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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 – November 2024

By GON Staff | October 30, 2024

Hartwell: Level: 1.9 feet below 660. Temp: 60s. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Trent Gober, with Fish Hartwell Guide Service, said November is a great month to fish Lake Hartwell. The fish are moving shallow into the creeks. Many baits will catch them, from topwater for schooling fish to crankbaits on rocky banks going into the creeks. Pay attention to channel swings in the creeks. The baitfish tend to load up in those swings. Not all bass will go into the creeks. There will still be a main-lake bite, just a little deeper. Use a green-pumpkin jig or Senko to catch fish around brushpiles and on roadbeds 20 to 35 feet deep. Keep your eyes on your electronics for big pods of bait, and you will find the fish close by. Lake Hartwell Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports  

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Lake Hartwell Fishing Articles

Herring Spawn Spots Produce Hartwell Win In Kayak Series

As a resident of Upstate South Carolina, Lowell Brannan has spent many days on Lake Hartwell. But the two days he spent fishing the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX might have been his best two yet. With a two-day total of 183.5 inches—92 inches on Day 1 and 91.5 on Day 2—Brannan…

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…

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