Go with the flow

Abby and Brandon Miller with blue cats below Tuckertown Dam in April. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

How to catch pre-spawn catfish in flowing current

The spring movement patterns of catfish vary based on multiple factors, including the type of water being fished, such as lake or river, as well as water temperature and water conditions.

But moving water can be a major influencer on where the largest concentrations of catfish are found on any water you fish. 

Water current manifests in many forms, particularly during the lengthy pre-spawn period for catfish, when the bite is usually excellent, but catfish are a moving target.

Find their moving water location in April, and odds of success are strong. 

Guide William Attaway said catfish move up the lakes from winter through spring. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Main Lake Current Flow

A basic main river channel current flow, typically replenished by spring rains, creates a situation where catfish move up the current, often traveling long distances if a dam or other obstruction doesn’t block their way. 

This movement can begin prior to the pre-spawn period and last until the spawn.

William Attaway said catfish migrating up the lakes or rivers is a reliable pattern for him on several lakes he fishes, but primarily on Lake Murray near Columbia, SC. Attaway guides for catfish (and seasonally for stripers) on Lake Murray.

He said the lake produces quality catfish action year-round, but the favored locations for Attaway change from the late-fall, through winter, and into the spring pre-spawn period.

“Lake Murray usually ‘turns over’ in October and November. And with the onset of late fall and winter rains, a very discernable pattern of catfish migrating up the lake occurs, along with their favored forage species,” Attaway said. “I think it’s crucial to stay in contact with forage when targeting catfish. My electronics show an obvious movement of forage toward the upper end of the lake, and catfish follow. I believe current is a primary attraction. And this combination of current and forage is a win-win for catfishermen.”

Guide William Attaway said blue and channel cats are targets in the upper end of lakes during spring. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Attaway (803-924-0857; Slick Willies Guide Service) said the current flow and falling water temperature of late-fall and winter create much better fishing in the upper end of Lake Murray and all the lakes he fishes.

“The pattern continues as water temperatures rise in the spring,” he said. “As we progress through the pre-spawn and get closer to spawning, I continue to move further up the lake. By late April and May, I’m often fishing above the forks of the Saluda and Little rivers in the upper end of the lake.” 

One excellent pattern is drift fishing in relatively shallow water, often in the 10- to 15-foot range, and targeting the huge pre-spawn catfish. 

“I’ll be fishing creeks and backwaters off the channel while the fish move ever-shallower as they prepare to spawn,” he said. “And forage is found in the same area. Some of the most consistent fishing, and biggest catfish of the year, are taken during pre-spawn, in the upper end of the lake. I use Lake Murray as an example, but this is a basic truth on all the lakes I fish.”

Attaway said the upper end of the lake provides good fishing during the summer and early fall. But comparatively, the catfish population is nowhere nearly as large in the upper end of Lake Murray at that time. They migrate in, then during post-spawn, they’re distributed throughout the lake.

Tailwaters

Brandon Miller from Gold Hill, NC is a successful tournament fisherman who employs current flow to his favor when fishing for fun or when competing. Miller said the basic movement upstream for catfish is common during the winter and through the pre-spawn period.

“With reasonable rainfall, the current tends to pull the fish up the rivers and lakes. I see this with blue, flatheads and channel catfish,” he said. “Not all catfish migrate upstream. Some catfish stay in the same general area all the time. But because I fish tournaments, I’m tracking where the most, and largest, fish are congregated. And for my home lakes of Badin and High Rock, that’s upstream. 

“Some catfish spawn later on in the spring far up the lakes, or in the tailwaters, such as below Tuckertown Dam on the upper end of Badin Lake,” Miller said. “Fishing below dams provides outstanding fishing during pre-spawn because the current attracts catfish and forage. And the forage keeps the cats in the area. I follow these fish using my electronics, and on High Rock Lake, for example, the catfish move far up the lake and river because no obstructions are in place to stop the up-current migration. So I move my fishing targets to stay up with them.”

Guide Rodger Taylor said fishing moving water in the spring is a recipie for success. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Another moving-water angler, Rodger Taylor, has fished multiple lakes in North and South Carolina, but the 62-year-old full-time guide focuses his catfish guiding on lakes Wylie and Wateree.

“I find a very consistent and strong pattern in the upper end of both lakes during the spring pre-spawn period,” Taylor said. 

