South Carolina fishing reports
299 reports for South Carolina — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Fall bass bite builds as Carolina water cools off
Gauge readings show the Piedmont water cooling into the low 60s, which is the shift that matters this week. USGS gauge 02156500 reads 64°F on 1,640 cfs, while USGS gauge 02163001 shows 62°F on a modest 149 cfs and USGS gauge 021623975 reads 56°F in smaller, cooler flow. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), fall bass are schooling up and feeding on baitfish, and the advice is to adapt quickly because the window is open now. Wired 2 Fish notes that the Deep South, from Texas east to South Carolina, fishes open water comfortably all winter, with the hot cold-season bite starting to brew in fall.
Fall bass bite builds as SC waters cool into the 60s
Gauge readings show cooling water across the Upstate and Midlands this week. USGS gauge 02156500 reports 61°F with 1,460 cfs, gauge 02163001 reads 60°F at 170 cfs, and the small-stream gauge 021623975 sits at 56°F. Those readings put the region squarely in the fall transition for Largemouth Bass. Tactical Bassin (blog) says bass are schooling up and feeding on baitfish this fall, and that anglers who aren't connecting need to adapt quickly. Its jerkbait and underspin-versus-swimbait features point to moving baits that cover water and match baitfish.
Cooling water sets up a fall shift for Santee and Lake Murray
Gauge readings across the Upstate and Midlands feeder streams show water temperatures in the low 60s, with one gauge at 58°F and others at 62°F and 64°F. That is a clear step down from summer and puts freshwater fish into early fall feeding mode. Flows are modest, 277 cfs at gauge 02163001 and 1,580 cfs at gauge 02156500, with smaller creeks running 86.8 cfs and 16.3 cfs. Stable, clear-ish flows like these usually keep bait and predators from being scattered by high water. Tactical Bassin (blog) is pushing fall approaches this week, noting that when bass chase baitfish in the fall, adding a blade to a paddle-tail swimbait with an underspin brings extra flash and vibration. That is a bass tactic from a general fall video, not a report from these lakes, so treat it as a starting point.
Santee and Lake Murray fall bite builds as water cools
Upstate gauges are reading in the mid 50s to low 60s this morning. USGS gauge 02163001 and gauge 02156500 both show 61°F water, while gauge 021623975 reads 55°F in cooler headwater flow. That is the range where fall feeding typically switches on across the Carolinas. B.A.S.S. News notes that as water temperatures decrease, baitfish gather in tight schools and bass begin their fall feed, with the bite window opening wide through much of the day.
Fall cooling sets up Santee and Lake Murray bass feed
Mid-October is when bass on SC reservoirs start following baitfish as the water cools. B.A.S.S. News notes that as water temperatures drop, baitfish activity increases and bass begin their fall feed, with the bite window opening wide through much of the day. Tactical Bassin points to jerkbaits and swimbaits with a blade as fall producers when bass are chasing baitfish. Fishing the Midwest adds that living green weeds are a good place to start looking for fish as other cover thins out.
Fall bass bite builds as Upstate water keeps cooling
Gauge readings across the region show water in the high 50s to mid 60s, right in the range where fall bass start following baitfish. USGS gauge 02156500 reads 66°F with 1,560 cfs, and gauge 02163001 reads 64°F at 288 cfs. The smaller, higher-elevation stream at gauge 021623975 is cooler at 58°F with just 16.9 cfs. B.A.S.S. News describes the pattern this way: as water temperatures drop, baitfish gather in tight schools, which makes them vulnerable, and bass follow them. Tactical Bassin (blog) adds that when bass are chasing baitfish in the fall, a paddle tail with a blade, such as an underspin, adds flash and vibration. Largemouth Bass are our Active call.
Charleston Harbor fall bite builds on the incoming tide
Water temperature across both NOAA CO-OPS stations (8665530 and 8661070) reads 71.4°F this morning, a comfortable range for inshore fish still feeding actively as fall settles in. Fisherman's Post reports from the Carolinas this month point to slot-sized red drum showing up for surf and pier anglers near Topsail, with some over-slot fish mixed in. Red drum are also the main focus on the Pamlico/Neuse, where a lot of bait is holding. Saltwater Sportsman notes the fall mullet run is now moving down the Atlantic coast, which pulls predators close to the beaches and inlets.
Santee and Lake Murray settle into the fall pattern
Gauge 02156500 reads 65°F with flow at 1,430 cfs, and gauge 02163001 shows 64°F at 277 cfs, so water has cooled into the 60s and sits in the range where fish start feeding to bulk up. Per Field & Stream, fall turnover does not hit a lake all at once, and clear, shallow bays or creek arms that haven't turned over are the best places to look. Tactical Bassin (blog) shows October bass fishing coming down to shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater, and baitfish-chasing fish reacting to bladed swimbaits. B.A.S.S. News covered the Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship on Lake Murray, where wind forced anglers to change areas mid-event.
Warm Charleston water keeps redfish on the feed this week
Charleston Harbor water is sitting in the low 70s, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 reading 72.7°F and station 8661070 reading 72°F at the early-morning observation. That is warm for the third week of October, and it keeps fish feeding actively rather than shutting down for fall. Fisherman's Post reports red drum as the main focus up the coast on the Pamlico/Neuse River, with fish scattered throughout the river and plenty of bait around. Red drum also showed up in the surf and pier reports from Topsail and Sneads Ferry, including some over-slot fish. Those are North Carolina waters, but they point to the same fall redfish pattern we expect to see along the SC coast. Salt Strong also flagged big redfish schools moving into certain areas this fall.
Fall bass bite builds around Lake Murray tournament pressure
Lake Murray hosted the Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship this month, and B.A.S.S. News reports that wind blew hard on the final day. Anglers had to move between areas to stay on fish. Clarks Hill also hosted a Phoenix Bass Fishing League regional weigh-in on October 17, per MLF News. Water is cooling across the Upstate. USGS gauge 021623975 reads 58°F at 16.6 cfs, while gauge 02156500 reads 69°F at 2,190 cfs. Gauge 02163001 shows 67°F at 471 cfs.
Fall bass pattern settles in at Lake Murray as water cools
Lake Murray hosted the Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship this month, and B.A.S.S. News noted the final day brought a strong wind that forced anglers to change areas. Ewing Minor won with a three-day total of 292.75 inches, a reminder that bass are catchable here as fall settles in. Major League Fishing also covered a Phoenix Bass Fishing League regional on Clarks Hill Lake on October 17. Upstate gauge readings show water temperatures in the upper 50s to upper 60s, with USGS gauge 02156500 at 67°F and 1,920 cfs and gauge 021623975 at 58°F.
Lake Murray fall bite builds as water cools into the 60s
Fall bass are the story this week. B.A.S.S. News covered the Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship on Lake Murray, where wind forced anglers to change areas on the final day, a reminder that weather shapes where fish and anglers end up. Our readings from the Upstate gauges show water temperatures of 60 to 68°F, a comfortable range for Largemouth Bass to feed ahead of winter. Per Tactical Bassin (blog), a bladed underspin swimbait is a strong choice when bass chase baitfish in fall, and a separate piece from the same outlet points to jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater in shallow water for October bass.