Growing to larger-than-usual sizes, youll need to make sure youve got a dish big enough to cook up this popular Panfish at the end of the day. The upper lake is slightly dingy while the lower lake is still clear in places. The bream fishing has slowed up between moon phases, but Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that with the full moon coming up on the 16th another big wave of fish should be up shallow. These creatures are available in the shallow waters as they prepare to spawn. The are no hills like that. I lived there for 8 years and only discovered a fraction of the lake. Moultrie is the smaller of the two . Most detailed Lake Are you in the know? The verdict is in from the recent CBC tournament, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that a few people are whacking the bass but most people are not. However, he is also doing well drifting as deep as about 12 feet. Most detailed Lake Look in sandy areas where the fish can fan a bed and fish with crickets or worms. Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Reports | Santee Cooper Country Fishing Reports (803) 854-2131 December Fishing Report. [email protected]. Drifting live bait and casting or trolling swimbaits will work. And he found plenty. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.24 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.82 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). The five major bait species in the lakes are gizzard shad, threadfin shad, American shad, blueback herring, and menhaden, which immigrate and emigrate from the lakes based on seasonal patterns. The AHQ Report is your source for exclusive fishing reports, tournament updates, and more! lake levels, water temperatures, and other important information. 5. However, the most effective pattern has typically been casting at shallow cover with jigs. Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.41 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.31 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Worms are the ticket. Neither jigs nor minnows are working great but bring both since some days the fish express a clear preference. Benjamin Bunting The lakes are extremely clear for Santee and morning surface water temperatures are about 61 degrees. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.90 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.48 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Lake Marion is home to the state-record Largemouth Bass, so youll have the chance to go for a trophy-sized catch. AHQ INSIDER Santee Cooper (SC) 2023 Week 1 Fishing Report - Updated January 6 January 6 Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.15 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.44 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). At the next moon there could be another bream bed, but on the last full moon it was surprisingly slow. Santee Cooper water levels are up to 73.87 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.75 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). South Carolina freshwater If you want to get out on Lake Marion, Summerton, Eutawville, and Santee itself have plenty in the way of comfortable accommodation, along with camping grounds. Known together as the Santee Cooper lakes (formally the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project), Lakes Marion and Moultrie are located in the outer coastal plain to the southeast of South Carolina between the cities of Columbia and Charleston. Crappie: Little River Guide Service reports that in January some fish should still be ganged up around mid-depth brush piles and submerged timber in the backs, but others will be suspended in the creek channels. With up-and-down water temperatures the bass are in a pretty typical early winter pattern, and Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that means that fish will move back and forth between very shallow and slightly deeper water as the bait does the same. Reports of 23' to 30' drifting along ledges have been productive also. However, as the biggest prizes in Santee Cooper are further out in the middle of the lakes, fishing from shore is not a popular choice around here. While the crappie are a bit unpredictable, there has been some outstanding shellcracker fishing in the last two weeks. Overall, right now its important to be flexible because fish are moving around a lot. The fish are shallow on beds, and spawning activity peaks on the new and full moons. If December is any indication they will continue to move around a lot, and one day you could find a big school in one area but then overnight it could be 5 or 6 miles away. Swimbaits, Alabama rigs, crankbaits and jerkbaits are all good options. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.55 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.68 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). It was another good weekend for bass on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports that the Sunday Showdown Series tournament was won with a three-fish limit of 19 pounds! If youre not comfortable going to deeper waters after the spawning period has passed, you can try working the shoreline cover early in the day before the fish move deep. While they are not catching a ton of keepers they are getting several each day and the numbers and the action are fantastic. Capt Ryan Checking in on there way back from 3/4day offshore trip. By Sunday when it got cold the females were mostly run off, although the bucks continued to roam around the shallows. When water temperatures hit about 50 degrees then the creek bite should really turn on. Fishing in Santee Cooper Catch good times in South Carolina waters! While they are not catching a lot of keepers they are getting several each day and the numbers and the action are fantastic. Thanks for your comment and good question. The crappie fishing has still been pretty slow on Santee, and Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that in the upper lake they are picking up a few fish 12-14 feet down over brush in 22-25 feet of water on minnows and jigs. Etc. 326 Little Brooke Lane The lakes are very clear and water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s. Our Lakeside Rentals & Campgrounds Discover the places you can stay, eat and fish while in Santee Cooper Country. Enjoy the freedom of exploring the lake at your own leisure, as you take the day at your own speed. document.getElementById( "ak_js_6" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Replied on October 27, 2021 I've fished as a co-angler twice so i have a very basic understand of the lake. document.getElementById( "ak_js_37" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for reading and good question. With a relatively mild winter the crappie fishing has not slowed down yet on Santee Cooper, and even though Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) reports that by the middle of December he has usually abandoned the upper lake both lakes are still fishing very well. It took 10 pounds to win the 3-fish limit Sunday Showdown Series tournament this weekend. For fish chasing bait flukes, Spooks, Pop-Rs, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits will all work. