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56,000-acre reservoir near Hartwell. Blueback herring forage fuels a renowned smallmouth and striper fishery. The lake tops out around 185 ft. Bathymetry on this water is estimated from its real outline and maximum depth. Use it to shortlist water, then verify with your electronics — and never navigate by it. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 54,559 acres wrapped in 860.4 miles of bank, with 19 islands in the mix. A development index of 26.3 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 42% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water. Figure 35.2 mi of water from one end to the other, 29.7 mi at the beam. Oconee County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Keowee, is 20 mi to the north.
Spring largemouth bass on Lake Hartwell hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait.
| 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 (10 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (10 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (30 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season smallmouth bass use the shallows, holding in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Put Rock reef first on the milk run — a rock pile near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (6 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (15 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (10 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (30 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season crappie use the shallows, holding in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) and you're in the game.
| 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 (10 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 |
Early season bluegill use the shallows, holding in 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| 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 channel catfish on Lake Hartwell hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 25 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is Feeding flat — feeding flat, 12 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (12 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Feeding flat (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Feeding flat (12 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (30 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: blue catfish sit in 5 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 40 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 50 ft. Top water on the chart: Sharp break, a drop-off in the 30 ft range, prime in fall. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Sharp break (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Feeding flat (12 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Sharp break (30 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (30 ft) |
Lake Hartwell also holds striped bass (25 to 60 ft in summer), white bass & hybrids (10 to 30 ft in summer), spotted bass (15 to 40 ft in summer), walleye (15 to 35 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 42 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 157 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 Lake Hartwell specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Georgia fishing regulations →
Lake Hartwell is about 185 ft (56 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, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, striped bass, white bass & hybrids, spotted bass, walleye on Lake Hartwell.
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 Lake Hartwell 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.
Lake Keowee 20 mi, SC · Chattooga River 28 mi, GA/SC · Richard B. Russell Lake 29 mi, GA/SC · Lake Rabun 31 mi · Lake Jocassee 32 mi, SC/NC · Lake Burton 39 mi · Davidson River 52 mi, NC · Lake Chatuge 54 mi, GA/NC · Lake Lanier 56 mi · Lake Greenwood 56 mi, SC · Nantahala Lake 59 mi, NC · Clarks Hill Lake 61 mi, GA/SC
See how Lake Hartwell stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Georgia · best walleye lakes in Georgia · best crappie lakes in Georgia · best bluegill 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.