Lake Carlton in Pickens County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Carlton sits within Pickens County in South Carolina. The surface lies 965 feet up. The water measures roughly 8 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. By elevation it is in the upper part of our South Carolina listings. Nearest place of any size is Pickens, 7.1 miles away. Arial lies 12 miles off, Liberty another 12 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Lake Carlton

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish documented in Pickens County include bluegill, redbreast sunfish, seagreen darter, striped jumprock and green sunfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Lake Carlton responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 76°F and January reads 40°F. Warm months push fish deep; cool months bring them back. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lake Carlton.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Keasler Pond, 1.3 miles out. Nothing on Lake Carlton should be assumed from this page alone.