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71,100-acre reservoir near Lincolnton. Georgia's largest reservoir; one of the top striper and hybrid lakes in the Southeast. The lake tops out around 180 ft. These contours are modeled — built from the real shoreline and the water's maximum depth — so read them as a guide, never as navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Drawn out, this is 68,810 acres of water rimmed by 942.8 miles of bank. With a shoreline index of 25.7, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 48% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Tip to tip the water measures near 33.2 mi with a 23.6-mi widest point. The water lies in Lincoln County. The nearest mapped water is Stevens Creek Reservoir, 22 mi to the southeast.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (15 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (15 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 25 ft, wintering in 20 to 40 ft. Fall channel catfish concentrate at Feeding flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 20 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) |
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 10 to 40 ft game here, winter a 20 to 50 ft one. Start at Sharp break. It's a drop-off holding about 15 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (25 ft) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: flathead catfish in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 20 to 45 ft. Top water on the chart: Sharp break, a drop-off in the 15 ft range, prime in fall. Time it for after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | night & dusk | Rock reef (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | night & dusk | Sharp break (15 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Deep basin (153 ft) |
Clarks Hill Lake also holds striped bass (25 to 60 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer), yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 47 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 153 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Georgia waters are set by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources — and special regulations can apply to Clarks Hill Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Georgia fishing regulations →
Clarks Hill Lake is about 180 ft (55 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, striped bass, white bass & hybrids, yellow perch on Clarks Hill Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Clarks Hill Lake is regulated by the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources. Check the official Georgia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Stevens Creek Reservoir 22 mi, SC/GA · Richard B. Russell Lake 32 mi, GA/SC · Lake Greenwood 39 mi, SC · Lake Oconee 52 mi · Lake Murray 58 mi, SC · Lake Hartwell 61 mi, GA/SC · Lake Sinclair 62 mi · Monticello Reservoir 73 mi, SC · Saluda River (Lower) 75 mi, SC · Lake Keowee 77 mi, SC · Neal Shoals Reservoir 84 mi, SC · Congaree River 87 mi, SC
See how Clarks Hill Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Georgia · best crappie lakes in Georgia · best bluegill lakes in Georgia · best channel catfish lakes in Georgia
Browse all Georgia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.