Fishing Report For Lake Jocassee, SC
By Rick Seaman
February 27, 2025
Fishing Reports
Popular Fish Species Lake Jocassee, SC
Largemouth Bass
Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good
Although largemouth bass take back seat to smallmouth here, they are still a major player in the lake's bass fishery. Locals report using stealth techniques to attract bites in the extremely clear water. Long casts, light line and natural looking lures will pay dividends. A quiet approach will also enhance the odds of getting quality bites. A wide variety of lures are catching nice largemouth bass here, but many tournament anglers are jerkbaits as a primary bait. Crankbaits are working well if the fish are active. During slow times, when the bass are finicky, a stick worm, rigged wacky style, often teases bass to strike.
Rainbow Trout
Current Report: Good To Very Good
Outlook: Very Good
The diet of a rainbow trout consists of insects, small fishes and crustaceans. While eating these small items, they begin to grow and begin to feast on baitfish and small fish. This lake holds the state record for rainbow trout at over 11 pounds. Use flies or small lures, imitating their natural food, to tempt them into biting when they are feeding shallow. Trolling with spoons, small spinners, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are catching rainbows, as are nightcrawlers, salmon eggs and prepared baits.
Brown Trout
Current Report: Good
Outlook: Good To Very Good
Home to the state record brown trout, at over 17 pounds Lake Lake Jocassee continues to deliver big browns for trout enthusiasts. Weekend anglers are catching brown trout on spinners, small jerkbaits, nightcrawlers and a variety of other small offerings. Brown trout can be very aggressive, and put up a good battle. Locals report most catches of quality trout come when trolling, usually from 25' deep to as deep as 60'. When they are shallow, fly fishing is a good way to fool a big brown, as are jerkbaits, fished on light line using a spinning rod.
Fish species to fish for...
Guide to fishing for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, redeye bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black crappie, white crappie, rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill, pumpkinseed sunfish, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, warmouth, white bass, yellow perch, hybrid striped bass and chain pickerel at Lake Jocassee in South Carolina.
Lake Jocassee is a 7,500-acre reservoir with 75 miles of rocky shoreline, that offers fishing for both cold-water and warm-water fish species. Trout, hybrid stripers, bass, crappie, catfish, pickerel, sunfish and white bass all thrive in this . This scenic lake is located on the northwest border of the state.
Primary fish species to catch
Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.
Today's Weather & Forecast
Fishing Boat Rentals
Click here for fishing boat rentals available at this lake.
Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings
Click here for boat ramps available at this lake.
Fishing License
Click here for a South Carolina Fishing License.
Map - Fishing & Access
Rick Seaman is a fishing enthusiast with over five decades of fishing experience, a retired tournament fisherman, author of numerous published articles on fishing, and co-author of the book "Bass Fishing - It's not WHAT you throw, It's WHERE you throw it".
Contact Information
Lake Jocassee
Devils Fork State Park
161 Holcombe Cir
Salem, SC 29676
864 944-2639
Fishing lakes in each state.
022725
Lake Jocassee, South Carolina Report
SOUTH CAROLINA
Information about fishing lakes in SC
Go fishing at Lake Jocassee to catch trout, hybrid stripers, bass, crappie, catfish, pickerel, sunfish and white bass in the northwest corner of South Carolina.
