Redfish season builds as Charleston's water stays warm
Water around Charleston Harbor is still summer-warm, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 reading 78.1°F and station 8661070 at 77.2°F late on the afternoon of October 16. That is well above what most anglers expect in mid-October, and it keeps fish active and feeding through the day. The only species with a direct report in our intel is redfish. Fisherman's Post — Carolinas saltwater says red drum are the main focus on the Pamlico/Neuse River in North Carolina, and that surf and pier anglers near Topsail have seen slot-sized fish with some over-slots mixed in. Those reports are from farther north, but they point to the same fall redfish pattern running along the Carolina coast.
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Expect the warm readings to hold over the next few days, so there is little reason to fish deep or wait for a cold snap. With the First Quarter moon, tidal movement is moderate. The best windows are usually the first two hours after sunrise and the last two hours before dark, when redfish push shallow to feed.
Saltwater Sportsman describes the fall mullet run as underway from September into November, and baitfish movement like that tends to pull predators close to beaches, creek mouths and harbor edges. Fish around moving water on a falling or rising tide rather than slack. Our tide stations did not return predicted high and low times, so check a local tide table before you plan a trip.
If the water cools by a few degrees after the next front, expect fish to settle into slower, deeper holding spots and bite more softly. Slow your presentation if that happens.
Context
Mid-October is typically the heart of fall redfish season in the Carolinas. Water in the high 70s is on the warm side for the date, so the transition to cooler-water patterns may arrive a little later than usual. Fall is generally when redfish school more heavily and feed aggressively ahead of winter, and bait migrations along the coast are a large part of why. Check current South Carolina regulations on size and bag limits before keeping any fish.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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