Fishing at Thompson Creek, Spartanburg County, South Carolina

• Overview

  Thompson Creek is set in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It sits at 574 feet above sea level. 4.7 miles away sits Pacolet, the nearest town. For a city, Charlotte is 62 miles off. Close neighbours run: Lake Johnson the better part of 0.7 miles, Burroughs Pond about 2.3 miles, Grain Pond the better part of 2.4 miles, Smith Pond about 2.8 miles and Lyles Brothers Lake the better part of 3.4 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Creek

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The outside of each bend cuts deepest and holds the better fish. Log jams gather bait and everything that eats it. Public occurrence data for Spartanburg County names bluegill, redbreast sunfish, seagreen darter and striped jumprock. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Thompson Creek repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 40°F in January up to 79°F in July. Temperatures stay workable through the cold season. Heat pushes fish deep from June onwards, so start early. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. It sets the rhythm of the year at Thompson Creek.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is somewhere to leave the car, half a mile off. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. There are toilets half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lake Johnson, 0.7 miles away. Rules at Thompson Creek are worth checking on the day.