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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 – April 2025

By GON Staff | March 27, 2025

Russell: Level: 1 foot below 475. Temp: 60-65 degrees. Clarity: Clear on main lake with some stain in the creeks. Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, “Now is a perfect opportunity to catch fish and take a kid to enjoy the great outdoors. The month of April is one of the best times to catch bass in a variety of different ways. If you like to fish shallow, you can catch them in the creeks on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a Texas-rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hog or lizard. There will also be some prespawn bass out on the points and in the major pockets cruising before they go on bed. For these bass, I like to throw a Blade Runner with a Zoom Fluke or a shaky head out deeper on the points. Later in the month the topwater bite will start to turn on with the herring spawn, and I…

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Lake Russell Articles

Russell Bass Move To Summer Hotspots

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…

Lake Russell Record Spotted Bass

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.

Russell Bass By The Numbers

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…

Lake Russell Record Black Crappie

  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…

Tragic Boating Accident At Lake Russell Pot Tournament Kills Angler

Jimmy Kelley, 68, of Lilburn, died the morning of May 20, 2010, just a month ahead of his 50th wedding anniversary, of complications from injuries sustained in a boat accident. Three other men involved in the accident, which occurred during the blast-off of a Lake Russell pot tournament on May 8, suffered non life-threatening injuries.…

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