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.22 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and about 73.99 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Long lining in the deeper creeks are starting to produce some crappie. updates. with sandy bottomsis the areas to look for. FishingBooker has a number of guides to choose from in Santee-Cooper, and you can filter your search for the species you want. With plenty of holiday hotspots offering the chance for you to go fishing, its vital that you know all the details before embarking on your trip. First-timers should watch out for some unexpected bumps along the way. document.getElementById( "ak_js_22" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Where would one rent a boat in that area. Thankfully, the fish in Santee Cooper werent too affected, unlike the saltwater species off the coast! Some monster catfish were caught in the Big Cat Brawl over the weekend on Santee, and Captain Stevie English (843-709-8138) reports that there were a couple over 70 and the winning team had 6 fish over two days that were well into the 200s. And the Dogwood trees are in bloom, as my Daddy said, it's the sign that fish are on the beds. Conditions reports for this lake are available when Bedding around bullrush grass, lilly-pads, primrose Crappie and perch: Guide Wendell Wilson reports that in January he will not target crappie, but white and yellow perch will be caught in excellent numbers. recreational fishing regulations. While a lot of the shellcracker have already spawned there should be more, and the bluegill should really start to get down to business on this moon phase. Usually they are back in protected areas, and grass is often a magnet for them. Most of the fish should stay shallow for at least another month and it wont be until June and July that large numbers go deep. Like the bass the crappie are moving around a lot, and even though a lot of fish had gotten shallow into the creeks by early in the week Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) discovered they had pulled back out and he was again catching them on deep brush 20-plus feet down in 30-plus feet of water. Santee Cooper water levels are at 74.51 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and around 74.24 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). On Sept. 15, Bassmaster Magazine released its list of the 100 Best Bass Lakes for 2022. The photo under the title Cross is not a picture of Cross SC. Gizzard shad and white perch are hard to beat for the bigger fish. All rights reserved. Carolina rigs, shakey heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait. The lakes have finally started to get dirty and morning surface water temperatures are about 43-45 degrees. Top water and swim baits will work good. In this article, we are going to walk you through some of the variables that affect how much food plot acreage you need to improve diet quality for deer over the spring and summer. Santee Cooper water levels are up to 75.47 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 73.44 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Often they will be grouped up with other species and on minnows you can catch a mixed bag. They are relatively shallow in 2-6 feet of water, but the pockets that are holding bait are adjacent to steep banks and deeper water. In just. Canal Lakes Fish Camp Santee Cooper Lakes Hwy 45 (on the Diversion Canal) 139 Canal Landing Road, Cross, SC . With the lakes still clear Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) is still finding the bluegill and crappie deep. Morning surface water temperatures are down to about 65 degrees. Just make note Ive heard inexperienced can get lost in that area so be careful. Copyright 1997-2023 The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide LLC All rights reserved. However, they are really having to work for them, and the bite usually gets tougher in the heat, so before long he will be taking a break from the crappie. With such fun for the whole family, its easy to see why these waters are so famed! He has found that small blueback herring are working better than chicken, although both will get bites. You can also fish dip baits in the canal to catch a lot of fish. I know personally of a few boaters who go out on the lake with a 200 HP engine, so you should have no trouble with a 5 HP one. Carolina rigs, shakey heads, and jigs are working the best but occasionally you can pick up a fish on a crankbait. Looking to head to Murray on 4/10 to fish. The bite is still good around offshore brush piles, and most of the time they are catching fish 16-20 feet down over 20-35 feet of water. For fish that are coming off the spawn Steve is less concerned with water depth, and more focused on location. Brett has almost exclusively been fishing shallow around wood with fast-moving baits that imitate shad like crankbaits, spinnerbait and jerkbaits (worked quickly). You may have a very effective predator control program but if your neighbors and their neighbors dont, the results will be temporary, at best, and could ultimately do more harm than good. The upper lake is getting dirty, while the lower lake is relatively clear once you get away from the mouth of the canal. Herring, shad and mullet are all working well. On the last trip they managed a couple of 40-pound fish, a 30-, and so on. We will do our best to make sure that does not happen again. Catfish: Captain Bill Plumley reports that in January some blue catfish should be catchable that have moved out of the deep timber, and they should begin to be found in the creek channels. The next new moon and then the June full moon may have more big bluegill shallow as well as some shellcracker. fishing report source, where right now you can sign up for 30 days of free access to more in-depth fishing Water temperatures have dropped enough that smaller bass are starting to move into the creeks, but Captain Brett Mitchell(803-379-7029) reports that things are running behind this year and so there has not really been a rush of bait in there yet. A DRIFT WE Will NEVER FORGET ! Wish us luck, Its been an outstanding bite for catfish recently, and in a tournament over the weekend Brett reports that a 106-pound fish was weighed in as part of a 3-fish limit that went over 200 pounds! Yesterday they tried some brush in 14-15 feet of water with no bites, and it has only been the trees in 20-35 feet that have produced. I hope this helps! For now the lower lake is still mostly clear but muddy water is headed towards the system. You can also fish soft plastics around trees. What more could you want from your fishing trip? West Columbia, SC 29172. Hello everyone, Today we spent the day tuna fishing. The weather is very nice and they are having good kelp fishing, with a good sign of Bluefin. The Santee Cooper lakes came in at No. Morning surface water temperatures have hit the lower 60s. Remember the limit is 3 per personwith a length being 26" However, if there is a cold snap at least some of them will get pushed out again. Waste or Abuse to SC Inspector General | New . There are also still plenty of fish in the creeks that can be caught trolling jigs and minnows in 8-15 feet of water. Fun for the bigger fish sign that fish are shallow on beds, and other information! Be careful Landing Road, Cross, SC less concerned with water depth, and can... The photo under the title Cross is not a picture of Cross SC however, he is also well., crankbaits and jerkbaits are all good options Look in sandy areas where fish... 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