Santee Stringer Archives - Page 13 of 20

May 1, 2026

Slab crappie will start to show up this month around deep brush on both Santee Cooper lakes.

Don’t put tackle away

Striper season officially shuts down on the Santee Cooper lakes from June through September, so anglers will focus on other fish for the next four months. […]

Fishermen can catch plenty of bream and shellcrackers this month in the upper end of Lake Marion.

May is hard to beat

Terry Madewell

If there’s one month when just about every angler with a piscatorial preference can find something he or she likes, it would be May. […]

Blue catfish in the Santee Cooper system will be managed with new creel and size limits beginning April 1.

The big news for April is that the South Carolina General Assembly passed a bill last fall changing how blue catfish will be managed in the Santee Cooper reservoirs, and the changes will take effect April 1. […]

Chris Oswald of Summerton caught this keeper striper fishing with Andy Pack of Pack’s Landing.

March is big-fish month

Terry Madewell

If there is such a thing as a normal winter, March is the time when big fish of several species bite the best. […]

Whitey Outlaw uses tiny Roadrunners on light spinning tackle to catch big February bass.

Adjust and catch fish

Terry Madewell

February is an overlooked month in terms of quality fishing at Santee Cooper. Frequently changing weather causes fishing patterns to change quickly, but for anglers who adjust to cold fronts and can fish deep and shallow or adapt from a slow presentation to a fast presentation, February is a great time for quality fish. […]

Deep holes and channels in Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie will hold stripers this month.

January is big-fish time

Terry Madewell

Fishing can still be very good in January on Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie despite the typical cold weather, especially for catfish and stripers. […]

Fishing for big blue catfish can be excellent on both Santee Cooper lakes in December.

Hooray for the holidays! The fish are biting!

Terry Madewell

The rapid cooling of the water temperature in December is not a problem for several species of fish on the Santee Cooper lakes. In fact, some guides say it actually does wonders to improve the fishing. […]

Guide Kevin Davis caught this nice striper from Lake Marion last November.

November great month for stripers, crappie, and largemouth at Santee Cooper

Terry Madewell

Despite the cooling weather in November, the fishing action seems to just simply get better for a variety of species on the Santee Cooper lakes. […]

Guide Joe Dennis looks forward to the opening of striped bass season on the Santee Cooper lakes, finding fish suspended around baitfish.

Welcome back, stripers

Terry Madewell

The striper fishing on both Santee Cooper lakes, closed for four months, opens on Oct. 1, and many Santee Cooper fishermen celebrate it as many would any dove or deer opener. […]

Crappie will be deep but biting through September on Lake Marion, according to guide Buster Rush.

Fall fishing is on the way

Terry Madewell

Fishing takes a step forward in September, with improved action on a variety of species. […]