Full moon swells set the pace for Charleston Harbor's fall turn

What's next

Look for water temperatures to hold in the mid-to-upper 70s over the next several days. A real cool-down in the Lowcountry usually doesn't show up until readings drop into the 60s, which is still weeks away at this pace.

The Full Moon's bigger tidal swings mean the strongest current windows this week bracket the predicted high near 7:57 PM local at the Springmaid Pier station (8661070). As the moon wanes into next week, tidal amplitude eases back toward normal, so the next few days are the best current window on the calendar for a while.

Worth planning weekend trips around that evening high rather than fighting slack water midday.

Context

Late September in Charleston Harbor typically sits on the summer-to-fall bridge, and water in the high 70s is right on schedule for this point in the year. The true fall pattern in the Lowcountry usually doesn't take hold until temperatures work down into the 60s later in October. A Full Moon this early in that transition is a normal seasonal marker rather than anything unusual, and local anglers typically watch for the first sustained cool-down as the signal that the fall bite is properly underway.