Fishing Tournaments Near Lake Hartwell: The Upstate SC Guide for Anglers & Spectators

The Upstate is one of the best places in the Southeast for fishing tournaments near Lake Hartwell and the ring of lakes that surround it. From the record-setting Bassmaster Classic to Saturday-morning team trails, the lakes around Pickens, Anderson, and Clemson host tournaments almost year-round for bass, crappie, catfish, and even trout — and Carolina Camp Cedar sits right in the middle of them, with full-hookup sites, room for boat trailers, and easy access to every major ramp.

Whether you’re loading a bass boat before sunrise or bringing the family to cheer at an afternoon weigh-in, here’s your complete guide to tournament fishing in the Upstate South Carolina foothills — the lakes, the trails, and how to make the most of it.

Why the Upstate Is a Tournament-Fishing Hotspot

Few regions pack this many quality tournament lakes into such a small footprint. Within a short, central drive of one another you’ll find Lake Hartwell, Lake Keowee, Lake Jocassee, Lake Russell, and Lake Greenwood — a cluster that draws national tours, regional team trails, college and high-school championships, and local clubs. A mild climate keeps events running from late winter through fall, and public ramps with room for trucks and trailers make it easy to launch big fields.

That central location is exactly why so many anglers base here instead of chasing a different motel for every event. Set up once, and Hartwell, Keowee, and Jocassee are all in reach for pre-fishing and tournament day. For the bigger picture, see our overview of camping in Upstate South Carolina.

Lake Hartwell: The Crown Jewel of Tournament Fishing

If the Upstate has a tournament capital, it’s Lake Hartwell. This 56,000-acre U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the South Carolina–Georgia line near Anderson and Clemson has hosted the Bassmaster Classic — the “Super Bowl of bass fishing” — a record five times (2008, 2015, 2018, 2022, and set to return in 2027). In 2015, South Carolina’s own Casey Ashley won the title on his home water.

Beyond the Classic, Hartwell is a fixture on nearly every major circuit:

• Bassmaster Elite Series & Opens — regular tour stops for the sport’s top pros.
• Major League Fishing (MLF) — the Bass Pro Tour visits Hartwell, which has hosted dozens of MLF and FLW events over the years.
• College fishing — the Bassmaster College National Championship and the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Championship have both been decided here.
• High school fishing — the MLF High School Fishing World Finals & National Championship has come to Anderson multiple times.
• B.A.S.S. Nation Championship — Hartwell has hosted the national B.A.S.S. Nation title event more than once.

Most of these launch from Green Pond Landing & Event Center in Anderson — a purpose-built tournament venue just off I-85 with a wide multi-lane ramp, 160-plus truck-and-trailer spaces, a floating dock, and an amphitheater for on-site weigh-ins. For the Classic, morning takeoffs happen at Green Pond Landing while the roaring afternoon weigh-ins move to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville, paired with a huge free outdoors expo.

And Hartwell isn’t only about bass. It’s a nationally known striper and hybrid fishery, a strong catfish lake, and a crappie destination that has hosted Crappie USA events. If you’re planning to fish or watch here, our guides to camping near Lake Hartwell and things to do at Lake Hartwell cover the essentials.

The Other Tournament Lakes Within Reach

Hartwell gets the headlines, but four more lakes round out one of the richest tournament regions anywhere.

Lake Keowee

Clear, deep Lake Keowee is one of the busiest bass lakes in the region and a technical, finesse-style spotted-bass fishery. The Carolina Anglers Team Trail (CATT) Keowee–Jocassee and SC Upstate divisions, American Bass Trail’s SC-01 Keowee division, and MLF’s Phoenix Bass Fishing League all run events here, launching from public parks like Mile Creek and South Cove.

Lake Jocassee

Cold and pristine Lake Jocassee is the region’s wild card: South Carolina’s premier trout lake. The Jimmy Orr Trout Tournament Series runs monthly events from December through April out of the Jocassee Outdoor Center, and the nonprofit Friends of Jocassee hosts a popular trout-tournament fundraiser. Bass anglers fish it too through CATT’s Keowee–Jocassee division. Everything launches from Devils Fork State Park, the lake’s only public access.

Lake Russell

Straddling the SC–GA line downstream of Hartwell, 26,000-acre Lake Russell (Richard B. Russell) is a true mixed-bag venue — largemouth and spotted bass, crappie, catfish, and stripers. Two-angler team circuits like the American Bass Anglers Georgia–South Carolina Line Series run events here, launching from spots such as Calhoun Falls State Park.

Lake Greenwood

To the south, Lake Greenwood anchors a fall CATT bass division and a strong crappie scene that has drawn national crappie trails, with public ramps like the Highway 72 landing and Greenwood State Park handling the fields. Smaller waters such as Lake Secession round things out with excellent crappie fishing and the occasional local event.