But he also finds a lot of active fish in the upper end of Lake Wateree, just below the Cedar Creek Dam (also known as Stumpy Pond).

Taylor said that because of consistent water flow in the spring, the tailwaters of dams can produce excellent spring fishing.

“It’s a two-fold process,” he said. “One is, the shad moves uplake below these dams. And white perch, a prime catfish forage in Lake Wateree, congregate here. The second factor is current. With food and current as attractors, catfish of all sizes are concentrated below the dam.”

Taylor is clear that it’s not just immediately below the dam that’s productive.

“My target area is from the dam down for a few miles below where the current is typically strong,” he said. “Here, as in any tailwater situation, it’s best to target unusual bottom features such as channel ledges, creek junctions and high spots.”

Taylor (803-517-7828; Catfish On! Guide Service) said he’ll graph the area and anchor in a setup where he can cast his rigs into different depths of water to determine a bite pattern for the day. 

“Fishing below dams, I’ve found giving an area 30-minutes is ample. And sometimes the action starts quickly and stays continuous,” he said. “Other times, it slows after a quick flurry of action. Once I’m in the area where fish are located, I’ll pull anchor and only move a couple hundred yards further down the current and set up again, usually with similar results.”

Big catfish are in play he said, but it’s really an assortment of catfish sizes that are attracted to this spring moving-water situation. 

“During spring, the fishing is usually very consistent, and it’s a perfect scenario to keep rods bent and fish hooked,” he said. “I want clients to catch fish, and using current to find catfish is an important part of my spring strategy.” 

Catfish in Current Flow

Taylor said that the attraction of moving water is also prevalent in the creeks of most lakes. The current is not as strong as in the main lake or tailwater, but it exists and catfish move up the creeks into shallow flats to feed.

A couple of trips with Taylor on Lake Wylie in recent springs has demonstrated this pattern, with quantity and quality fish caught in the back of creeks, in pockets and coves, primarily in relatively shallow water.

“This is also about forage and with current flow in the tributaries, catfish move in to feed,” he said. “The creeks don’t have to be high or muddy, just generating enough flow to attract forage. The bite can occur throughout the day, but I get out early for the low-light bite.”

Taylor uses smaller chunks of gizzard shad as bait, but the key is more about finding where these fish are congregated than the specific bait.  “They’re here to feed and the pre-spawn period typically produces a strong bite pattern in the creeks,” he said. 

Santee Cooper Guide Kyle Austin said wind-generated current creates a big fish opportunity. (Photo by Terry Madewell)

Wind-blown current

Most catfish guides and tournament anglers have developed an affinity for fishing downwind areas that have been pummeled by winds from a consistent direction for an extended period.

Kyle Austin, a multi-species fishing guide on the Santee Cooper lakes, said spring winds create exceptional fishing in shallow water.

‘Windblown flats hit with steady winds for 24 to 48 hours can congregate forage and catfish – often big, blue catfish, – gorge on them,” Austin said.

Austin (843-209-3726; kyleaustinoutdoors.com) said a mudline may develop, creating an excellent point of contact for fish and fisherman. However, often on sandy areas, the water may not be muddy, but only slightly discolored.

“It’s common for a lot of catfish to congregate into these places, and the fishing can be exceptional, including for trophy-sized catfish.” he said. “I’ll anchor in shallow water and fan cast around the boat, and we frequently find catfish loaded in skinny water, only a couple of feet deep. Hooking a monster blue cat in skinny water elevates catfishing excitement to another level.”

Austin said the action is fast-faced and intense, but often short-lived because when the wind pattern changes, the forage and fish scatter. 

“While the wind pattern holds, fish move into the area,” he said. “Wind-driven current into the shallows provides a prime opportunity. The hotspots are moving targets because they’re based on wind direction, but it’s well worth the time spent to find it.” 

Moving water impacts where catfish, and many of the critters they like to eat, are found during the spring. Moving water is an effective catfish-finding strategy, and you’ll find that catching catfish is easier when you find them where they’re already eating. 

About Terry Madewell 821 Articles
Award-winning writer and photographer Terry Madewell of Ridgeway, S.C., has been an outdoors writer for more than 30 years. He has a degree in wildlife and fisheries management and has a long career as a professional wildlife biologist/natural resources manager.

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