South Carolina fishing reports
261 reports for South Carolina — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Charleston Harbor warmth lingers as fall transition lags behind
Charleston Harbor's CO-OPS gauge read 77.5°F this morning, still carrying late-summer warmth into the final days of September. A nearby South Carolina coastal station logged a very similar 76.8°F, keeping water temperatures consistent along this stretch of coast. Today's tide sets up a late-morning high near 10:11 AM and an afternoon low around 4:44 PM local time.
Charleston Harbor holds late-summer warmth as fall push builds
NOAA CO-OPS readings out of Charleston Harbor this morning show water still holding at 77.7°F, with a second South Carolina station reporting 78.1°F, numbers more typical of high summer than late September. That lingering warmth is the story right now: the seasonal cool-down that usually pulls fall species into range along the Carolinas hasn't taken hold here yet.
Charleston Harbor still summer-warm as SC's fall red snapper window opens
Water temperatures at Charleston Harbor held at 77.7°F this afternoon, per NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530, with a matching 77°F reading up the coast at station 8661070. Both readings sit solidly in late-summer range for South Carolina's saltwater. The bigger news for SC anglers this week: Saltwater Sportsman reports NOAA approved a 14-day fall red snapper season off South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida under a newly issued exempted fishing permit announced September 21, giving bottom anglers a fall shot at the species after this year's summer season was canceled at the last minute.
SC's 14-Day Red Snapper Season Opens as Charleston Harbor Cools Toward Fall
Charleston Harbor's water held at 77°F this morning per NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530, with a second regional station (8661070) reading a similar 76.5°F — saltwater still solidly in late-summer range as the calendar turns toward October. The bigger story for South Carolina anglers is regulatory: Saltwater Sportsman reports NOAA approved a 14-day fall red snapper season for South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida under newly approved exempted fishing permits, a real improvement over the one- or two-day seasons anglers have had in recent years.
Charleston Harbor eases into its fall transition under a full moon
Charleston Harbor's water sits at 77.5°F this afternoon, per NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530, with the tide sliding toward a low around 3:08 PM local; a second CO-OPS station up the coast (8661070) reads the same temperature and swings to low near 2:44 PM. Tonight's full moon means a wider tidal range than usual, pushing more current through the harbor on both the outgoing and incoming water. Regionally, per Saltwater Sportsman, South Carolina anglers picked up a new 14-day fall exempted season for South Atlantic reef species this month, approved by NOAA on September 21 — a welcome bit of regulatory news heading into fall.
False albacore signal fall's arrival off Charleston Harbor
Charleston Harbor sits at 77°F this morning, with the tide building toward a midday high near 8:43 AM and running back out to a low around 3:08 PM under a full moon, a strong swing that should push bait through the inlet on both ends of the cycle. Offshore, Saltwater Sportsman reports a 14-day fall red snapper season has been approved for South Carolina waters under a new exempted fishing permit, giving bottom anglers a real window this fall. Closer to shore, Sport Fishing Mag's seasonal roundup notes false albacore starting to feed on the surface as water temperatures ease, a signal the fall transition is underway along this stretch of coast.
Full moon marks early-fall turn for Santee and Lake Murray
The full moon on September 27 lands right at the seasonal turn for Santee and Lake Murray, as cooling overnight air starts nudging both reservoirs out of summer's pattern. Crappie and baitfish typically begin sliding toward creek channels and standing timber this time of year as forage pulls off the flats, a shift that plays out across Southeastern reservoirs each fall.
Full moon swells set the pace for Charleston Harbor's fall turn
Water in the Charleston Harbor area is still holding warm for late September, with NOAA CO-OPS readings of 77.9°F at station 8665530 and 77.4°F at nearby Springmaid Pier (station 8661070) as of Saturday evening. That's solidly summer-range water for the SC coast, a sign the seasonal turnover is running a bit behind the calendar. With a Full Moon overhead this week, expect stronger tidal exchange and more current pushing through the harbor's creeks and inlet mouths, the kind of moving water anglers lean on around structure this time of year.
Charleston Harbor rides a strong full-moon tide into fall transition
Charleston Harbor is holding onto summer warmth: NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 read 77.5°F at midday, and the Springmaid Pier gauge (station 8661070) checked in at 77.2°F to the north, both readings that keep the harbor in late-summer territory. Tonight's full moon is pushing tidal exchange harder than a typical week, with stronger movement through the inlet on both the ebb and the flood. That combination, warm water plus a big moon tide, is the setup worth fishing around this week.
Charleston Harbor tide swings wide under the full moon push
Charleston Harbor water sits at 79°F this afternoon, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530 clocking low tide at 1:35 PM and the next high due around 7:48 PM. Up the coast, station 8661070 near Myrtle Beach is reading a touch cooler at 78°F, with its own high tide arriving close behind at 7:17 PM. Tonight's full moon means spring tides: bigger swings between high and low, and more water moving through the harbor mouth on each stage of the cycle.
Charleston Harbor holds summer warmth into the fall transition
Charleston Harbor's NOAA gauge read 82.2°F overnight, still firmly in late-summer range as the region eases toward its fall transition. Today's tide brings a high near 6:40 a.m. and a low around 12:48 p.m. local time, per NOAA CO-OPS station 8665530. Coastal Angler Magazine reported an 18-inch flounder taken off SAB Pier this month.
Cooling Nights Set Up the Fall Bite on Santee and Lake Murray
Santee and Lake Murray are moving into the fall transition that reshapes South Carolina freshwater fishing through October. Nights are cooling faster than daytime highs this week, which starts mixing surface layers and pushes baitfish out of the shallow, sun-warmed pockets that held them through summer. That shift typically pulls more consistent gamefish movement toward the low-light hours around sunrise and sunset, and it tends to build through the back half of September as the pattern takes hold across the Midlands reservoir system.