Savannah River Fishing Report: Cooling Temps, Changing Tides, and Hot Fall Bites

Artificial Lure here, bringing you the latest from the banks and backwaters of the Savannah River, straddling the line between Georgia and South Carolina. November has blown in a real taste of fall, and today’s fishing conditions are shaping up to match the season. First light broke this morning at 7:37 am and you can expect sunset around 6:38 pm, giving us just over 11 hours of daylight for casting lines. Temperatures are sitting comfortably at 68°F, with water temps lingering at about 71°F—a touch warm, but cooling quick, and perfect for stirring up gamefish. You’ll want to pack a light jacket early and late. The wind is out of the northeast around 15–20 knots, with gusts not uncommon—so if you’re running the river or popping into the sound, keep an eye out for that chop. The National Weather Service has us under a Small Craft Advisory, thanks to steady winds and seas topping out 4–6 feet outside the mouth; inshore, it’s breezy but fishable for most skiffs and jon boats. For the tide chasers, low tide hit at 6:05 am and we’re on the rise toward the next high set for 12:32 pm, peaking at nearly 7 feet at the jetties. You’ll see the outgoing current slow up until then, with the bite improving as water starts moving again—especially around creek mouths and shell banks. Fish activity is shifting with these shorter days. According to Georgia Outdoor News, the inshore bite has held steady this week, with reds and trout pushing up into creek arms as the mullet run tapers. Folks fishing near the Savannah Wildlife Refuge and around Houlihan Bridge have been scoring decent numbers of slot redfish on the last of outgoing tide, with several reports of overslot catches as well. Inshore, speckled trout are turning up in both numbers and size—shrimp under a rattling cork did most of the heavy lifting, but soft plastics in opening night and chicken-on-a-chain colors are working when live bait is tough to find. From the docks near Coffee Bluff to the grass lines at Isle of Hope, anglers have been picking up a mess of black drum and some nice flounder. The flatties are keying on live mud minnows bounced near structure, while cut bait is producing the better drum bites. A few quality sheepshead were also plucked from bridge pilings using fiddler crabs. Out in the main channel, stripers are getting active with these cooling temps—mostly schoolies in the 2–6 lb class, but there was a fine 11-lber pulled near the Savannah River Plant flats. Bucktail jigs and swimbaits in white or chartreuse imitate baitfish being swept by the current and have been the ticket. Early morning and late afternoon into dusk are your best bets for these river linesiders. Best lures right now: You can’t go wrong with a 3–4 inch paddle tail on a ¼ oz jighead for almost anything swimming—even the catfish. MirrOlure suspending baits and classic gold spoons are catching plenty of redfish. If you’re fishing artificials for trout, try DOA shrimp or Z-Man soft plastics. For bait, live shrimp This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.