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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: 1 foot below 475. Temp: 75-80 degrees. Clarity: Clear on the main lake, but the creeks are stained. Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “The bass fishing has been a little slower, but they have started to transition to the summer pattern and become a little more predictable as they relate to the deeper water. We have been catching a few good spotted bass in 20 feet on main-lake humps, points and brush. There will still be some fish shallow in the creeks, and a Texas-rigged Zoom Ol’ Monster worm or jig with a Zoom Speed Craw around blowdowns and timber is good for some big largemouth. Right now, the fish seem to be scattered everywhere, but as we head into June, look for them to concentrate more as they begin to setup on the main-lake points around baitfish.” Lake Russell Page: Archived Articles, News & Fishing Reports
Read MoreLake Russell Articles
If you are looking for an uncrowded lake with lots of spots feeding on rocks and drops, plus a good largemouth bite after a rain, head to Lake Russell. Spotted bass at Russell bite good no matter how cold it is, and if you want to keep some to eat, the lake is overrun with…
Finding a quiet and safe place for a nursery tops the priorities for new parents, be they humans or fish. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and state partners help fish in Savannah River reservoirs find those safe places for their young. To make those safe places this summer, workers, student interns and volunteers have…
Does catching 100 bass a day sound good, even if they are smaller spotted bass? Lake Russell is full of spotted bass in the 11- to 13-inch range to the point of being badly over crowded with these aggressive bass. That makes Lake Russell a great place to go this month to hone your hook-setting…
If you want to see some big spots before your eyes, grab your favorite baits and head to Lake Russell this month. Keep it simple with a jig, underspin, shaky head and crankbait, and concentrate on fishing rocks and clay to catch some quality spotted bass in March. Russell is our newest Corps of Engineers…
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…
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 |
| White Catfish | 4-lbs., 6.72-ozs. | Garrett Duncan | 05/06/25 |