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Lake Russell

Lake Russell is one of Georgia's youngest reservoirs, completed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1983 with construction of the Richard B. Russell Dam on the Savannah River bordering Elbert County, Georgia and Abbeville and Anderson counties in South Carolina. Lake Russell is 26,650 acres and sits between Lake Hartwell to the north and Clarks Hill Lake to the south. As a newer reservoir, environmental laws impacted construction, one factor being that thousands of acres of standing timber were left. Lake levels don't fluctuate much more than 5 feet. Pumpback features at Russell Dam can both pull and release water into and from the tailrace. In addition to the Savannah River, major tributaries include Beaverdam Creek on the Georgia side and Rocky River in South Carolina.

Lake Russell Resources

Lake Russell Fishing Report – July 2024

By GON Staff | June 26, 2024

Russell: Level: 0.2 below 475. Temp: Mid 80s. Clarity: Clear. Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The fishing is still good, and most of the baitfish and bass have transitioned to the typical summer pattern around creek and river channels. As the water temperature continues to climb with the summer heat, the bass and bait will continue to concentrate even more in these areas around deep water.  The main lures of choice for this type of fishing are jigs with Zoom Twin Tails, a drop shot with a Zoom Finesse worm and a Texas-rigged Ol’ Monster worm. As we continue into July and the water temp reaches its peak, the thermocline will begin to push all the bait and fish into that zone with the most oxygen, which will be somewhere around 20 feet.” Lake Russell Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports

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Lake Russell Articles

Lake Russell Black Crappie Sets New Record

Aaron Jenkins calls Canton, N.C. home now, but his heart will forever be in east Georgia. He makes the three-hour trip home to crappie fish with his dad, Keith, whenever he can. As far as Aaron is concerned, there’s only one Georgia lake in which to fish for crappie. The 31-year-old grew up fishing on…

Youth Dove Hunts At Lake Russell

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has two youth dove hunts scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16 and 23 at the Richard B. Russell Project Office. For both hunts, a parent or guardian must accompany youth participants, ages 9-16, and will be permitted to hunt along with the youth hunter. Hunters will be selected…

Lake Russell Bass Mapped For Fall

Lake Russell spotted bass are feeding up as the water cools down, and you can catch a bunch from topwater down to deep brush—and everything in between. Choosing the right places to fish in October will increase your numbers and size.  Russell is a 26,650-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the Savannah River…

Savannah River Reservoirs Seeing Good Growth From Water Willow Plantings

  Georgia’s eastern flank offers some of the best freshwater fishing in the state, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) works to improve bass habitat at the Savannah River reservoirs. The USACE operates three major lakes along Georgia’s border with South Carolina: Lake Hartwell, Richard B. Russell Lake and Clarks Hill Lake. Administratively,…

Lake Russell To Host 32nd Annual Kids Fishing Derby

Kids can take part in a special day of fishing at Lake Russell, win prizes, and participate in other fun activities including archery, but space is limited, and registration is required. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Richard B. Russell Project Office, is hosting the 32nd Annual Kid’s Fishing Derby on Saturday, April 30, 2022,…

Lake Russell Record Fish

Largemouth Bass13-lbs., 4-ozs.Eddy Propes03/04/90
Spotted Bass6-lbs., 8-ozs.Mike Strickland04/06/13
Striped Bass63-lbs. *Terry McConnell04/03/09
White Bass4-lbs., 4-ozs.James L. Payne04/12/94
Walleye11-lbs., 6-ozs.Neal Watson09/11/95
Brown Trout10-lbs., 8-ozs.Tim Harris07/04/93
Black Crappie3-lbs., 6.08-ozs.Aaron Jenkins02/23/24
White Crappie3-lbs.Tony Baker04/03/03
Hybrid Bass14-lbs., 9-ozs.Wayne McCollum01/11/04
Yellow Perch1-lb., 5-ozs.Vern Fulmer09/27/23
White Perch1-lb., 4-ozs.Eric Young01/02/21