Fishing at Horseshoe Lake, Oconee County, South Carolina

• Overview

  Set in Oconee County, Horseshoe Lake is a South Carolina water. It sits in open plain country. The water measures roughly 18 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. By elevation it is in the upper part of our South Carolina listings. Clayton sits 11 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Athens sits 57 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Oconee County records list bluegill, redbreast sunfish, largemouth bass, turquoise darter and rainbow trout among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Horseshoe Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 75°F on average, January about 39°F. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. Shade and hour of day matter more than month. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Horseshoe Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out. After a storm, the water clears from the edges inwards.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Butts Pond, 3.6 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Horseshoe Lake for certain.