Striped bass have exceptions, see Freshwater Fish Size & Possession Limits. Close to the Chattooga River, Walhalla State Fish Hatchery, Oconee State Park, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, and the Foothills Trail. Water actually passes under the wall to enter the canal, so the strongest currents and consequently the most-active fish tend to be close to the bottom. The lake holds state records for five species of fish including a 5lb, 2.5oz Redeye bass, a 9lb. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. It is 300 feet deep (91 meters) with an area of 7,500 acres (30Km 2 ). Affidavit must be filled out in entirely and returned to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources within 45 days of catch. View Map Premium Mapping , Best Answer From Peter in Australia: A hook will rust away in a fish, but it may take a while, especially if the hook is plated or made of thick metal. Charles fishes this on 12-15 pound fluorocarbon and sets the drag loose since there is very little that fish could swim into and get hung up. He had drop shot rigs on the deck, and he has also experimented with a Damiki rig. For example, if you want to fish for pre-spawn fish you can fish the mid-lake, then the north, then the south. Shop our collection of fishing rods to find the one that best matches your needs. For comparison, the world record is a tie at 22 pounds, 4 ounces. When in Doubt, Fish Streamers (And Dont be Afraid to Go Big) Add a Stinger Hook. Lake Keowee; Oconee & Pickens counties Source: Patrick Jennings / shutterstock Lake Keowee. -- Lake Keowee, SC Kowalski Fishing 351 subscribers Subscribe 9.3K views 3 years ago #Largemouthbass #Springbassfishing We went out on Lake Keowee to do some Spring time Bass Fishing. A few days ago I was fortunate enough to go out on Keowee with Guide Charles Townson, who has been fishing Lake Keowee since 1996. Most specially regulated trout waters are closed to taking fishbait and baitfish at all times. The lake covers approximately 18,000 acres of surface area and is home to excellent spotted bass fishing. One of Latimers fishing buddies, Nick Rubio of Greer, fished his first-ever bass tournament on Keowee his freshman year at Clemson; he was on the schools first bass-fishing team. However more than just making a few casts, and angler will want to change his angle of the cast as well. Not all the time, but there can be seasonal spottings every few years. There is also an absence of man-made cover, as the only docks allowed on the lake are floating docks without pilings. Overall Charles finds the deep pattern we fished in the most consistent in winter. Natural baitfish imitation presentations and persistence can both be important. In 40-60 feet he opts for a ounce spoon, and in 60 plus feet he fishes ounce spoons until water temperatures get in the lower 50s and he picks up a 1-ounce spoon. Lake Keowee Owned and operated by Duke Power, Lake Keowee is a relatively young lake and has been a source of energy and recreation since it was impounded in 1971. If you can locate schools of shad, stripers are often close by. When looking at freshwater fishing, however, there are a handful of popular lakes that anglers visit. A drop shot rig consists of line tied to a hook with a trailing leader that comes to an end with a weight so that the weight is at the bottom and the hook and bait are above it. $540,000. SCDNR - Freshwater Game Fish Records for SC Freshwater Fish Records for South Carolina Affidavit for Record Freshwater Game Fish is in the PDF file format. In November fish are often in the largest schools of the year. All freshwater fish species in the state of South Carolina are measured using total length. He has since expanded the blog to include gear reviews, fishing reports, and even recipes for cooking up your catch. 1:00 Larry Westmoreland has caught plenty of fish in his 70 years, but he'll be hard pressed to top the one he reeled in Saturday night while fishing at Lake Keowee. Lake Keowee. Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:38 pm. Amenities. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. These are just a couple of bait options for anglers fishing tournaments in South Carolina and getting ready to fish on Lake Keowee in the springtime. As water temperatures warm up, bass become more active and move shallower. No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass or their hybrids No pictures just our weekly fishing report and bass fishing . Lake Keowee is partially in the mountains, with the southern end in the foothills ( Google Map ). That is where we are right now, and on the day I fished with Charles bass were mixed between creeks and the main lake. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I spend probably 90 percent of my time in the South Cove area, around the islands in South Cove; there is so much structure, you could fish for a week and not cover it all, he said. Green fishes the tops and sides of the points, and will work around the islands with topwater lures, jigging spoons and a variety of soft-plastic offerings. In Pickens County access to Crowe Creek is west of Pickens off SC 133 at the intersection of County Road 172. