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Fishing Neal Shoals Reservoir: what the data says
600-acre reservoir near Carlisle. The lake tops out around 15 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Neal Shoals Reservoir
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Neal Shoals Reservoir
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Channel Catfish fishing at Neal Shoals Reservoir
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
Flathead Catfish fishing at Neal Shoals Reservoir
In spring, flathead catfish run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish hold in 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for flathead catfish in fall. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | night & dusk | |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Neal Shoals Reservoir
Spring crappie on Neal Shoals Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 5 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 10 ft that scores prime in winter. 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 | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at Neal Shoals Reservoir
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 2 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 10 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 3 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Neal Shoals Reservoir?
Neal Shoals Reservoir is about 15 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Neal Shoals Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, flathead catfish on Neal Shoals Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Neal Shoals Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Neal Shoals Reservoir?
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.
Nearby waters
Lake Bowen · Saluda River (Lower) · Congaree River · Stevens Creek Reservoir · Lake Marion · Lake Moultrie
See how Neal Shoals Reservoir stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in South Carolina · best crappie lakes in South Carolina · best bluegill lakes in South Carolina · best channel catfish lakes in South Carolina
Browse all South Carolina fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.