Freshwater Fishing Trends
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Piedmont Area
Lake Russell
Black bass: Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that well into May some bass should be up shallow feeding on spawning blueback herring off shallow points, but as the month goes on that bite should get weaker. The fish will take topwater lures and flukes, but live herring are often impossible to beat. Once the herring spawn wraps up fish will move deeper again.
Striped bass: Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in May some stripers should be found off the sides of the same points where the herring are spawning, but by the end of May when herring move out to deeper water, stripers will mostly be around deep trees in 40-50 feet.
Crappie: Guide Wendell Wilson reports that the crappie spawn essentially wrapped up in April, but in May the fish will stay fairly shallow around brush. They can be caught within a few feet of the surface on minnows or even trolling jigs.
Catfish: Guide Jerry Kotal reports that by the end of April the channel catfish bite was really good, and in May it should get even better. Channel cats will be caught pretty much everywhere including points, pockets, coves and more on cut herring.
Most detailed Lake Russell Updates
Clarks Hill (Lake Thurmond)
Black bass: Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that the schooling action on herring points should last a few weeks into this month, but at some point shallow fish will transition to feeding on spawning shellcracker instead of herring. Topwater lures fished on main lake points should work until it gets very hot, and when the fish are not up jigs or shaky heads in the same areas can work.
Striper and hybrids bass: Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that early in May there should continue to be a good bite off shallow points early, but once it gets hot then fish will be in mid-depths in the morning. As the water gets hotter fish will move deeper and eventually the pattern will switch over to almost exclusively a down-rod bite.
Crappie: Little River Guide Service reports that in May the spawn is behind us but the fish are back feeding again, and about all you need to catch them is minnows and the location of some mid-depth brush in the creeks.
Catfish: Captain Chris Simpson reports that in May he likes to anchor in shallow water to target big pre-spawn blue catfish as well as eating-sized blues and channels. For big fish use large pieces of tougher cut bait, while for smaller fish dip baits, herring, and shrimp will all work.
Most detailed Lake Thurmond Updates
Lake Wylie
Bass bass: Tournament angler Reid McGinn of Fort Mill reports that some bass should still be spawning in the first part of May, and the shad spawn bite will also be going on around docks and riprap where you can catch fish with spinnerbaits. There will also be fish feeding shallow on bream as well as moving deeper to offshore spots.
Crappie: Captain Chris Nichols (704-860-7951) reports that at the start of May there is usually still a trickle of fish spawning, but the majority of the fish will be post-spawn and grouping up on brush or in creek runs. Jigs and minnows will both catch fish.
Catfish: Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that in May fish should be caught both anchoring and drifting with cut bait from the shallows out to mid-depths. While there will be plenty of fish up the lake other areas should have numbers of good blue catfish as well.
Most detailed Lake Wylie Updates
Midlands Area
Lake Greenwood
Black bass: Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Greenwood reports that in May the shad spawn typically winds down, and fishing usually starts to be a combination of fishing topwater lures early around the banks and then soft plastics around deep brush piles during the day.
Crappie: Captain Roland Addy (864-980-3672) reports that in May more and more fish will stack up on mid-depth brush, and they should feed better as the spawn gets further behind them. Jigs often outproduce minnows for aggressive fish but it doesn’t hurt to have both available.
Catfish: Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that in May channel cats can be caught on dip baits fished off points, or on cut bait or shrimp drifted. This is also a good month for flatheads and they will take live bait in low-light periods.
Most detailed Lake Greenwood Updates
Lake Monticello
Black bass: Tournament angler Eric Enlow of Union reports that the spawn was pretty much done by the end of April, and the few remaining fish that will spawn do it deeper. As fish leave the banks they will often follow the same route out that they followed in, and generally that means a lot of point fishing in May, moving progressively deeper. Soft plastics are effective.
Catfish: Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that in May it should be possible to catch large fish relatively shallow on a variety of cut baits, but just as exciting this month is that when water temperatures get warm the free-line drifting bite should get good. When that happens anglers can drift around the lake with small pieces of cut bait and catch fish suspended out over deep water.
Most detailed Lake Monticello Updates
Lake Murray
Black Bass: Tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports that the herring spawn is likely to be the main deal for a lot of this month, and fish should be caught on topwater lures, flukes and soft plastics/ jigs fished on the bottom off points. As the month progresses more fish will also start to focus on bream and a buzzbait should work well.
Striped bass: Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports that in May there should be a few different ways to catch striped bass, and fish should key on spawning herring especially early in the day. They can be caught on free lines and planer boards by anglers simply covering water, and there should also be a lot of sometimes smaller fish caught on down lines. Cut bait should also generate some big bites.
