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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
Russell: Level: 0.4 over 475. Temp: 58-64 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear on the main lake and stained in creeks. Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The bass fishing is on fire, and you can catch them on a variety of baits all over the lake right now. We have been catching a lot of prespawn bass on main-lake points, humps and shoals in 10 to 20 feet of water using a shaky head with Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler or Trick Worm. There are also some big fish moving shallow to spawn in the pockets, and you can catch them on Blade Runners with Zoom Flukes early or Texas-rigged Trick Worms and lizards throughout the day. If you are looking to get some big bites, try using the Southern Hook Lures glide baits and the Bite Size Herring Swimmer because they are some big-bass catchers. There are also some fish being caught…
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Luke Wilson caught this 1-lb., 4-oz. lake-record yellow perch on Lake Russell on Sep. 22, 2016. Yellow perch are common on the upper Savannah River reservoirs and in the Georgia mountain lakes, but many anglers don’t go after these tasty fish. Here’s an article from the GON archives that details how to catch yellow perch…
If you want to catch a lot of bass on a beautiful lake with a natural shoreline and clear water, head to Lake Russell. Just make sure you keep some small spotted bass for a fish fry! Lake Russell is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake on the Savannah River between Hartwell and Clarks…
Mike Strickland caught this 6-lb., 8-oz. lake-record spotted bass on Lake Russell on April 6, 2013. Spotted bass have all but take over what used to be great largemouth bass fishery on Lake Russell. For lots of articles and information on catching spots at Lake Russell, click here.
It’s so hot I saw two trees fighting over a dog. When it’s that hot, you have to wonder if it is worth going fishing. The dog days of August are tough, but head to Lake Russell, and you can catch a lot of keeper bass and have a chance at some quality fish. Russell…
See all of GON’s Official Georgia Lake & River Records Requirements For Record Fish • Fish must be caught legally by rod and reel in a manner consistent with state game and fish regulations. • Catch must be weighed on accurate Georgia DOA certified scales with at least two witnesses present, who must be…
Lake Russell Record Fish
Largemouth Bass | 13-lbs., 4-ozs. | Eddy Propes | 03/04/90 |
Spotted Bass | 6-lbs., 8-ozs. | Mike Strickland | 04/06/13 |
Striped Bass | 63-lbs. * | Terry McConnell | 04/03/09 |
White Bass | 4-lbs., 4-ozs. | James L. Payne | 04/12/94 |
Walleye | 11-lbs., 6-ozs. | Neal Watson | 09/11/95 |
Brown Trout | 10-lbs., 8-ozs. | Tim Harris | 07/04/93 |
Black Crappie | 3-lbs., 6.08-ozs. | Aaron Jenkins | 02/23/24 |
White Crappie | 3-lbs. | Tony Baker | 04/03/03 |
Hybrid Bass | 14-lbs., 9-ozs. | Wayne McCollum | 01/11/04 |
Yellow Perch | 1-lb., 5-ozs. | Vern Fulmer | 09/27/23 |
White Perch | 1-lb., 4-ozs. | Eric Young | 01/02/21 |