The Tournament Trails & Series to Know

Behind the big-name tours is a deep bench of trails you can actually enter — or simply follow all season:

• Carolina Anglers Team Trail (CATT) — the region’s dominant two-angler team trail, with SC Upstate, Keowee–Jocassee, and Greenwood divisions and season-ending finals. Affordable entries and no off-limits period make it approachable for newcomers. (cattteamtrail.com)
• American Bass Trail — runs SC divisions on both Keowee and Hartwell.
• Crappie Masters / Crappie USA — national crappie trails that have visited Hartwell and other area lakes. (crappiemasters.net)
• College & high school — the Clemson University Bass Fishing Team even hosts its own Fall Tournament Trail on Hartwell, and national college and high-school championships regularly choose Anderson.
• Catfish clubs — regional catfish clubs run events across the Carolinas, and Hartwell and Russell are prime blue- and flathead-catfish water.

For Spectators: How to Watch a Tournament Weigh-In

You don’t need a boat to enjoy tournament day — a weigh-in is one of the best free family outings in the Upstate. Anglers fish all day, keep their catch alive in livewells, then bring their five biggest bass (or a limit of crappie) to a stage in the afternoon, where the fish are weighed, a running leaderboard builds the suspense, and a winner is crowned before the fish are released back into the lake.

• Where: Green Pond Landing in Anderson is the marquee spot, with lakeside takeoffs at dawn and weigh-ins at its amphitheater; smaller trails weigh in right at public ramps on Keowee, Greenwood, and Hartwell.
• When: Morning blast-offs are a spectacle around sunrise, and most local weigh-ins wrap up in the mid-to-late afternoon (many trails set lines-in around 3:00 p.m.).
• Cost: Local and regional weigh-ins are generally free and family-friendly, and marquee events like the Bassmaster Classic add a free outdoors expo with hundreds of vendors.
• Can’t make it lakeside? The major tours live-stream and televise their events, so you can follow the leaderboard right from your campsite.

Bring a chair, some sunscreen, and the kids — meeting the pros and watching a five-pound bass hoisted on stage is a memory-maker.

For Competitors: Fishing a Tournament in the Upstate

Ready to compete? The Upstate makes it easy to get in the game:

• Entry: Most local trails let you register online (usually cheaper) or pay at the ramp. Team trails like CATT typically charge a small season membership plus a per-event entry.
• Practice days: Because CATT has no off-limits period and pros arrive early to pre-fish, most anglers plan several days on the water before tournament morning — which means multi-night lodging near the ramp.
• Boat & trailer logistics: Big fields need room to launch and park. Staging your rig somewhere with dedicated trailer parking — instead of a cramped motel lot — saves time and stress every single morning.
• Something to fish year-round: Bass dominate the calendar, but crappie, catfish, and Jocassee’s trout series give you an event to target in nearly every month.

Your Tournament Basecamp: Carolina Camp Cedar

Here’s where staying central pays off. Carolina Camp Cedar in Pickens, SC sits right in the heart of the Upstate’s tournament country — a short, direct drive to Green Pond Landing and Lake Hartwell, to Lake Keowee’s ramps, and to Devils Fork on Lake Jocassee. Base here once and you can pre-fish multiple lakes without ever changing where you sleep.

For competing anglers, the practical stuff matters — and we’ve got it covered:

• Room for your rig and trailer. Full-hookup RV sites plus space to park boats and trailers — no juggling a tiny motel lot at 5 a.m.
• Early-in, late-out friendly. Roll out before dawn and come back to a hot shower, laundry, and a real bed after a long day on the water.
• Bring the whole crew. Cabins and park models are perfect for families and spectators who’d rather relax by the pool or the on-property golf club while you fish.
• Refuel at Tavern 53. Swap fish stories over dinner and a cold drink without leaving the resort.

Explore your Ways to Stay, check the full list of amenities, or book your stay to lock in your dates before the next big event fills the area up. Not fishing a tournament? The same central location makes us a great base for Clemson weekends and exploring the foothills — or just renting a kayak on our own Country Club Lake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can you watch fishing tournaments near Lake Hartwell?

Most major fishing tournaments near Lake Hartwell launch and weigh in at Green Pond Landing & Event Center in Anderson, SC, just off I-85. For the Bassmaster Classic, weigh-ins move to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Greenville, paired with a free outdoors expo.

What lakes near Carolina Camp Cedar host fishing tournaments?

Lake Hartwell, Lake Keowee, Lake Jocassee, Lake Russell, and Lake Greenwood all host tournaments — from national bass tours to local team and crappie trails — and all sit within a central drive of Carolina Camp Cedar in Pickens, SC.

Do you have boat and trailer parking for tournament anglers?

Yes. Carolina Camp Cedar offers full-hookup RV sites plus room to park boats and trailers, making it a convenient basecamp for anglers fishing tournaments near Lake Hartwell and the surrounding Upstate lakes.

When is tournament season in the Upstate?

Bass tournaments run from late winter through fall, with spring and fall the busiest. Crappie events cluster in late winter and spring, catfish in the warmer months, and Lake Jocassee’s trout series runs monthly from December through April.