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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
Hartwell: Level: 0.4 feet above 660. Temp: 71-75 degrees. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Trent Gober, with Fish Hartwell Guide Service, reports that the herring spawn is about to bust wide open. It’s late this year, so the first week of May should be excellent. Get out on main-lake points, blow-throughs and humps, and fish topwater on gravel and rock 4 to 10 feet deep. Early in the month, fish a wake bait or a topwater hard bait slowly, and work a fluke just under the surface. The bass are still somewhat weak from the spawn. Later in the month, work a Gunfish or fluke over brush 15 to 25 feet deep as fast as you can fish them. Run and gun, hitting as many places as you can. Trent said that on a milk run, catch a couple of fish, then move on to the next spot. Then you can come back…
Read MoreLake Hartwell Fishing Articles
Think it is too hot to go fishing during the day in July? Big bass busting on top will make you forget how hot it is. Plan a trip to Lake Hartwell, and enjoy catching quality fish on topwater plugs. Lake Hartwell is a sprawling 56,000-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake on the Savannah…
According to bassmaster.com, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro likely saved a man’s life after pulling him from the frigid waters of Lake Hartwell on Sunday, Feb. 15. David Walker, of Sevierville, Tenn., was practicing for this week’s Bassmaster Classic when he noticed a man in the water. David was able to quickly get to the…
Kerry Partain learned a long time ago that February fishing at Lake Hartwell has its own set of rules. “One of the first things you have to do is see what kind of mood they’re in,” he said. “They might be feeding—or they may not be doing much of anything and just sitting on the…
The rock stars of the professional bass fishing world are coming to Lake Hartwell as the reservoir plays host to the 2015 Bassmaster Classic Feb. 20-22. No Georgians qualified for this year’s event, but top pros like Aaron Martens and Skeet Reese will be fishing. Last year’s winner, Randy Howell, of Springville, Ala., returns with…
As a fisherman, Chris Powell is most at home when he is on the pointy end of a bass boat with rods scattered at his feet and a target in range of his next cast. If that bass boat is on Lake Hartwell, then Chris is not just at home, he is in his own…
Lake Hartwell Record Fish
| Largemouth Bass | 12-lbs., 6.5-ozs. | Jack Breshears | 03/08/76 |
| Spotted Bass | 5-lbs., 6.08-ozs. | Raulie Bleech | 03/18/07 |
| Redeye Bass | 3-lbs., 7-ozs. | Steve Williams | 04/17/04 |
| Striped Bass | 59-lbs., 8-ozs. | Terry McConnell | 02/03/02 |
| Hybrid Bass | 20-lbs., 1-oz. | Buster Green | ----- |
| White Bass | 4-lbs., 5-ozs. | H.T. Davis | 02/06/67 |
| White Crappie | 4-lb., 4-ozs. | Charles McCullough | 04/27/68 |
| Black Crappie | 3-lbs., 1.76-ozs. | Jimmy Burns | 03/02/22 |
| Walleye | 9-lbs. | T.O. Sherriff | 1974 |
| Blue Catfish | 30-lbs., 8-ozs. | Melvin Wall | 06/26/03 |
| Flathead Catfish | 66-lbs. | Darrin Sealey | 04/04/10 |
| Shellcracker | 1-lb., 4.16-ozs. | DJ Hill | 05/13/23 |
| Chain Pickerel | 2-lbs., 5-ozs. | Jay Franklin | 03/16/23 |