Finleys Lake, South Carolina: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Finleys Lake is one of the Pickens County waters in South Carolina. It sits at 1,050 feet above sea level. At roughly 2 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Pickens County are larger. Pickens is the closest place, 5.3 miles off. The big place round here is Athens, 79 miles distant. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Finleys Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Fish documented in Pickens County include bluegill, redbreast sunfish and seagreen darter. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Finleys Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 77°F and January at 40°F. Temperatures stay workable through the cold season. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Finleys Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Jones Lake is 3.5 miles distant. Treat Finleys Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.