Photo: Linuxerist, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Clarks Hill, called J. Strom Thurmond Lake in South Carolina, is Georgia’s largest reservoir at 71,535 acres, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake on the Savannah River 30 miles northeast of Augusta. With more than 1,200 miles of shoreline and dozens of feeder creeks, it fishes well for almost everything, and 2026 looks especially strong for hybrids and big crappie.
- Size71,535 acres; 1,200+ miles of shoreline
- OperatorU.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Bass limit10 combined; no length limit on spotted bass
- ContactsCorps 800-533-3478; DNR 478-825-6151
Getting on the Water
The Corps runs dozens of ramps and campgrounds, and Georgia has two state parks on the lake: Mistletoe State Park, which rents kayaks and lends fishing tackle, and Elijah Clark State Park. DNR and the Corps publish GPS coordinates for the lake’s fish attractors, which hold bass, crappie and bream after the spawn.
2026 Fishing Outlook
Summarized from Georgia DNR fisheries biologists’ 2026 forecast for Clarks Hill Lake, based on their sampling.
| Species | Outlook | Where and how |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Numbers remain strong, especially in creeks and coves off the main channel. Steady catches of 12 to 16 inches, with fish to 9 or 10 pounds present. | Fall and winter: Grays, Lloyds and Rousseau creeks (Little River arm) and Soap, Murray and Fishing creeks (Savannah arm). Spring and summer: Bussey Point and Pistol, Cliatt, Cherokee and Big creeks, plus the flats where the Broad meets the Savannah. Spreading shoreline vegetation mid-lake and north holds big spring bass. Cranks, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits; topwater during the herring spawn; spoons in winter. |
| Spotted bass | Lots of 12- to 16-inch fish, with some over 20 inches and 5 pounds. | Mouths of Fishing, Murry, Soap and Big creeks year-round; Lake Springs Park and Ridge Road near the dam in spring and fall. Deep points, humps and riprap; minnow-style soft plastics, finesse worms, chrome topwater during the herring spawn, spoons in winter. |
| Hybrid bass | A banner year: the 10- to 16-inch fish of last year are now 20-plus inches and 4 to 5 pounds, over 60% of the population. | Winter and early spring: Big Creek, Little River near Germany Creek above Holiday Park, Soap Creek, the north bank above the dam and creeks near Bussey Point. Summer and fall: mouths of major creeks and rivers and near the oxygen injection system. Drift live blueback herring; spoons in 20 to 30 feet; bucktails and poppers for schoolers. |
| Black crappie | Abundance and size both look great; the best odds in years for 12-inch-plus fish, with many 15-inch or 2-pound fish the last two springs. | Spring: Soap, Grays, Pistol and Newford creeks and Little River near Raysville. Winter pre-spawn: backs of Big, Hart, Dry Fork, Knoblick and Cherokee creeks. Late summer and fall: bridges and docks at night. Best overall north of the U.S. 378 bridge. Small jigs with or without minnows. |
| Catfish | Channels of 3 to 6 pounds are abundant; blues of 10 to 40 pounds show up in sampling; several flatheads over 40 pounds have been caught. | Little River near Holiday Park and White Bass Island; Keg, Germany, Big and Hart creeks; the Broad River; blues in the main Savannah channel. Livers, cut herring, shrimp or worms on the bottom in 5 to 20 feet, on heavy tackle. |
| Bream | Bluegill and shellcracker average 7 to 10 inches. The lake-record redear, 2 lb 6 oz, was caught in April 2025. | The late April and early May shellcracker spawn; Keg, Lloyd, Grays, Cliatt, Soap, Big and Fishing creeks; fish attractors after the spawn. Crickets, worms, beetle spins. |
| White perch and others | White perch are exceptionally abundant and good eating; yellow perch and chain pickerel too. | 20 to 60 feet near ledges, drop-offs and standing timber with small jigs, spoons or minnows. |
Clarks Hill Lake
Clarks Hill LakeContact: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, J. Strom Thurmond Project, 800-533-3478. Georgia DNR fisheries, 478-825-6151.
More nearby: Clarks Hill Lake camping and recreation, Richard B. Russell Lake and all Georgia lakes.
Not just fishing? See our guide to things to do at Clarks Hill Lake.
Sources we checked
Facts in this guide were checked against the agencies and operators that run these places:
- Georgia DNR fishing forecast: Clarks Hill (2026)
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: J. Strom Thurmond Lake
Spot something out of date? Email Contact@n-georgia.com and we’ll check it against the official source. Read how we research our guides.