Ninetynine Islands Reservoir Fishing Guides
A small run-of-river piedmont reservoir on the Broad River below Cherokee Falls, shallow and current-fed, named for the rocky islands in its pool.
Guides on the Ninetynine Islands Reservoir
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About the Ninetynine Islands Reservoir
Ninetynine Islands Reservoir is a modest run-of-river impoundment on the Broad River in the upper South Carolina piedmont, and it is worth understanding what that means before fishing it. Unlike a deep storage reservoir built in a steep valley, a run-of-river pool sits in the river’s own floodplain and holds relatively little water for its surface area. The river passes through rather than being stored, so current is nearly always present somewhere in the pool, the water carries a piedmont red-clay stain after rain, and the reservoir behaves as a slow wide river with a dam at the bottom.
The name comes from the rocky islands and shoals that break the pool, and those rocks are the fishery. Smallmouth bass – unusual this far down in South Carolina – hold on the rock in the moving water alongside redbreast sunfish and rock bass, while largemouth use the slower backwaters and the woody cover along the banks. Striped, hybrid and white bass run up from the lower Broad and concentrate below the shoals and near the dam, particularly in spring. Catfish are abundant, with blues and flatheads in the deeper channel and channel cats everywhere. Crappie hold on the standing timber in the quieter arms.
The gauge below Cherokee Falls reports reservoir storage elevation and water-surface elevation. Because the pool is shallow and river-driven, those numbers move far more than a large reservoir’s would, and a rise after upstream rain both dirties the water and makes navigation among the rocks genuinely hazardous. At normal pool the shoals are visible and a small boat or kayak is the right craft; at high water they are submerged and unmarked. This is a lightly fished water without much developed access, which is part of its appeal and also the reason to plan a trip carefully.
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Pool right now
- 24 hours+0.05 ft → steady
Reading taken 1h ago at USGS 02153550, NINETYNINE ISLAND RES. BELOW CHEROKEE FALLS, SC. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Cherokee Falls - the small community at the dam and the gauge on the lower pool. / Blacksburg - the nearest town, the practical road base for the reservoir. / Gaffney - the Cherokee County seat, with supplies, tackle and lodging. / Broad River - the river above the pool, fishable by kayak for smallmouth and redbreast. / Ninety Nine Islands Dam - the downstream limit, with restricted water immediately above it. / County road crossings - limited bank access along the pool and the river above. / Kings Mountain area - the nearby North Carolina line country, with additional lodging and state park access.
Seasons
Spring: the strongest season, with striped, hybrid and white bass running up to the shoals and crappie spawning in the timbered arms. / Summer: warm and current-fed; wade or paddle the shoals for smallmouth and redbreast early, and fish the channel for catfish. / Fall: excellent and quiet, with cooling water concentrating bass on the rock and very little competition on the water. / Winter: cold and stained, with fish deep near the dam and in the channel; slow, and high water after rain makes the rocks dangerous.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Ninetynine Islands Reservoir?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Hybrid Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass, Longnose Gar, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, White Bass on the Ninetynine Islands Reservoir in South Carolina.
Where can you access the Ninetynine Islands Reservoir?
Cherokee Falls - the small community at the dam and the gauge on the lower pool. / Blacksburg - the nearest town, the practical road base for the reservoir. / Gaffney - the Cherokee County seat, with supplies, tackle and lodging. / Broad River - the river above the pool, fishable by kayak for smallmouth and redbreast. / Ninety Nine Islands Dam - the downstream limit, with restricted water immediately above it. / County road crossings - limited bank access along the pool and the river above. / Kings Mountain area - the nearby North Carolina line country, with additional lodging and state park a...
When is the best time to fish the Ninetynine Islands Reservoir?
Spring: the strongest season, with striped, hybrid and white bass running up to the shoals and crappie spawning in the timbered arms. / Summer: warm and current-fed; wade or paddle the shoals for smallmouth and redbreast early, and fish the channel for catfish. / Fall: excellent and quiet, with cooling water concentrating bass on the rock and very little competition on the water. / Winter: cold and stained, with fish deep near the dam and in the channel; slow, and high water after rain makes the rocks dangerous.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Ninetynine Islands Reservoir?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the South Carolina agency site: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/regulations.html