Anglers fishing reservoirs controlled by power companies will experience drastic changes in water level throughout the year. In fact, all of South Carolina’s large lakes were created to generate power and are all subject to fluctuation in water depth. While deeper areas do not experience any noticeable differences when the water level drops two feet overnight, the shallows are hit hard as acres of habitat are drained, negatively impacts the reproduction of some of the most-important species.
In a perfect world, power companies would maintain a constant water level, especially for the spawn, but power needs and unexpected rainfall cause the power plant to open the flood gates.
So, what does this mean for spawning fish that are trying to raise a family in these vulnerable areas? When the water recedes, fish have no choice but to abandon their shallow-water beds and retreat to slightly deeper areas close by that have adequate cover. Anglers looking for a lunker largemouth will have fewer places to find a hungry fish in deeper cover just outside of the typical shallow spawning habitats.
When the water levels begin to rise, the remaining small fish, including the newly-hatched fry, will move back into the shallows, where heavy cover provides protection from predation. Anglers should return to the shallows and look for bass in the places they did before the water receded.
When looking to catch the top predators in the lake, always follow the bait and the predators will be close behind.
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