Lake Jocassee Fishing Guide Trips

Lake Jocassee is commonly known for the clear, clean and cold Appalachian mountain rivers that feed the lake to keep it cool year-round. The lake is located in northwest South Carolina, just down the mountain from Cashiers, Hendersonville, Brevard and Tuxedo in North Carolina.

There are four big rivers that feed the lake to keep it cool; including the Toxaway River, Horsepasture River, Thompson River and the Whitewater River. The lake offers scenic views of five different waterfalls which are navigable by boat.

Lake Jocassee Fishing Patterns and Records

The lake holds state records for five species of fish including a 5lb, 2.5oz Redeye bass, a 9lb. 7oz Smallmouth bass, a 8lb. 2oz. Spotted bass, a 17lb 9.5oz Brown trout and a 11lb 5oz. Rainbow trout.

Smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass can be caught on crankbaits, soft plastics, silicone jigs and hair jigs.

Primarily a largemouth fishery, a single fish weighing over 10 pounds from Lake Jocassee is not  uncommon. Spring and summer months hold the biggest weights. Largemouth bass will feed on trout, bream and crappie all year round. After the DNR began stocking trout in the cold-water reservoir large weights of largemouth and smallmouth bass began to emerge.

Trout fishing at Lake Jocassee is also very popular. With the DNR stocking 15,000 to 20,000 trout a year and two state records, you can’t go wrong! The lake is heavily populated with brown trout and rainbow trout, which makes it ideal for the fly fisherman or even the trolling angler. SAA offers full-day trips which include a half-day boat trip paired with a half-day trip up one of Lake Jocassee’s beautiful rivers! We stop by beautiful waterfalls and provide lunch for all of our fishing trips.