Carl, I learned to fish on Clarke Hill. I fished it hot and heavy during my teens all of my 20's. In my early 30's I started fishing Russell simply because it's right next door which gave me alot more fishing time and alot less riding time. Being a new lake, Russell was excellent for crappie fishing and even though the fish were alot smaller in general than at the hill limits came regular and fairly easy to come by. Long story short, I hardly ever went back to the hill since I began fishing Russell. After fishing on the hill the past few weekends it really hurts seeing the lake as low as it is, and has been for many years now. Back in the day, campgrounds would flood after big rains and shorelines were always backed up in the bushes all along the edges. I dont think we'll ever see Clarke Hill back at full pool level again.
For whatever reason, the hill still produces excellent fish of all species, I guess it just has what it takes. It sure would be alot nicer if that lake stayed as full as Lake Russell does though.