Catfishing Pay Lake
Best Family Catfishing IN Belton, SC
Fishing is The tradition
Welcome to Firelake Outdoors in Belton, SC - your destination for family-friendly catfishing adventures in Anderson County. Our facility offers exceptional catfishing opportunities with easy access to Lake Hartwell and other regional fishing hotspots.
Our Ponds
Upper Pond
Our Upper Pond serves as the premier catfishing destination, designed for anglers seeking trophy-sized catches and consistent action. This well-maintained pond is regularly stocked with channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish ranging from 2-70+ pounds. The Upper Pond features deeper water sections that provide excellent habitat for larger catfish, with strategically placed structure to create natural feeding areas. Covered fishing shelters provide comfort during extended fishing sessions, making it perfect for serious anglers and families alike.
Lower Pond
The Lower Pond offers a more relaxed fishing experience, ideal for beginners, children, and those looking for steady action with smaller to medium-sized catfish. This pond is specifically managed to ensure frequent catches, making it perfect for introducing newcomers to the excitement of catfishing. The Lower Pond also features excellent access points and shallow areas where catfish actively feed, providing consistent opportunities for successful fishing trips. Multiple fishing stations around the pond perimeter ensure everyone has a great spot to cast their line.
Prime Waters, Prize Fish
Our well-maintained ponds are regularly stocked and teem with diverse fish species, ensuring every angler has the opportunity for an exceptional fishing experience.
Regular Catfish Stocking
Natural Bass Population
Other Native Species
Experience the FireLake Difference
All Night Fishing
Enjoy peaceful, after-hours access to our stocked ponds with a Night Fishing Pass every Friday and Saturday starting at 6 PM and lasting as late as you want.
Clean Restrooms
Our regularly stocked ponds are managed sustainably to provide excellent fishing for generations to come.
Drive-Up Parking
Fire Lake's comfort amenities and southern hospitality make every fishing day feel like a getaway.
Outdoor seating
Our regularly stocked ponds are managed sustainably to provide excellent fishing for generations to come.
Family Friendly
Firelake provides excellent family-friendly catfishing with calm waters and abundant fish suitable for anglers of all ages and skill levels.
Live Herring On Sale $5.00
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Live Herring On Sale $5.00 〰️
Fishing bait & Tackle in Belton, sC
YOUR ONE-STOP FISHING SHOP
Our fully-stocked bait and tackle shop ensures you have everything needed for a successful catfishing experience in Belton. We carry fresh cut bait including herring, shad, and bream - the proven favorites for local catfish. Our selection includes premium stinkbaits, dough baits, and live bait options that consistently produce results in both our ponds and nearby Lake Hartwell waters. As the area around Belton is known for excellent catfishing with multiple species including channel catfish, blue catfish, and flathead catfish, our knowledgeable staff can recommend the perfect bait combinations and techniques for maximum success. We also stock quality catfishing rods, reels, tackle boxes, and all terminal tackle needed for both our pay lake environment and area public waters.
Live Fishing Bait
Night crawlers are among the most proven and versatile natural baits available, offering universal appeal that attracts virtually every freshwater species in Firelake's ponds. These large, active earthworms provide natural movement and scent that trigger feeding responses from catfish, bass, bluegill, and other species. Their substantial size and robust nature make them ideal for targeting everything from pan fish to trophy catfish while remaining one of the most reliable baits for consistent action.
Fresh night crawlers excel due to their natural place in the aquatic food web and their ability to remain active and attractive for extended periods on the hook. The natural oils and amino acids released by live worms create an irresistible scent trail that disperses through the water, drawing fish from considerable distances. Their writhing movement sends vibrations that predatory fish recognize as vulnerable prey.
For rigging night crawlers, use hooks sized #4 to 3/0 depending on worm size and target species. Thread the hook through multiple sections for catfish or use smaller pieces on lighter hooks for panfish. Night crawlers work effectively on bottom rigs for catfish, under bobbers for bluegill, or Texas-rigged for bass around structure. Their versatility allows for multiple presentation methods during a single fishing session.
Night crawlers perform exceptionally well in Firelake's pond environment where their natural scent and movement attract our diverse fish populations. The combination of universal appeal, natural presentation, and proven effectiveness makes night crawlers particularly valuable for family fishing outings and beginning anglers. This classic bait consistently produces results across all species and skill levels, making it an essential choice for any successful fishing trip.
Salties are specially prepared salted baitfish that rank among the most productive catfish baits available. These cured fish undergo a salting process that intensifies their natural oils and creates an incredibly potent scent signature that catfish detect from remarkable distances. The salt-curing process not only preserves the bait but actually enhances its fish-attracting properties.
The salting process draws out moisture while concentrating the natural oils and amino acids that trigger aggressive feeding responses in both channel and blue catfish. This preparation creates a bait that releases a steady scent stream throughout your fishing session, maintaining its effectiveness for hours in the water.
Salties are designed to stay securely on your hook while allowing natural movement that attracts curious catfish. Use circle hooks sized 2/0 to 6/0 depending on your target size. The firm texture achieved through the curing process means less bait loss to smaller fish, keeping your hook baited longer for the trophy cats.
These prepared baits excel in Firelake's pond environments where the concentrated scent can disperse effectively through the water column. The salt-cured preparation makes them particularly effective during slower bite periods when catfish need extra encouragement. Salties consistently produce results for anglers targeting our regularly stocked channel and blue catfish populations.
Live herring are among the most irresistible natural baits for trophy catfish, offering the movement, scent, and visual appeal that triggers aggressive strikes from even the most cautious cats. These active baitfish from the herring family possess high oil content that creates a natural scent trail, while their silver-sided appearance and lifelike movement draw catfish from across the pond.
Fresh, lively herring provide the ultimate presentation for targeting Firelake's trophy-sized channel and blue catfish. The natural swimming action of live herring creates vibrations and visual cues that catfish instinctively recognize as an easy meal. Their oily composition releases attracting scents continuously while the bait remains active, creating an irresistible combination.
For rigging live herring, use strong circle hooks sized 3/0 to 8/0 depending on your target catfish size. Hook through the back behind the dorsal fin or through the lips to maintain natural swimming action. The key is allowing the herring to swim naturally while keeping it in the strike zone where our stocked catfish patrol.
Live herring excel in Firelake's pond environment where their natural movement can attract catfish from deeper water and cover areas. The combination of visual attraction, natural movement, and scent dispersal makes live herring particularly effective during active feeding periods when catfish are aggressively hunting. This bait consistently produces the largest catfish in our regularly stocked ponds.
Minnows are among the most universal and productive live baits available, offering natural appeal that virtually every game fish species recognizes as prime forage. These small, active baitfish provide the realistic movement, flash, and scent that trigger feeding responses from catfish, bass, bluegill, and crappie throughout Firelake's three ponds. Their natural swimming action and silvery sides create visual attraction that draws strikes from fish of all sizes.
Live minnows excel as all-purpose bait due to their natural place in the aquatic food chain and their ability to remain active for extended periods when properly hooked. The erratic swimming patterns of stressed or injured minnows send vibrations through the water that predatory fish instinctively recognize as vulnerable prey. Their small size makes them perfect for targeting everything from pan fish to trophy catfish.
For rigging minnows, use hooks sized #6 to 2/0 depending on minnow size and target species. Hook through the lips or behind the dorsal fin to maintain natural swimming action. Minnows work effectively on bottom rigs for catfish, suspended under bobbers for crappie and bluegill, or free-lined for bass around structure. Their versatility allows anglers to adapt presentations throughout the day.
Minnows perform exceptionally well in Firelake's pond environment where they match the natural forage base that our fish populations feed on regularly. The combination of realistic movement, natural flash, and universal appeal makes minnows particularly valuable for family fishing trips where different anglers may target various species. This bait consistently produces results across our entire fish population, making it the perfect choice for introducing newcomers to successful fishing.
Need different bait?
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Contact:
(864) 847-4200
help@firelake.com
Location:
1955 Cheddar Rd
Belton, SC
Mon-Thurs:
6:30AM - 10PM
Friday-Sun:
6:30AM - 10PM