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"Savannah River Fishing Report: Reds, Cats, and Bass Bite Ahead of High Tide"
Published 7 months, 1 week ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your Saturday, September 20, 2025, fishing report for the Savannah River and the surrounding salt and fresh waters straddling Georgia and South Carolina.
Sunrise hit at 7:11 this morning, and you’ve got until 7:23 tonight to get your lines wet before sunset. Today’s tides are running high: we saw a low at about 2:18 AM, peaked with a high tide at 8:29 AM, another low at 2:35 PM, then high rolling back in at 8:45 PM. With a tidal coefficient of 88 this afternoon, expect strong currents and some dramatic rises and falls—ideal for stirring up baitfish and getting those predators active, especially around the major swings.
Weather’s stable and pleasant for late September, with an early morning haze giving way to sunny conditions and just a light breeze from the east. It’s a prime setup to target everything the river’s got, from stripers and catfish up to the fall run of reds and the usual mixed bag in the brackish zones.
The Savannah River level at Clyo was 6.2 feet and on a steady climb as of Thursday, so expect the main river to have a bit of color and a decent flow, pushing fish tighter to break lines, points, and creek mouths. Reports from Georgia Outdoor News and Capt. Bert Deener both mention that recent rains have spurred a nice uptick in fish activity. We’ve seen solid takes this past week: anglers pulling in channel cats, blue cats, and still some healthy flatheads up past the city, especially on cut bait and live bream.
Bass folks should take note—a University of Georgia team just documented Bartram’s bass in the Savannah basin. These native black bass are being caught with regularity, up to 15 inches, especially where current meets structure. Best bets are working small, natural-colored soft plastics or finesse jigs near laydowns and rocky bluffs.
Red drum are holding tight in the lower stretches, inlets, and sounds, riding the incoming tide into the grass edges. Folks are reporting “slot reds” and even a few over-slot bruisers caught in the last few days, most coming to fresh shrimp on Carolina rigs or paddle-tail swimbaits. Flounder are still mixed in near oyster bars—white gulp minnows or mud minnows beneath popping corks have been the ticket.
Top lures this week:
- For bass and bream, stick with green pumpkin finesse worms and craws, Ned rigs, and topwater poppers at first light.
- For cats, use fresh cut gizzard shad, chicken livers, or big live baits where it’s legal.
- For inshore reds and flounder, Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ in “Opening Night” or “The Deal,” as well as live shrimp or mud minnows.
Hot spots today:
- The creek mouths around Elba Island and old Hutchinson are prime for early morning stripers and reds.
- Upstream, the edges near New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam have been producing quality catfish, especially at dusk and in the deeper eddies.
As the tide swings this afternoon and into evening, focus your fishing near sharper channel bends and the mouths of feeder creeks. Major activity windows are just after that 2:35 PM low as the tide starts to rip back in.
Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next local fishing edge.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Sunrise hit at 7:11 this morning, and you’ve got until 7:23 tonight to get your lines wet before sunset. Today’s tides are running high: we saw a low at about 2:18 AM, peaked with a high tide at 8:29 AM, another low at 2:35 PM, then high rolling back in at 8:45 PM. With a tidal coefficient of 88 this afternoon, expect strong currents and some dramatic rises and falls—ideal for stirring up baitfish and getting those predators active, especially around the major swings.
Weather’s stable and pleasant for late September, with an early morning haze giving way to sunny conditions and just a light breeze from the east. It’s a prime setup to target everything the river’s got, from stripers and catfish up to the fall run of reds and the usual mixed bag in the brackish zones.
The Savannah River level at Clyo was 6.2 feet and on a steady climb as of Thursday, so expect the main river to have a bit of color and a decent flow, pushing fish tighter to break lines, points, and creek mouths. Reports from Georgia Outdoor News and Capt. Bert Deener both mention that recent rains have spurred a nice uptick in fish activity. We’ve seen solid takes this past week: anglers pulling in channel cats, blue cats, and still some healthy flatheads up past the city, especially on cut bait and live bream.
Bass folks should take note—a University of Georgia team just documented Bartram’s bass in the Savannah basin. These native black bass are being caught with regularity, up to 15 inches, especially where current meets structure. Best bets are working small, natural-colored soft plastics or finesse jigs near laydowns and rocky bluffs.
Red drum are holding tight in the lower stretches, inlets, and sounds, riding the incoming tide into the grass edges. Folks are reporting “slot reds” and even a few over-slot bruisers caught in the last few days, most coming to fresh shrimp on Carolina rigs or paddle-tail swimbaits. Flounder are still mixed in near oyster bars—white gulp minnows or mud minnows beneath popping corks have been the ticket.
Top lures this week:
- For bass and bream, stick with green pumpkin finesse worms and craws, Ned rigs, and topwater poppers at first light.
- For cats, use fresh cut gizzard shad, chicken livers, or big live baits where it’s legal.
- For inshore reds and flounder, Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ in “Opening Night” or “The Deal,” as well as live shrimp or mud minnows.
Hot spots today:
- The creek mouths around Elba Island and old Hutchinson are prime for early morning stripers and reds.
- Upstream, the edges near New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam have been producing quality catfish, especially at dusk and in the deeper eddies.
As the tide swings this afternoon and into evening, focus your fishing near sharper channel bends and the mouths of feeder creeks. Major activity windows are just after that 2:35 PM low as the tide starts to rip back in.
Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next local fishing edge.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.