For 2022 Bassmaster Classic pro bass tournament has returned to Lake Hartwell for the fourth time in 14 years. The world’s most prestigious professional bass tournament, the event is expected to attract thousands of people to what is often called the “Super Bowl of Fishing.”
The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), along with VisitAndersonSC and VisitGreenvilleSC are sponsoring the 2022 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk at scenic Lake Hartwell, March 4-6.
Takeoffs begin from Green Pond Landing & Event Center. Daily weigh-ins will be held at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources staff will handle returning bass caught during the tournament.
The annual Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will take place at the Greenville Convention Center, both in nearby Greenville. All events are free to the public.
Lake Hartwell, listed as a Top 100 Bass Lake in America, has hosted the Bassmaster Classic three times: 2018, 2015, and 2008. The 2018 Classic set an attendance record of 143,323. It’s been topped twice since, and tourism officials believe it might be broken again this year.
Lake Hartwell has been the site of a significant habitat enhancement project undertaken by SCDNR. Fish habitat areas in Lake Hartwell include about 105 concrete culverts/structures, 1,300 stumps, 560 tons of broken concrete slabs, 180 tons of riprap, five tons of pea gravel, 120 PVC artificial fish attractors, 150 bamboo fish attractors, 815 trees cut/cabled from the shoreline, and 1,200 maidencane plants.
A favorite destination of freshwater fishing enthusiasts, the 56,000-acre Lake Hartwell contains largemouth bass, crappie, bream, striped and hybrid bass, and catfish.
Lake Hartwell is one of the most popular areas for waterfront camping in the Southeast. Near I-85 at the South Carolina-Georgia border, public access for fishing and camping is available at Lake Hartwell State Park. Additional fishing, boating, and camping on Lake Hartwell is available at Sadlers Creek State Park.
Lake Hartwell or Hartwell Lake was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) between 1955 and 1963 as part of a flood control, hydropower, and navigation project. The lake is created by Hartwell Dam located on the Savannah River seven miles below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers join to form the Savannah.
sources: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District