Savannah River Fishing Report: Panfish, Stripers, and Cats Biting Strong

Artificial Lure here with your Savannah River fishing report for Friday, June 20, 2025. Sunrise hit at 6:17 AM, with sunset at 8:32 PM, giving us a long window to get lines wet. The weather is classic June—warm, humid, and mostly clear skies expected with highs in the mid-80s. Winds are light, but with afternoon pop-up showers possible, keep an eye on the radar if you’re staying out late. Today’s tide is running moderate, and river levels have been steady—Clyo gauge shows levels around 10 feet and trending slightly downward, which has made for good clarity and manageable current. According to the latest Georgia Wildlife reports, panfish action remains hot, especially for redear sunfish (shellcracker) and bluegill. Folks are still hauling in plate-sized shellcrackers from the main river, with live crickets or red wigglers fished under a cork doing the best work around woody cover and slackwater behind sandbars. If you prefer artificial, small crankbaits and surface poppers have fooled some nice bream lately as well. Striped bass are making their presence known below the New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam. A few have been recorded in the 20 to 25-pound class this week, mostly by anglers drifting live gizzard shad or herring through the fast water, but big bucktail jigs and white flukes have tricked a couple as well. If you’re set up for it, dawn and dusk have seen the best striper action. Catfish are still biting strong from the dam down to the city stretches, with steady reports of channel cats up to 12 pounds. Chicken livers, cut shad, and shrimp on bottom rigs are producing. If you manage a catfish over 10 pounds, the DNR wants to hear from you to help fill their record book—so weigh ‘em up! Bass fishing has been fair to good depending on where you land. Early morning sees active fish smashing buzzbaits and black Jitterbugs, especially near submerged timber and creek mouths. By mid-morning, soft plastics like black Texas-rigged trick worms or shakey heads around laydowns, logs, and under overhanging willows are picking off the more cautious largemouth. Spinnerbaits along the edges of current breaks have been reliable—if you find a ditch or a feeder creek, work both points thoroughly. Best hot spots today: - New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam: For stripers, catfish, and bonus panfish. - Downstream wood cover near Augusta: For bass and bream, especially where willow trees and laydowns collect along inside bends. That’s the word from the riverbank. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more daily fishing reports straight from the Savannah. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.