helena. The Corps currently has minimal staffing due to the storm, but available project staff are currently assessing all parks/project areas and prioritizing tree removal/cleanup. For adjacent property owner…

Clarks Hill Offshore Bass In September

Get offshore on points and humps to catch Clarks Hill largemouth and spotted bass right now. They are feeding and holding in 15 to 20 feet of water waiting on cooling water next month to move up and get more active. Clarks Hill is a big lake, and it can be hard to pattern bass…

2024 Bussey Point Deer Hunt Dates Announced

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, J. Strom Thurmond Lake and Dam Project, Forest, Fish, and Wildlife section, will host primitive weapons deer hunts in Bussey Point Corps Management Unit, located in Lincoln County in October, November and December this year. All hunts are limited to the first 75 hunters to arrive per day on…

Early Topwater Keys Clarks Hill BFL Win For Matt O’Connell

Georgian Matt O’Connell, of Brooks, caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds to win the Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) Presented by T-H Marine on Clarks Hill. Hosted by Visit Columbia County, Georgia, the June 22 tournament was the fourth event of the season for the BFL South Carolina Division. O’Connell earned $6,805, including the…

Hadden Sets Clarks Hill Spotted Bass Record

What began as a slow day on Clarks Hill Lake for Tanner Hadden and his guide party turned exciting and memorable with one key bite. Tanner decided to find some keeper spotted bass in deep brush for his clients to catch. When Tanner cast a 3/16-oz. Greenfish Cleanup shaky head jig threaded with a green…

Clarks Hill Lake Record Fish

Largemouth Bass14-lbs., 14-ozs.Carl Sasser02/16/72
Spotted Bass5-lbs., 7.2-ozs.Tanner Hadden04/23/2404/23/24
White Bass3-lbs., 9-ozs.Ed Lepley03/09/15
Striped Bass55-lbs., 12-ozs.Sam Porter05/27/93
Hybrid Bass16-lbs., 12-ozs.Jim Hankinson-----
Black Crappie4-lbs., 8-ozs.Dewey Marks1979
White Crappie4-lbs., 12-ozs.Weldon Clark03/30/06
Blue Catfish72-lbs., 3-ozs.Walker Crowe05/07/24
Flathead Catfish70-lbs.Michael Dollar03/04/23
Channel Catfish25-lbs., 2-ozs.James Gunn05/13/93
Yellow Perch2-lbs., 8-ozs.Brad Murphy12/89
Sauger4-lbs., 3-ozs.Stuart Bowers04/05/86
Warmouth13-ozs.Daniel Rawlins04/15/01
White Perch1-lb., 4-ozs.Dennis Franklin02/22/15
Shellcracker2-lb., 6-ozs.Allen Fitzgerald04/24/25