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Lake Hartwell

Lake Hartwell is a 56,000-acre Corps of Engineers reservoir bordering Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo and Seneca rivers. Lake Hartwell is one of the southeast's largest and most popular recreation lakes, and it offers good fishing, particularly for bass and stripers. Three recent Bassmaster Classic tournaments have been held at Hartwell. The lake is created by Hartwell Dam located on the Savannah River 7 miles below the point where the Tugaloo and Seneca rivers join to form the Savannah. Interstate 85 crosses Lake Hartwell at the Georgia-South Carolina line.

Lake Hartwell Resources

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report – April 2024

By GON Staff | March 27, 2024

Hartwell: Level: 1.1 feet above 661. Temp: 58-65 degrees. Clarity: The main lake and bigger creeks are clear, but there is some stain in coves and smaller creeks. Bass: Trent Gober, with Fish Hartwell Guide Service, reports that bass are moving up the hill, headed to spawning areas. Some largemouth spawned in March, but many more will spawn in April back in the pockets. Spots will be spawning out on islands, shoals and points 10 to 12 feet deep. Shad will be in full spawn on rip-rap, rocks and docks, and herring seem to be preparing to spawn early, in April, this year, not May. All the spawning activity of bass and bait means many patterns and baits will work. For prespawn, spawn and postspawn, fish for largemouth in the pockets with a white or white-and-chartreuse bladed jig around any wood or grass. Put a Zoom Tennessee shad colored Shimmer Shad…

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Lake Hartwell Fishing Articles

Davis Takes Lead, Eyes Repeat At B.A.S.S. Nation Championship On Lake Hartwell

Will Davis Jr. hoisted the Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy a year ago, and by all accounts, it looks like he wants to hold on to the hardware that is awarded annually to the winner of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. Davis, in second place after Day 1 with 16-lbs., 1-oz., jumped into the…

Big Limit Of Spots Leads B.A.S.S. Nation Championship On Hartwell

Tim Dube had never fished a competitive round on Lake Hartwell prior to Wednesday’s start of the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. But he went out and treated the place like home water. Dube, a 29-year-old New Hampshire resident, caught a limit of five spotted bass for a total of 16-lbs., 3-ozs. That was enough…

Turn-Over Could Impact Hartwell Bass Bite As Top Club Anglers Compete

Several dynamic scenarios will be at play when anglers take on Lake Hartwell for the 2023 TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, and Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brandon Cobb believes everything will depend on the lake turnover. “This time of year is kind of a strange time,” the Greenwood, S.C., native said. “On Hartwell the fish…

Georgians Win Bassmaster Junior Championship On Lake Hartwell

Kale Temple and Luke Schnell were only 4 ounces out of the Day 1 lead at the 2023 Bassmaster Junior National Championship, so they knew a good finish on Lake Hartwell might lock up the tournament title for them. It did. Temple and Schnell, who compete for the Hart County Junior Anglers, closed the gap…

The Nuts & Bolts Of Hartwell Summer Linesides

Stripers and hybrids can seem like aquatic nomads in a vast ocean of water, says Capt. Cefus McRae, an expert fishing guide who operates on Lakes Hartwell, Lanier and Clark Hill. Cefus is  also the producer and on-screen personality for the “Nuts & Bolts Of Fishing” TV show that airs on FOX Sports South and CarbonTV.…

Lake Hartwell Record Fish

Largemouth Bass12-lbs., 6.5-ozs.Jack Breshears03/08/76
Spotted Bass5-lbs., 6.08-ozs.Raulie Bleech03/18/07
Redeye Bass3-lbs., 7-ozs.Steve Williams04/17/04
Striped Bass59-lbs., 8-ozs.Terry McConnell02/03/02
Hybrid Bass20-lbs., 1-oz.Buster Green-----
White Bass4-lbs., 5-ozs.H.T. Davis02/06/67
White Crappie4-lb., 4-ozs.Charles McCullough04/27/68
Black Crappie3-lbs., 1.76-ozs.Jimmy Burns03/02/22
Walleye9-lbs.T.O. Sherriff1974
Blue Catfish30-lbs., 8-ozs.Melvin Wall06/26/03
Flathead Catfish66-lbs.Darrin Sealey04/04/10
Shellcracker1-lb., 4.16-ozs.DJ Hill05/13/23
Chain Pickerel2-lbs., 5-ozs.Jay Franklin03/16/23