Hartwell Lake near Reed Creek: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Hartwell Lake is an Anderson County water, in South Carolina. Elevation runs to 656 feet. Surface area runs to some 73.1 sq miles, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. There is far more edge than the surface area suggests, thanks to the arms. By surface area it heads our Anderson County listings. Reed Creek sits 4.3 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Athens, 45 miles distant. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Hartwell Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Species logged nearby in open biodiversity records include bluegill, Alabama bass, green sunfish and redbreast sunfish. It is a record of sightings and surveys, so use it as a guide. Take Hartwell Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 79°F and January at 42°F. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. The season on Hartwell Lake rarely departs from it. The first frost of the year slows things for a few days.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a ramp at Jarrett Boat Ramp, half a mile out. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Beaverdam Watershed Five Lake is 9.3 miles off. None of that is settled for Hartwell Lake in what we hold.