current fishing report for lake russell

The headwaters of Lake Russell along the Savannah transition into a short river tailrace segment of the about 1-mile extending up to the Lake Hartwell Dam. Either way, this is a great time of year to visit this scenic part of the state and were forecasting plenty of sunshine and rainbows through March. Generally, in clear water more natural-colored baits like crawdad or bluegill work best, whereas chartreuse or fire tiger-colored cranks work better when the water is stained. Sign In or Create Account MY CART Hunting Shooting Fishing Camping Boating Outdoor Cooking Clothing Footwear Clearance Gift Cards Learn Store Flyer Top Brands About half the time he is fishing on the main lake and about half the time he is in the creeks. Flukes and topwater lures fished around points will be deadly, and while the conventional wisdom used to be that the herring spawn started in the creeks many anglers now observe that it can begin at random places which are different each year in the creeks and on the main lake. He is only finding this bite in the mid-lake. Night Crawlers fished under a bobber and bottom rigged Power Bait have both been producing limits of delicious rainbow trout. They could be on the bottom or suspended at that depth over deeper water. Lake Havasu largemouth are biting on dropshotted worms in oxblood or Junebug with a chartreuse tip. Bluegills are biting on meal worms and earthworms fished about 18"-24" under a bobber. Anglers are having success fishing Neko rigs with a 4 Senko. Try Ratl Traps or Pointer 128/158 minnow plugs in areas where grebes are congregating over schools of shad. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are both hitting on poppers, Super Spooks, and buzzbaits. Green tailed Bass Assassins, pointer 100,128s and live shad have accounted for most of these fish. However, the best way to catch crappie is night-fishing with lights over deep water in the 40-50 foot range. Bass love the falling action of this essentially weighted version of the wacky rig. April should see an even better keeper ratio. The few bass they are catching are coming on live bait, and for the second week its really been the striped bass that have kept guide parties happy. updates. Evenings or mornings with foul weather and/or windy conditions have been best. A couple of days this week they caught 60 and then 70 fish, and when the weather gets colder again he expects the bite to only get better. White Crappie with a Bobby Garland Mo' Glo Jig Heads. Some bass are being caught on jerk baits, but mostlywith soft plastics out deep. Average daytime water temp has been running about 54-56 degrees. Bluegills and sunfish are still being caught on nightcrawlers fished under a bobber. ThisArizona fishing report focuses on the waters managed by Arizona State Parks and Trails. Bass anglers have had some luck recently on 1-3-pound fish with brighter colored worms and grubs fished along the reeds. Successful anglers are reporting the best times to fish are earl in the morning, and late in the evening. The bass bite has been so tough that Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) has been fishing Clarks Hill more than Lake Russell, but he has found that the best thing going on Russell is the crappie bite. The bass fishing is pretty hot right now at Alamo and anglers are reporting both quality and quantity! Summer night fishing typically produces some decent fish for patient anglers using a variety of baits like liver, shrimp, or prepared dough baits. Since 1922 the Arizona Game and Fish Department has operated 15 fish hatcheries, six of which are still maintained. The bass are the main event again on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that there has been a really good bite on shakey heads and drop shots in 20-25 feet on the side of points. Focus around primary and secondary points where schooling smallies move up to chase shad or feed on crawdads. Live bait has been the easiest way to catch them on guide trips, but drop shot rigs and shakey heads will also work. Largemouth bass are becoming more aggressive and starting to hit topwater poppers, frogs and Senkos fished near cattails. We are a family-owned business committed to providing our customers with the best prices and customer service on all of our merchandise. recreational fishing regulations. Small to mid-sized stripers are chasing schools of shad in the mornings. Blues usually spawn a little later up the rivers. Bass in the 1-3-pound range have been biting crankbaits, dropshotted worms, and one angler reported decent success on Dankworth bass with nightcrawlers. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Temp: Mid 50s. Richard B Russell Lake Fishing Reports for Spring Largemouth Bass. Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) advises that the next stage is that when it gets a few degrees cooler they will bunch up in mid-lake coves. While not many people are targeting them the crappie are still grouped up around brush and bridges in about 20-25 feet of water in the creeks. Both states stock this area with more than 30,000 trout annually. They are really going after dragonflies and can be seen leaping out of the water regularly throughout the day to gulp one down. A few albino rainbow trout are still showing up at Dankworth but standard rainbows comprise most of the catch at both locations. You can catch fish around points with crankbaits or worms on the main lake or in the creeks, and they are also starting to see some fish chasing bait on the surface. Good stripers in the three to six pound range are also biting shallow running minnow style lures while trolling. Lake Russell 16 March, 2023 Read more Bass fishing is fair. 1000 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29201 Fish will come to the light and take minnows 12-15 feet deep. Russell: Level: Full at 475. Crappie have been caught by trolling small crank baits and jigs with minnows. A little too early for the run, but caught 8 or so. Fishing for sunfish, bluegill, and catfish is still a little slow but some fish are being picked up by persistent anglers. Some boils have been reported. Jigs or minnows are currently your best bet to catch Alamo Lake crappie. The fish are out there. Fish the back of English Creek fish on the main creek side. They are mainly over timber, but sometimes they are just around nothing but bait. The construction of Lake Russell in 1984, between Lakes Hartwell (built in 1962) and Thurmond (built in 1954) created a 120-mile long reach of near contiguous reservoir habitat along the Savannah River. Eventually the striped bass bite that had kept things going slowed down too, but now there are starting to be some signs of life with the shallow bass bite. Smallmouth bass have been cooperative for anglers and biting well on green pumpkin colored hula grubs rigged on a 3/8 oz or 1/2 oz football jig fished around rocky banks in 6 to 18ft of water. If you like fishing with live bait, nightcrawlers are working well near shore. These fish are also along the edge of the timber but fortunately not actually in it. Carp fishing is really good for anglers using dough balls or corn fished on the bottom. While you can still get some shallow this month, the most crappie will be caught with minnows fished over mid-depth brush. Lake-Link Pro Members can get detailed fishing forecasts for up to 10 days in advance and species specific for Lake Russell. Mostly, fish in the 2-4-pound range are keeping anglers busy and responding to a variety of baits and tactics. Some of the better largemouth may have already spawned in March, but many are still pre-spawn. Dropshotting (various natural-colored worms) seems to be the go-to for most successful anglers. Reel in the big fish with one of our handpicked fishing reels. When are the best fishing times for Lake Russell? The fish are related to bait schools and on the move, and so you really just have to ride and look for them and then fish fast. Traditional catfish baits like hot dogs, nightcrawlers, uncooked shrimp, and prepared stink baits are working well fished on the bottom. Down-lines have been the best pattern. The State Farmers Market has convenient parking and easy access to both I-77 and I-26. Channel Catfish were stocked for the first time this season at both Roper (1,000 pounds) and Dankworth (500 pounds)! This month the herring spawn will also kick off and overlap with the bass spawn. Catfish were stocked last week and there's still plenty of eager fish available to anglers! Bass are becoming more active at Dankworth, and the sunfish are hitting with regularity. Use a 4' throw net (the largest legal size) or a snag hook to catch shad and cast near active schools. This month a good topwater bite should also get going. GON's Lake Russell page hasour full archive of Lake Russell articles,Lake Records and more. Generally, the anglers reporting success this month are fishing from watercraft. The 210 foot high dam creates a 26,650-acre lake which stretches 30 miles up the Savannah River to Lake Hartwell Dam. Pumpback features at Russell Dam can both pull and release water into and from the tailrace. Large numbers of bass are staging off of secondary points corralling shad into backs of coves. For shore fishing you can use any of these methods. Early morning topwater presentations close to the bank will be your best bet. Even though they have not gotten stacked up in deep water the bass fishing is still strong on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that he continues to find a very good bite on shakey heads and drop shots in 20-25 feet on the side of points around bait and brush. Morning surface water temperatures are around 56 degrees. However, not all the crappie spawn at once and so another group of fish will be caught trolling jigs in the backs of creeks. Night Crawlers or Mealworms are recommended for sunfish or bluegill anglers. Even though the water is very high it is still clear. The bait must have a very slow rate of fall to give bass time to take it. Bass: Tournament angler Kerry Partain reports, "The weather is finally stable with increasing water temperatures, and the bass are biting. Either try a bobber with two-foot leader or suspend your bait straight down. Dark plastic worms are also working for anglers using a dropshot rig. In addition to the Savannah River, major tributaries include Beaverdam Creek on the Georgia side and Rocky River in South Carolina. This seemed to be holding true at the end of March. They can also still be caught night-fishing with lights over deep water in the 40-50 foot range. We use cookies on our website to give you the best shopping experience. Bass: Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews of Evans, Georgia, report that in April there will be bass at all three stages of the spawn on Lake Thurmond, with fish on the beds at least through the middle of the month. Shakey head worms are hard to beat, and when there is not a cold front topwater lures can produce.