Looking for retirement advice

Hey guys, I'm gonna retire in about a year and am looking for some advice.
I live in Upstate SC and already have my retirement boat fully decked out with LS and all the other equipment needed (2022- 19' Xpress bay). I have been somewhat successful in catching crappies, but need for some of you to chime in about where you think are some of the best lakes in the Carolinas to fish for specks. All of the big lakes are about 1 1/2 hours away and when retirement comes, I will be able to drive that distance and possibly stay overnight.
Trying to figure which body of water yields the better results, Wylie, Greenwood, Russell, the Hill, or Murray. Hartwell is too crowded except in the coldest months!
Equipment and skill is not really a problem, been fishing all my life, just wanting to pick a few brains of those who get to spend a lot of time on the water.
I know that there are many variables such as time of year and sections of lake. Planning on using a variety of techniques to fill the boat.
Thanks for your help as I start to venture farther and farther out to ensure success.

All I can tell ya is Russell and the Hill are some good crappie lakes. Russell can get crowded with all the bass tourneys though. But being retired....you can always fish it during the week.;)

Clarks Hill is fantastic.

Gabowman is spot on. I live only a few miles from both lakes.You could just about fish the hill only and never get run out of new spots to fish.GA little is like a good size lake its self

Depends on the time of year and weather conditions but Clark hill Russell and santee would top my list for the big girls. I would throw Murray, high rock and Jordan
in there too for honorable mentions.


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I must like the hill. Bought a house and during the spring and fall stay there quite a bit. The hill and russel keep me busy without looking farther away. I have lost a lot of time due to health problems, but 2024 looks excellent.

I grew up fishing the Hill and it fishes the same now as it did in the 70's and still my number one lake to fish. Russell will fill in the second best lake in the upstate for me. It's a shame that people do not respect fisherman and if they did Hartwell would be in the mix as it holds some huge crappie and is a great cold months lake. Greenwood is another lake I have fished for 50 plus years and enjoy fishing there but it can be over crowded on most days but is also a cold weather lake to fish. All this being said the upstate has many smaller lakes that have good crappie that I try to mix in some trips each year. We are blessed here in South Carolina with many great lakes to fish and many more lakes in Ga/NC that are great lakes as well. I am 64 and have never fished Santee, just hard to pass up the lakes here in the upstate to make that drive down I-26 but just read the reports that come from Santee and it's hard not to want to go fish the lakes there. Have fun and enjoy your retirement when it gets here.

I too am all in on Clark’s Hill and both Santee cooper lakes. All SC lakes are good, but the large impoundments mentioned allow one to find waters that aren’t crowded. That’s a big plus for me.

Thanks for the advice folks. Wondering where's some of the better and safer places to launch from? Also, does anyone have any recommendations for where to stay in a room that also has secure parking? I'm looking to spend a long weekend in mid-March this year. Appreciate all your help.

I like fishing the Hill. I live close to the dam but I enjoy fishing the upper part of the lake as it’s less crowded and less pleasure boats around. Fishing Creek all the way up to the Russell dam is some really good fishing.


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Originally Posted by happycaster58

Thanks for the advice folks. Wondering where's some of the better and safer places to launch from? Also, does anyone have any recommendations for where to stay in a room that also has secure parking? I'm looking to spend a long weekend in mid-March this year. Appreciate all your help.

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I assume you are asking about where to launch at Clarks Hill since that was the lake most mentioned? If so, the good news is, there isn't nearly the amount of break ins at the ramps on Clarks Hill as there is at Russell and Hartwell, those two lake are horrible. But you still have to be smart. Don't leave anything visible in your vehicle, even a quarter. And I would still stick to the major ramps for the least amount of issues. Ones I like and feel safe are Bobby Brown State Park, Hickory Knob State Park, Dorn, Cherokee and Amity. I also use Dordan Creek, Parksville and Modoc but I have heard of a few more issues at those but I still feel they are better than any ramp on Russell (other than the State Parks).

someone said it already but being able to fish during the week will be great. Even really crowded lakes look different on a week day

Gill point ramp is good, along with hesters ferry. Although crooks can show up anywhere these 2 ramps have always worked for me. Lot of people use the broad river ramp. It is safe but unusable when the lake drops below 5 ft.

