Fishing Report For Hiwassee Lake, NC

Current Report: Good

The North Carolina state record Striped Bass was caught here and weighed 66 pounds. Additionally, plenty of trophy stripers are being caught, year round. An abundance of threadfin shad and blueback herring keep these big fish growing bigger. Fishing guides report long lining with blueback herring, or trolling, are the most popular methods for striper fishing here.

WINTER. Now that Winter has set in, stripers are hanging out in deeper water. They usually feed close to the bottom, often as deep as 40 feet. Warm, sunny afternoons occasionally draw stripers shallower, to around 15 or 30 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of threadfin shad and blueback herring. Main river channel, deeper creek channels, upper lake coves, and creek mouths around Hanging Dog Creek are holding schools of stripers. Locate schools of bait, then look for stripers close by. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are caught while drift fishing with live bait or cut bait. Spoons, blade baits, and heavy hair jigs are also effective this time of year. Due to the stripers slower metabolism this time of year, anglers are triggering more strikes by working baits more slowly.

SPRING. Water temperatures are return to the mid 60's, and that's ideal for the stripers to spawn. In Spring, work the upper end of the lake, and the backs of coves, where there is inflowing water. If they spawn, this is where they will lay eggs in the moving water. They also move into transition zones on the main lake, in 6 to 20 feet of water, feeding on baitfish which are moving toward the shallows. Expect to locate them on mid-depth ledges, flats or points.

SUMMER. Summer months are the ideal time to chase striped bass here. These stripers hang out in deeper water during the heat of the day, 15 to 30 feet deep, early in the season. Much of the time they are holding over deeper, open water. Morning often draws the stripers shallower, so look for them around the 10-foot range as they feed on roaming schools of baitfish. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Later in Summer, expect to locate schools 20 to 60 feet deep. Fish finders, and sonar electronics, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.

FALL. In Fall, stripers return to shallower water. Early in the day stripers chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. They follow schools of bait, which are hanging out in 5 to 25 feet of water. Look for shallow water along wind-blown shorelines, nearby deeper river channels, and fish them thoroughly. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch striped bass at this time of year. Late Fall will find most of the stripers in 20 to 30 feet of water. The area around Hanging Dog Creek typically holds healthy concentrations of striped bass in Fall.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

This lake was home to the state records for both smallmouth and striped bass. However, the majority of anglers here are chasing, and catching, plenty of nice largemouth bass. The majority of tournament leaders are weighing in lots of fish between 14" and 20".

WINTER. The cold of Winter has isolated largemouth around deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. Water temperatures are currently in the low 50's, and bass can be found from 8 to 25 feet deep, around main-lake channel edges, rock piles, stump fields and brush piles. Often, some of the larger bass will isolate from the group in 5 to 10 feet deeper water. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Good reports are coming from anglers fishing the mouth of Jacks Creek, and small coves around Hanging Dog Creek. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs or finesse worms are often the key to getting bites. On warmer days, especially during late afternoons, bass may move a bit shallower to feed.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water nearby spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 6 to 18 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 2 to 10 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 10 to 20 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they will be caught in 2 to 10 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 12 to 40 feet deep. Some of the best reports typically come from anglers fishing around mid-lake channel edges and steep drops.

FALL. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. In early Fall, anglers typically have success in 3 to 15 feet of water, around points and shallow flats leading to deeper water. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps, flutter spoons are often the ideal bait in 15 to 20 feet of water. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves away from the school, in slightly deeper water.

Current Report: Fair To Good

While the glory days of walleye fishing at Hiwassee Lake have passed by, there are still decent numbers of walleye to be caught here. Thanks to an on-going stocking program by the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, many anglers are still catching a 4-fish limit of walleye at least 18 inches long.

WINTER. This Winter, fishing for walleye has been pretty good through the ice, as it has been for the last few years. Before, during and after the ice, anglers report catching them in the main basin area, in 20 to 50 feet of water, along deep creek channel edges, rocky humps and ledges. Good numbers are coming from the Persimmon Creek arm, and along the main-lake channel. Steep drops in the area toward the dam are also producing during these cold months. They primarily feed on shad and small fish, staying close to the bottom. After ice-out blade baits, jigs, swimbaits, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners, all work while deep trolling or drifting.

SPRING. Early Spring brings warming water in the shallows, and draws walleye here to feed, especially rocky areas and inlet channels. In Spring work shallow points, drop offs, submerged structure, rock ledges,and flats adjacent to deeper water. Nearby these areas, once the water warms to the mid to high 40's, walleye move into in 1 to 6 feet of water to spawn. Upper-lake creek mouths and flats near Jacks Creek, and Hanging Dog Creek warm quickly and are ideal for spawning. When they are in the shallows, bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers typically catch them. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits are also working when walleye are up shallow. Afterwards, they move to 10 to 20 feet deep around creek inlets, shallow rock reefs, windblown rocky points and flats, shoals and ledges, nearby shore. They often stay in close proximity to their spawning locations. Main lake drop offs are producing nice fish.

SUMMER. Water temperatures rise in Summer, and walleye fishing is good if you can get your bait deep enough. Early in the day, and again at dusk, walleye tend to concentrate in 6 to 15 feet of water. Throughout Summer, early in the morning, and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye. At those times they move slightly shallower to feed in low-light conditions. Night fishing is often good in Summer, as well. The rest of the time they are cruising flats and creek channel edges, 20 to 40 feet deep , preferring the cooler temperatures. When the bite is slow, grubs and nightcrawlers, fished just off the bottom typically get bites.

FALL. Fall brings cooler temperatures to shallow water, drawing walleye and baitfish back into the shallows. Locals report catching nice walleye on long points, flats along the river and creek channels, and structure off shore. Jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all historically good for catching walleye this time of year. Early and late in the day finds them in 6 to 18 feet of water, mid day they hold 15 to 35 feet deep. Later in Fall, they may move deeper. Dragging jigs, bottom bouncers, or worm harnesses with nightcrawlers or leeches, around ledge drop-offs is catching walleye fairly consistently. Watch for the bigger walleye to be slightly deeper than the majority of the school.