Fall mullet run reaches the Georgia coast as fish follow the bait

What's next

Expect the mullet run to keep building over the next two to three days as more bait pushes south along the coast, consistent with Saltwater Sportsman's description of the migration running from September well into November. With water still holding at 77°F, the push of predators following those bait schools should strengthen rather than ease off.

Plan around the tide swing: low tide falls near 1:14 PM ET today with the next high around 7:16 PM ET, per NOAA CO-OPS station 8670870, setting up an afternoon-into-evening window as the tide turns. The waning crescent moon this week means smaller tidal swings than around a new or full moon, so moving water will be a bit more modest than peak-moon weeks; timing a trip close to the tide change itself matters more than usual.

Georgia Sea Grant's Seafood Month programming running through October is also worth checking for anyone wanting a closer look at what the coastal estuaries are producing this season.

Context

Early October sits right at the front edge of the Georgia coast's fall transition: mornings cooling, the mullet run ramping up, and water still warm enough that the shift from summer to fall patterns is gradual rather than sudden. That lines up with the Georgia Wildlife Blog's own October report, which pointed to cooler mornings and changing leaves as the season's first real signal. This timing is typical for the region; the fall baitfish migration generally runs later and longer on the Georgia coast than farther north, often continuing well into November.