Welcome to the SLV Rod & Gun ClubThe Savannah Lakes Village Rod & Gun Club is honored to be the largest sanctioned club in Savannah Lakes. We pride ourselves for offering the activities that our members request. These activities include: Sport target shooting, Skeet shooting, Sporting clays, Fishing charters (striper/bass/crappie/catfish), Fishing seminars, Dinner social programs and MANY more. Check our Upcoming Events section for more info.
The Rod & Gun Club is committed to 1) Connecting SLV members with common interests in fishing and shooting sports, 2) Providing opportunities for organized outings, guided trips, and sporting events, and 3) Building relationships.
Fishing
The Club is in the process of setting up various fishing charters as well as seminars. Fishing Charters are set up monthly, when possible. We do allow non-members if they are invited by a member on that charter. The charters will be first come first serve for members and guests.
Shooting
Pistol Range hours are 9:00-1:00 as of April 1, 2023. Skeet shooting is every Tuesday, weather permitting, at Hickory Knob Skeet Range at 9:00am (Summer; 3/14/23). Old and new Club members are free to join on Tuesday mornings to get an idea of what the shoot is like and speak with the Rangers and shooters. Members are responsible for their own equipment and ammunition. A round of skeet (25 ct) costs Club members $10.
Pistol Range Hours are now 9:00am-1:00pm (as of April 1).
The SLV Rod & Gun Club will help members create groups to go on charters. Folks have enjoyed great success with these opportunities in the past. The boat leaves the dock (within one hour of SLV) about 7am and is usually off the water by 10am with 10 fish per person (based on the last several trips). Location changes as fish move around the lake. These trips go rain or shine, only being cancelled if weather or other circumstances make the trip unsafe (i.e. lightning, mechanical failure). Be sure to bring whatever you need to wear, eat, or drink, and a container/ice to transport your catch home.
Fisheries management at J. Strom Thurmond Lake is a vital mission, habitat enhancements at fish attractor sites are completed every winter. Fisheries habitat enhancements of attractors sites are for the obvious reasons of sustaining quality habitat and as well providing key areas for anglers to catch fish. As of last week, four bank fishing areas (Clarks Hill Park 1 & 2, Scott's Ferry Ramp, and West Dam Park), two deep water areas (Bussey Point Savannah River side and Shrivers Creek), and one fishing dock (Petersburg Campground) have been refurbished with 15 bamboo block fish attractors per site. Expect spring and summer time fishing activities at these sites to be excellent for crappie, bream, and bass. Areas can be found here using our Fishing Map Web Application.
Prescribed fire is a beneficial tool used in habitat management at J. Strom Thurmond Lake Project. This natural field was burned to set back succession of woody vegetation and encourage new grass growth. Wildlife species of deer, quail, and turkey benefit from the new growth, which provides high nutritious forage, greater bedding cover, better nesting opportunities, and enhance young rearing habitat. Thurmond's prescribed burn schedule began mid-January as the first burn of the season and usually runs to the end of April or mid-May.
March is the start of nesting of wood ducks so now is the perfect time to clean out wood duck nesting boxes. Nest boxes should be checked each winter prior to the nesting season to clean out any unwanted material or critters, replace nesting material with roughly 3” of wood shavings, checking the predator guard, and secure the lid and door latch. The wood duck nest boxes at Lake Thurmond have fresh wood shavings and are ready for occupancy!
Lakes Harwell, Russell and J. Strom Thurmond, no longer in drought operations (December 21, 2022)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, announces Hartwell, Richard B. Russell and J. Strom Thurmond Lakes are no longer in drought operations due to the recent rain events over the Savannah River System Basin. Increased flows of 5,000-8,000 cubic feet per second will begin seen over the next week. The colder weather will prompt higher than normal releases to meet heating demands. All releases will be pass through the dam’s turbines generating clean, renewable electricity.
“The level at Hartwell Lake today was 656.48 feet above mean sea level, at Russell it’s 475.06 feet above msl, and Thurmond is 326.32 feet above msl, which is just over guide curve,” said Stan Simpson, Savannah District water manager. “They will likely remain near these levels into January.” The increased generation will not have a noticeable effect to the recreation areas. However, officials continue to advise people to use caution when visiting sites around the lakes.
“For this time of year, the guide curve at Hartwell is four feet below full summer pool, which is 660 feet above msl,” said Melissa Wolf, Savannah District chief of natural resources section. “For Thurmond, the full summer pool is 330 feet above msl.” Simpson went on to explain that more than two inches of rain has fallen on the watershed over the past two weeks and there will likely be more runoff than normal this time of year due to saturated soils, low temperatures, and less demand by vegetation. In addition, privately owned reservoirs upstream of Hartwell Lake are also releasing water due to the recent rainfall and this accounts for additional inflow into Hartwell.
The SLV Rod & Gun Club Board Meeting was held on May 25th, at 3pm. All Rod & Gun Club members were invited to attend.
The SLV Rod & Gun Club held a Shoot or Don't Shoot on Saturday, May 20th, at 9:30am. This event consists of targets that have colors, numbers and shapes which must be shot in sequence. Remember not every target is the same so concentration is key. The event will begin with a safety briefing, then the shoot consists of 25 shots per target so extra magazines or speed loaders are needed.
The SLV Rod & Gun Club held a Bowling Pin Shoot on Saturday, April 29th. This competition consists of 5 pins, 21 feet from the shooter. The shooter has 7 shots to knock the pins from the table. Pins must be off the table to count as a hit. Shooters using less than 7 shots will score extra points. All calibers were welcome, along with semi-autos and revolvers. Shooters using a .22 cal pistol or revolver will get a surprise. This is always a fun competition.
The SLV Rod & Gun Club held a "What Gun Should I Buy" seminar on March 13th. This presentation discussed the pros and cons of various firearms and calibers in relation to target shooting, home defense and concealed carry. It is designed to help you choose the best firearm for your needs and not waste your money.
The SLV Rod & Gun Club held a Accuracy and Practice Shoot at the range on March 11th. The drill is called Casino or 21. It consists of 21 shots at 6 targets. The number of shots you fire correspondents to the number of the individual symbol. There is a reload during the drill, depending on the firearm maybe two or three.
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a South Carolina state agency charged with regulating hunting, fishing, boating, duck stamp orders, and the conservation efforts of the state government. DNR documents are listed below: