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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 15, 2024

By Ronnie Garrison | April 15, 2024

Level: 0.5 over 660. Temp: 62-66 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear with a little stain in the backs of some creeks. Bass: Ronnie Garrison fished the Potato Creek Bassmasters Tournament over the weekend and reports, “I saw many males preparing beds in Little Beaverdam Creek and the mouth of Reed Creek and a few females cruising them. The full moon this weekend should means lots of bedding bass. “The wind was bad Friday, the first day of our two-day April tournament. I caught five keeper largemouth on a shaky head fished slowly while working bedding flats back in coves. I had caught some 3-lb. spots from rocky humps and points on Wednesday and Thursday, but they did not hit early Friday morning, and the wind made them unfishable Friday afternoon. “Two 3-lb. largemouth helped me have 9.92 pounds. Raymond English had five bass at 14.26 pounds for first place, and Niles Murray…

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Lake Hartwell Fishing Articles

Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation Winners Find Hartwell Bass Deep

The Georgia B.A.S.S.  Nation held its high school and middle school tournaments on Lake Hartwell this past weekend and the top participants had no problem with catching fish. The Irwin County duo of Peyton Dunn and Gavin Guy was the top high-school team with a five-fish limit weighing 18.13, followed by the Dawson County team…

Tennessee Team Takes Lead In Bassmaster High School National Championship On Lake Hartwell

  ANDERSON, S.C. — Ty Trentham and Chase McCarter recovered from a slow start to catch 17-lbs., 15-ozs. to take the lead on Day 1 of the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School National Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors on Lake Hartwell. The Sevier County High School juniors hold a 2-oz. lead on Livingston…

2022 Bassmaster High School National Championship Set For Hartwell

  Temperatures in South Carolina have heated up and so has the fishing on Lake Hartwell as young anglers from across the country prepare for the Abu Garcia Bassmaster High School Championship presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors. Featuring eight members of the Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and…

Benchmark Record Established For Hartwell Shellcracker

The Savannah River chain of reservoirs have long been known for producing good fishing for redear sunfish, commonly known as shellcrackers. So it is fitting that a lake record has finally been established on Lake Hartwell. Meka Ashe, of Franklin, N.C., was fishing on Lake Hartwell May 2 when she caught a big redear. She…

Six Wins $50,000 On Lake Hartwell

Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons Saving the best for last, Drew Six weighed in his biggest bag of the tournament on Showdown Saturday to capture his first National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) victory. With 17-lbs., 7-ozs. on day one, 14-lbs., 13-ozs. on day two and 19-lbs., 1-oz. on day…

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