Fishing Reports by Capt. Preston Harden

Fish Will Move Shallower as Spring Approaches - Water temperature 52° Water level 8 feet below full pool The fish are moving shallow as we transition from winter to spring. The stripers and hybrids are in the main creeks and up the main rivers. As we go into March, the fish are staging in 25 t more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Despite Warm Water, Stripers Feeding Well - Water Temperature: 57° Water Level: 15 feet below Full Pool December was tough. The fish stayed deep and did not eat well. Some people said that the water was still turning over. The water temperature did not get below 58° until almost Christmas more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Mild Winter So Far - Stripers Easy to Locate - As of mid-December, the water is 16 feet low and 59°. It is looking like another mild winter so far on Lake Hartwell . Stripers are moving up the lake and into the major creeks, following the bait fish. It is easy locating fish, with the first step f more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Water Color and Temperature Combine for Good Striper Action - Water Temp.: 62˚ Water Level: 15 ft. low Striper fishing is good now. The fall water turn-over happened early this year. The creeks have a pretty green color. By December, gulls will show the locations of active fish. Blueback herrin more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Big Stripers Are Still Deep - Lake level 13 feet low Water level low 80˚ October is a prime month to fish, even as fish transition from deep water. Fishing has been great for big fish in deep water. The big stripers are stacked in deep water near the dam. Most of the more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Large Schools in Lower Lake - Water temp-upper 80's Water level-11 feet low Fishing is as hot as the weather. The fish are schooled up in large schools in the lower lake. The afternoons seem to be better than mornings. This is probably because of the generation schedule. more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Lake Hartwell Fishing Forecast Mid-Summer through Fall - As we enter the second week of July the lake is down about 10 feet and dropping. More underwater obstructions appear every day. Try to stay between the red and green buoys in the main rivers and go from white buoy to white buoy in the creeks. Do more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Hybrids and Stripers Going Deep - Water level-10ft low Water temp. - Low 80's The hybrids & stripers are leaving the upper reaches of the lake and are migrating to deep water. They are riding the thermocline down the rivers toward the lower lake. The thermocline sets up in th more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Stripers and Hybrids Active Early - Water temperature mid 70's Water level – 8 ft low Stripers and hybrids have been active mostly early in the mornings and then scatter by mid mornings. On cloudy day they may stay shallow all day. The fish are still scattered from Keowee dam to more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell

Unseasonably Warm Weather Has Kept the Stripers Active - Striper Fishing Report as of 1-15-12 for Lake Hartwell Water temp 51˚ Water level 9ft. With water temperature still above 50˚ the fish are still active. Stripers, hybrids, large mouth and spots are schooling good on cloudy days. On s more...
Capt. Preston Harden - Lake Hartwell