Richard B. Russell is a 26,650-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the upper Savannah River, sandwiched between Hartwell Dam upstream and Thurmond (Clarks Hill) Lake downstream. Its shoreline is almost entirely undeveloped public land with extensive standing timber, and the pool is held tight within about 5 feet of the 475-foot full-pool elevation, so water levels stay far more stable than on neighboring Hartwell or Thurmond. Spotted bass dominate the deeper, clearer main Savannah channel and the area near the dam, while largemouth are more numerous up the Beaverdam Creek arm (Georgia) and Rocky River arm (South Carolina) and back in the tributary creeks. A prolific blueback herring forage base makes both species roam offshore and chase bait high in the water column, especially in low light. Target long tapering points, bridge pilings, brush piles, standing timber edges and creek channels; deep clear water rewards finesse and topwater in spring and fall, while summer bass push out onto 15-30 foot points and humps following the herring.
Spotted bass · Largemouth bass · Striped bass · Hybrid striped bass · Black crappie · White perch · Channel catfish
Everything below points at one goal — finding the most, and the biggest, largemouth bass on Lake Russell.
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