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26,650-acre reservoir near Elberton. Clear, steep-banked Savannah River reservoir between Hartwell and Clarks Hill. The lake tops out around 167 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The outline encloses 21,071 acres, worked by 391.1 miles of shoreline — 17 islands included. An index of 19.2 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 36% of this chart, as modeled. End to end it runs roughly 26.5 mi, about 11.7 mi across. Abbeville County claims this one. Lake Hartwell sits 29 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, largemouth bass slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait rigged through the warm months.
| 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 (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Come spring, look for crappie tight to the bank in 2 to 8 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 25 ft, then a winter hold in 15 to 35 ft. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| 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 (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Offshore hump (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
When the water first warms, bluegill slide up into 1 to 6 ft. Summer is a 4 to 15 ft game here, winter a 10 to 25 ft one. Start at Shallow bay flat. It's a weed flat holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig rigged through the warm months.
| 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 (20 ft) | Tiny spoon |
When the water first warms, channel catfish slide up into 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. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 20 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | Sharp break (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Sharp break (40 ft) |
Start shallow in spring: striped bass sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. The spot to know is Shoreline point, a point in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in fall. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (60 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (15 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (40 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
In spring, spotted bass run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 40 ft before dropping to 25 to 50 ft for winter. Spring spotted bass concentrate at Shoreline point, a prime-rated point around 6 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop shot over brush or an underspin + fluke (schoolers) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (6 ft) | Ned rig on gravel points, Shaky head |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Offshore hump (20 ft) | Drop shot over brush, Underspin + fluke (schoolers) |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (15 ft) | Walking topwater, Underspin |
| Winter | 25 to 50 ft | midday | Sharp break (40 ft) | Damiki/hover rig, Jigging spoon |
Count 33 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deepest basin, sits near 150 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 Richard B. Russell Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Georgia fishing regulations →
Richard B. Russell Lake is about 167 ft (51 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, striped bass, spotted bass on Richard B. Russell 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 interactive chart above rates every spot for each 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 Richard B. Russell 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.
Lake Hartwell 29 mi, GA/SC · Clarks Hill Lake 32 mi, GA/SC · Lake Greenwood 38 mi, SC · Lake Keowee 46 mi, SC · Stevens Creek Reservoir 52 mi, SC/GA · Lake Oconee 57 mi · Chattooga River 57 mi, GA/SC · Lake Rabun 58 mi · Lake Jocassee 58 mi, SC/NC · Lake Burton 66 mi · Lake Lanier 69 mi · Lake Murray 72 mi, SC
See how Richard B. Russell 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.