State Record Flathead Signals Prime Deep-Eddy Season for SC Catfish
Field & Stream reports a new South Carolina state flathead catfish record: Patrol Sergeant Joseph Driggers of Mars Bluff landed a 110-plus pound fish on the Pee Dee River, crushing the previous 2018 record by nearly 30 pounds. Driggers was working a Santee rig through a 40-foot deep back eddy, targeting log jams in lower Florence County — exactly the type of deep, slow-current structure that produces big cats on Santee Cooper and Lake Murray once summer heat sets in. USGS gauge 02160390 shows the Broad River at 181 cfs, a moderate-to-low reading consistent with clear, warm conditions in the watershed. No local water temperature reading is available today. Bass anglers are already in full summer mode: Wired 2 Fish notes that fish are shallow at dawn chasing surface bait before sliding to deep structure once the sun climbs. The Waning Crescent moon typically means narrower prime-time feeding windows.
Current Conditions
- Moon
- Waning Crescent
- Tide / flow
- Broad River at 181 cfs (USGS gauge 02160390) — moderate-to-low flow; expect clear, warm conditions in Santee watershed tributaries.
- Weather
- Afternoon thunderstorms likely; check local forecast before heading out.
New to these readings? What do water temp, cfs, tide, and moon phase actually mean for fishing?
What's Biting
Flathead Catfish
Santee rig in 40-foot back eddies near log jams
Largemouth Bass
topwater at dawn, swing jig or football jig on deep structure mid-day
Striped Bass (Landlocked)
slow-troll live shad over submerged creek channels at 15–30 ft
Crappie
vertical jig over deep timber at first and last light
What's Next
Conditions over the next two to three days should hold steady for mid-June in the South Carolina Midlands: hot, humid, with afternoon thunderstorms a near-daily possibility. The Broad River at 181 cfs (USGS gauge 02160390) points to a lower end of the seasonal flow range, which typically means clear, slower-moving water in Santee feeder creeks and the upper Lake Murray coves — favorable for sight-fishing and structure-oriented presentations, but tough for midday activity windows.
Catfish anglers should focus on deep back eddies and current seams. The pattern that produced the new state record flathead on the Pee Dee River (per Field & Stream) — a Santee rig worked through a 40-foot eddy near log-jam structure — translates directly to Santee Cooper's river arms and the Wateree tailrace. Flatheads and blue cats are increasingly concentrated in 20-to-40-foot holes during daylight; first and last light give the best topside shot, while the overnight window is prime for the biggest fish. Hard-bottom eddies behind bridge pilings and fallen timber on the main river arms mirror the conditions Driggers was fishing.
For bass, Wired 2 Fish recommends committing to topwater during the first 45 minutes of light, when largemouth are actively pushing bait to the surface, then pivoting offshore once the sun climbs. Tactical Bassin highlights the swing jig and wobble-head combo as one of the most overlooked early-summer techniques — dragging either slowly along bottom transitions in 15 to 25 feet gives access to fish that have fully settled into summer structure on Lake Murray's mid-lake humps and submerged road beds. Flukemaster singles out a Texas-rigged big worm and football jig as the top two June offshore producers, both worth cycling through on ledges and secondary points.
Landlocked stripers on Santee Cooper will push progressively deeper as surface temps rise toward midsummer highs. Slow-trolling live gizzard shad over submerged creek channels in 15 to 30 feet is the traditional June setup. The Waning Crescent phase tends to quiet the overnight surface bite, but afternoon thunderstorms can reset surface activity — if a squall moves through, be ready for a brief topwater window on the back side before lightning forces you off the water.
Context
Mid-June on Santee Cooper and Lake Murray typically marks the full transition from post-spawn recovery into peak summer structure fishing. By the second week of June, shallow water in South Carolina impoundments routinely reaches the upper 80s°F, pushing bass, landlocked stripers, and crappie off the bank and onto deeper breaks, submerged timber, and channel ledges. Without a live temperature reading from today's sensors, we can't confirm exactly where conditions stand in 2026, but the lower flow at USGS gauge 02160390 is consistent with the drier early-summer pattern that has been affecting portions of the Southeast.
Historically, June is one of the strongest months for trophy flathead and blue catfish on the Santee and Pee Dee drainages. The state record flathead confirmed by Field & Stream this season — over 110 pounds from a 40-foot eddy on the Pee Dee, which feeds directly into Lake Marion — is a strong signal that the drainage is producing fish at the top end of what South Carolina's freshwater can offer. Whether that energy extends to the main Santee impoundments and Lake Murray's Saluda arm is plausible but unconfirmed by the current intel feed; no specific on-water reports from those bodies are available for direct comparison.
For crappie, mid-June is a predictable transition into the summer doldrums. Fish that stacked on 8-to-12-foot brush piles during the spring spawn are now scattered into 15-to-20-foot water over submerged timber, feeding intermittently during low-light hours. This is a normal seasonal pattern, not a sign of a down year — consistent summer production on both systems typically resumes in September as surface temperatures begin to moderate. Anglers expecting spring-style slab counts in June will be disappointed; those planning short early-morning vertical jig sessions over deep timber will find fish.
This report is synthesized by Hooked Fisherman from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Source names are cited inline where they appear. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.