Fishing Report (Updated 6.21.2009)

Lake Russell is at 473.

Catfish: Very good.  Captain Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that the bite for 2-5 pound eating sized channel catfish continues to be very good.  Fish have moved slightly deeper into 10 to 15 feet of water and cut herring fished in the creeks around riprap, bridges, and rocky points will continue to be very productive all summer, especially at night. 

Crappie: Very good.  Crappie are suspended over brush piles in roughly 20 feet of water.  Backing off and casting at the brush with jigs (especially in “John Deere color” – yellow and green) is working best.  The depth at which fish will suspend depends on how much the brush pile sticks up, but generally retrieving your jig 5-8 feet deep is best. 

White Perch:  Good to very good.  Throughout July and August the white perch bite on Lake Russell is hot.  Fish minnows vertically in 30 feet of water and keep the bait just off the bottom. 

Largemouth and Spotted Bass: Good.  Until about 7 a.m. chug bugs and Zara Spooks will catch fish on the surface.  Once the sun gets up fish will start to move into cedar timber about 20-30 feet deep where they can be caught with a Texas rigged worm pegged behind a 3/16 ounce sinker.  The fish are somewhat suspended and they will hit on the fall.  To locate concentrations of spotted bass fish in the main river channel around rocky points 15-25 feet deep.  A spot remover and a 4 inch straight tail finesse worm will work, and for both shakey heads and Texas rigged worms green pumpkin and cotton candy are good colors.  Captain Wilson says that it is too hot to much good in the afternoon.         

Striped Bass: Fair.  Striped bass are scattered but are making their way up the river towards the cool water at the base of the Hartwell Dam.  Fish can be found from the mid-lake up, and free lining herring on the edge of the river channel 5-8 feet down should work. 

Bream: Fair.  It is hard to catch big bream in Lake Russell but fishing crickets under a float 3-4 feet deep in the backs of coves will catch numbers of fish. 

DHEC Fish Advisory: Only one meal per week of largemouth or spotted bass. 

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