Hayes and Collins Lake Fishing Guide, Pickens County, South Carolina

• Overview

  Look for Hayes and Collins Lake in Pickens County, South Carolina. The country here is pine and hardwood. At 8 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It sits higher than most water we list in South Carolina. Head to Pickens, 3.8 miles away, for anything you forgot. Athens sits 73 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hayes and Collins Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. County-wide records name bluegill, redbreast sunfish, seagreen darter, striped jumprock and green sunfish. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fish Hayes and Collins Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 77°F and January at 40°F. The awkward stretch is midsummer, not midwinter. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Hayes and Collins Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out. Late evening often out-fishes the whole afternoon.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Mcjunkins Pond, 2.6 miles out. What applies at Hayes and Collins Lake may have changed since it was mapped.