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If I wanted to catch largemouth this time of year, Id probably run to the backs of pockets and throw jigs around docks, swimbaits, things like that, Latimer said. The tournament, hosted by Visit Oconee, was the first event . SOLD FEB 17, 2023. The Oconee Nuclear Station is a nuclear power station located on Lake Keowee near Seneca, South Carolina, and has a power output capacity of over 2,500 megawatts.It is the second nuclear power station in the United States to have its operating license extended for an additional twenty years by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) (the application for the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant . Popular Fishing Species List. View our maps and read detailed fishing reports from nearby anglers. The northern end of the lake backs up to Lake Jocassee, the power plant is in the mid-lake section, and at the lower end outflows from the two dams (Keowee Dam and Little River Dam) combine to form the Seneca River and feed one of the major arms of Lake Hartwell. Where can I catch catfish in Lake Keowee? Experienced members share their fishing knowledge. Depths of around 15 feet on the south end of the lake are likely the most productive. There are numerous different species of fish to find on this body of water. All trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective owners and are not affiliated with nor do they endorse this product. Fishing on Lake Keowee in South Carolina can provide really strong days for tournament anglers in the springtime. Spotted bass are not as finicky about presentations as are largemouths. You can catch them just casting to dark spots on main-lake points and islands, said Latimer. In the pre-spawn period bass set up very heavily around docks, basically the one available form of cover. The shoreline of Lake Keowee measures out to approximately 300 miles. Home Highlights. Even A-rigs, umbrella rigs, are a really good way to target largemouth, especially if youve got cloudy, rainy weather in the spring.. Fishing spots and baits to use at Lake Keowee? During the summer, anglers often show up a little before dark and fish at night, shining lights on the water right next to a piling and fishing in the lit water with jigs or minnows. Call (877) 444-6777 to reserve. The following list of state record fish is according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and includes South Carolinas two world Record fish, the channel catfish and redbreast sunfish. Fishing deep water is never like casting at a visible stump or laydown on the shore, but fishing deep water in Lake Keowee is even more remote from traditional bass fishing. Are you in the know? South Carolina State Record Striped Bass. However, many years ago, some anglers made an unauthorized introduction of spotted bass, and that upset the ecological balance of the lake. Although the fish will attack topwater baits and the action can be outstanding, most bass have moved away from the obvious shallow spots and have begun relating to structural features. Shop by brand or reel type. Many tournament fishermen aim to catch a decent limit of spotted bass, then spend time trying to catch a big largemouth to give them a winning weight. Hes going to target fish feeding at or just below the surface in low-light conditions, then concentrate on fish holding closer to structure and closer to the bottom when the suns out. The Cane Creek ramp is north of Seneca just off SC 188. 2023 Revital Outdoors No more than 10 combined total of black bass. Statewide except the water bodies listed below: No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass or their hybrids, Lakes Hartwell, Russell (including the Lake Hartwell tailwater), Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah; Stevens Creek Reservoir; the Chattooga and Savannah Rivers, No more than 10 combined total of black bass, Lakes Hartwell, Keowee, Russell (including the Lake Hartwell tailwater), Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah; Stevens Creek Reservoir; the Chattooga and Savannah Rivers, Lakes Blalock, Greenwood, Jocassee, Marion, Monticello, Moultrie, Murray, Secession, Wateree, Wylie and the middle reach of the Saluda River and the upper reach of the Santee River. Its kind of weird, Latimer said. Fishing Report for Largemouth Bass using Hard Jerkbaits in Spring (Pre-Spawn) ( Points) Focus on main lake points that fish will stage on as the move up in spawning areas. Fish hard or soft jerkbaits in low-light conditions. Caught fish on brush hogs and on jerk baits. For 4-6 weeks the creeks are the best place to fish, but when water temperatures start to drop into the 50s there is another transition time in mid-December as fish begin to return to the main lake. That modest size can help shorten the fish-finding process, especially when fish are as plentiful as they are at Keowee. Charles has little expectation that fish will be set up today in the same area where he caught them yesterday. Smallmouth Bass. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Latimer said traditional bed fishing for spots is not the same as it is for largemouths. The name brings joy to the heart of some anglers and tears to the eyes of others. Lake Jocassee, South Carolina. Generally Lake Keowee bass start to get into pre-spawn patterns in March, although in the warmest section of the lake near the hot hole fish can spawn as early as late February. Any topographical change can be good, be it a steep point that falls into a creek, a hump, the intersection of two channels, or a severe bend in a creek. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This is not always necessary because the swimming action and the look of the Alabama Rig is almost identical to what the fish are chasing in the springtime. It is also a haven for scuba divers and swimmers. Its average depth is 53 feet with a max depth of 297 feet. While there are fish around docks, with so little brush to attract fish it can seem very random. ACCOMMODATIONS Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau, 877-MTLAKES, www.scmountainlakes.com. Topwater lures almost always get Greens first nod below the dam, but hell also keep handy a shakey-head rig and a dropshot during the summer. Lake Keowee is at 98.4% of full pool and clarity is fairly normal. 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