Crappie: Captain Brad Taylor and veteran tournament angler Tommy Slice of Chapin report that in May the fish should start to get out of their post-spawn feeding slump, and fish should start to feed up around a variety of structure and especially brush. Minnows and jigs will both work.
Catfish: Captain William Attaway (803-924-0857) reports that May is usually a good month for channel catfish on Lake Murray, and typically he targets points and secondary points with dip baits.
Most detailed Lake Murray Updates
Lake Wateree
Black bass: Tournament angler Dearal Rodgers of Camden reports that a few bass will spawn in May on Lake Wateree, but the vast majority of the fish should be post-spawn as the month begins. The main spawn that most anglers will be thinking about this month will be the shad spawn, and typically bass will be found feeding around shad that are on hard cover including rock, docks and more first thing. Buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and other baits that imitate shad should work.
Crappie: Veteran tournament angler Will Hinson of Cassatt reports that the Wateree spawn mostly wrapped up in April, and to start May most fish will be on brush. As the month progresses nearly all the fish will move onto brush and they will feed better. Chartreuse jigs are hard to beat.
Catfish: Captain Rodger Taylor (803-517-7828) reports that the biggest fish should be caught anchoring up the river this month, but numbers of fish should be caught all over the lake anchoring cut bait in relatively shallow areas.
Most detailed Lake Wateree Updates
Santee Cooper
Black bass: Captain David Murdaugh Sr. (843-452-9566) reports that the spawn should be winding down in May, but a few fish will still get on beds. This month the topwater bite should come on early, late, and at times all day, and while some fish will head back to deep water this month the number of panfish as well as the bait around the banks will hold many shallower.
Crappie and Bream: Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that some white crappie will spawn this month, but the black crappie spawn is basically finished. The best pattern for catching fish is now to target mid-depth brush with minnows. Shellcracker and bluegill will also be spawning this month around grass and shallow cover, and they will eat worms and crickets. Shellcracker spawn earlier in the year while bluegill wait until temperatures are a little warmer.
Striped bass: Captain Bobby Winters (843-751-3080) reports that by May the Lake Moultrie dam, and other deep-water haunts, should be the key spots for targeting striper in the lakes (even as some fish continue to run back down the river and through the canal). Live herring fished near the bottom are hard to beat, but there should also be some surface activity near the dam.
Catfish: Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) report that in May catfish can be found at a variety of depths, but usually a solid pattern is to anchor in shallow water early and late and then drift mid-depths during the day. Cut bait will work but chicken can also be effective in May. Dip baits will catch more small fish.
Most detailed Santee Cooper System Updates
Mountains Area
Lake Jocassee
Trout: Guide Sam Jones (864-280-9056) reports that May is usually a good month for trout fishing on Lake Jocassee, and after a very good April they expect more of the same in May. Trolling spoons at mid-depths should be a good pattern all month, and it shouldn’t be until June that fish start to head very deep barring unseasonably warm weather.
Most detailed Lake Jocassee Updates
Lake Keowee
Black Bass: Guide Charles Townson (864-324-2065) reports that even though fish in all three stages of the spawn (pre-spawn, spawning, and post-spawn) could still be found at the end of April on Lake Keowee, the numbers were already starting to lean heavily towards post-spawn fish. As it gets hot that trend will rapidly accelerate and the spawn will wrap up. Fish will continue to be caught on soft plastics out to about 20 feet this month, and there should also be an early morning bite on points with crankbaits and spinnerbaits.
Most detailed Lake Keowee Updates
Lake Hartwell
Black Bass: Guide Lane Clark (864-254-8614) reports that the bass spawn on Lake Hartwell usually extends into May, but it seems to have wound down a little early this year – as has the blueback herring spawn. Sometime in May fish should get offshore where they can be caught around brush, but the best bet until that happens is fishing shallow with soft plastics.
Striper and hybrids: Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that early in May fish will typically be shallow early where they can be caught on free-lined herring, but as the month progresses you have to switch over to herring fished on down-rods in deeper water.
Crappie: Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that by the end of April the spawn was essentially over on Lake Hartwell, and the best numbers of fish this month will be caught stacked up on mid-depth brush. They will suspend over wood in the middle of the water column, and you can catch them either by casting jigs or fishing minnows under a float.
Catfish: Captain Bill Plumley reports that in May the majority of the blue catfish will be back in deeper timber, but to start the month some could still be found relatively shallow. May should be an excellent month for catching flathead catfish on live bait around brush, and the channel catfish bite should also be wide open at a variety of depths on everything from worms to chicken livers to cut bait. Once the water warms sufficiently processed dip baits will be the best bait.
Most detailed Lake Hartwell updates
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