Savannah River Fishing Report: Redfish Bite Heats Up, Trout and Catfish On The Move

Artificial Lure here with your Savannah River fishing report for Friday, May 30, 2025, coming to you straight from the Georgia–South Carolina line. Start times are looking great—sunrise hit at 6:33 AM and you can fish until sunset at 8:12 PM. Weather is holding steady with clear skies, reaching into the low 80s by afternoon, and we’ve got a light southerly breeze—about perfect for working the water. The main channel’s a touch stained from earlier rains, but you’ll find good clarity in the backwaters. Tide-wise, we had a mid-morning high and we’ll see a late afternoon low, so early and late around moving water are your prime windows. Let’s talk what’s biting: Redfish are lighting it up this week, especially around grassy points and creek mouths on the higher tides. Local anglers have been scoring big with live mud minnows and cut mullet, but if you’re slinging artificials, a gold spoon or a soft plastic in new penny is the ticket. Slot reds are common, and there’s been a handful pushing over 26 inches. Speckled trout are active too, especially out near shell beds at the river mouth. River menhaden are thick and small brown shrimp are starting to show, so bait supply is good if you hit the bait shop early—Mr. Mosely’s in Thunderbolt is working hard to keep up with demand. For trout, quality action’s been coming on live shrimp under popping corks and small soft plastics on the incoming tide. If you’re after catfish, you’ll find them nearly everywhere—points, pockets, coves—with cut herring or chicken liver doing the trick. Folks are bringing in channel cats in the 4–9 pound range consistently. Crappie are post-spawn but still feeding; try minnows or small jigs along shallow brush and docks. The bream bite is picking up, with bluegill and shellcracker prepping to spawn—crickets and red wigglers are top choices in 2–4 feet of water along points and coves. Just a couple weeks ago, a certified bluegill approaching record size was pulled out with a cricket not far from here. For largemouth and spotted bass, work those creek mouths, submerged wood, and clay banks with Texas-rigged worms, black/blue jigs, spinnerbaits, or crawfish-patterned crankbaits. Early mornings in the oxbows and rice field impoundments are holding good fish right now. Hot spots to hit today: Shell beds near the river mouth for trout, Abercorn Creek for redfish, deeper channels by Fort Jackson for catfish, and the old rice field impoundments are holding some chunky bass. With water temps right around 80, the fish are up and feeding—just remember to time your casts around the tide swings, keep that sunscreen handy, and stay hydrated. Thanks for tuning in to today’s Savannah River report. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the daily bite. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease dot ai. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.