“The Goose Creek Reservoir supports both bluegills and shellcrackers. There is a lot of structure and vegetation and the reservoir is very productive. I expect it to be a good producer of bream.

“Bonneau Ferry WMA is a youth-fishing area that is open at limited times. There are two smaller ponds, Hog Pen and Nimitz, that offer good bank-fishing, but the larger pond, Quarterman Pond, is more conducive to anglers in small boats,” Lamprecht said. “We hope to open an additional pond in about a year that is currently closed for renovation and restocking.”

As you move inland, Gene Hayes, a fisheries biologist for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) in Greenwood, said panfish anglers would do well to seek out many of the state lakes in that area.

“Around here, the state lakes would be your best bet for bream,” Hayes said. “Bream seem to do much better in smaller water bodies that are actively managed and do not have a multi-species dimension to the fish population. With all those other species in the water that you find in larger reservoirs, that creates a lot of competition.”

The first state lake that Hayes suggested was Star Fort Pond, a 27-acre lake located in Greenwood County about two miles south-southeast of Ninety Six.

“Star Fort Pond is only open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from April 1 to Nov. 1,” Hayes said. “The closure controls pressure on the small lakes and creates a high-quality fishing experience once the lakes open in the spring.

“Most of the anglers there are targeting bream. The lake features both bluegills and shellcrackers, and some of the fish are quite nice. Fishing is from the bank mostly, but there is a pier located on the lake.”

Hayes said he hears good things about the 80-acre Lake Long in Union County, a state lake, and 40-acre Johnson Lake in Spartanburg County.

“Jonesville Reservoir in Union County is a 25-acre state lake that is intensively managed by the department,” Hayes said. “The lake is fertilized and limed and features both shellcrackers and bluegills. Due to its small size, it’s open only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, but year ‘round.”

The last state lake that Hayes recommended was Lake Oliphant. This lake is 40 acres located on the northeast side of Chester County near the York County line, which places it about a 30-minute drive from Rock Hill. Hayes said Lake Oliphant is no longer in his region, but he does recall some great bream fishing on it.

“As big reservoirs go, I would suggest Lake Greenwood,” Hayes said. “It is known for good bream fishing for reservoirs. The best fishing for bream takes place on bedding fish in late May and early June after the full moon in May. Around Memorial Day is a good time.”

Over the last two decades, Lake Greenwood has gone through some major changes. Woody shorelines have been cleared as residential development expanded on the lake. While some good bream-holding spots of natural vegetation remain, Hayes felt anglers should look for bream around docks.

Hayes said the bream fishing below Lake Greenwood ranks right up there with other species in that area.