Thanks to everyone for the great advice. Never fished the Hill, but you folks are giving some great pointers! Any preferences on overnite lodging with boat parking?

Call Anglers Retreat on Bobby Brown Park Road (706-283-1642). I've had friends stay there and they said it was a good place at a reasonable price. There's lots of fishing opportunities from there as it's between the lower end of Russell and the upper end of Clarks Hill.
I almost forgot to mention the Yurts at Bobby Brown Park campground. I haven't stayed in one but they look really cool. The park also has a cabin they rent. (From their website: For reservations, please call the Park office at (706) 283-5500)
Both of those spots are close to several safe ramps. If you need more info send me a PM for my # and we can discuss in greater detail.

Chris

One thing to keep in mind if you don’t have a lot of experience on Clark’s Hill is the standing timber just under the surface in some sections. Be very cautious when fishing from Murray creek up to Russell Dam. Inside Murray Creek and Fishing Creek you don’t have much to worry about but the main lake is a mine field. Pay close attention to the markers and stay to the Georgia side of the markers. The one exception to staying to the Georgia side in that section is up around the mouth of the Broad river. There are several bad tree tops right in the mouth and a few more just down river of the mouth on the Georgia side.
Russell Creek and Benningsfield Creek both have lots of trees just under the surface so be very careful in those. The upper end of Ga Little River is a mine field of timber as well above the bridge at Amity. Outside the mouths of Lloyds and Greys Creeks has some nasty trees as well. You won’t be able to see much of this with the lake full but once the lake gets 4.5 to 5 feet down there is a world of trees just under the surface in the areas I’ve mentioned. When the lake gets to 6.5 to 7 feet down you start to see them sticking out of the water everywhere.

I spent a day with the lake down earlier this winter running around in my jet boat and marking any stumps in marked boating lanes and laying down safe running trails to follow when the lake is at higher levels than when I marked.

I might be wrong, but think that anything with trees on the savannah river. May be the south carolina border. I have fished all the areas at one time or another. And just my opinion but that part of the lake, pistol, newford, fishing, and cooter were completely bulldozed of timber but the south carolina creeks were left for the most part with timber. I am not an expert in this knowledge of timber from fishing creek northbound, but my experience makes me be cautious. Someone with experience can chime in but i started fishing this area in the early 70's and usually drop my trolling motor when entering the south carolina portion above fishing creek.
I have seen this lake real low maybe 16 or 17 feet, while fishing bass tournaments in the late eighties and saw foundations of buildings pop up and a a concrete pad for a ferry on broad river point along with bricks where they once made bricks there too. The lake is pretty safe when its full but it only takes but a few feet of lake level lowering to become dangerous.

Forgot to mention, but there are several large submerged trees right in front of what is commonly called the big rock. Where broad and savannah meet.

I have put in at the ramp by Fishing Creek and HWY 79. I have a lot of friends that have put in there with no issues. Fishing Creek has some great fishing. I enjoy fishing that area so much that I’m in the process of purchasing some land there. I find that fishing up that way is not as crowded with pleasure boaters. If you get on the Navionics app it will show where most of the flooded timber is. Once it warms up some more I will be spending a lot of time up there. Like others have said fishing during the week is way better. If you have any questions about fishing between 378 and Russell dam just let me know. I know the area decently and know of several areas for you to get started fishing.


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Ga and SC sides of the Savannah River are both loaded with standing timber atleast past the mouth of Fishing Creek. I dont know how much farther the timber goes as I dont go any farther than that. The line between the 2 states is the Savannah River and if youre putting in on the SC side then you go by the SC limits. If you put in on the Ga side but go home in SC then the law says you follow the SC limits.