Savannah River Report: Trout, Reds, and More for a Blustery November Weekend

Artificial Lure here, bringing you the latest on fishing action along the Savannah River, straddling the Georgia and South Carolina line this Saturday, November 8th, 2025. The sun’s up at 6:47 AM and sets early at 5:26 PM, so make every minute count if you’re hitting the water today. Winds are out of the east 15-20 knots with gusts pushing near 25, and there’s a Small Craft Advisory in effect, according to the National Weather Service—take care, especially if you’re heading outside the main river channels. Seas are bumpy, running 5-7 feet, so most folks will want to fish inside the river or stick to sheltered creeks today. Tide action is mellow this morning with a low tidal coefficient—currents are soft and the difference between high and low isn’t huge. According to Tide-Forecast, you’ll get your first high tide around 8:45 AM, a low at 2:38 AM, then another low around 5:11 PM. Less current means those fish are more sluggish, but look for activity to swing up around high slack, especially near structure. If you’re working the backwaters, the creeks off Wilmington Island and down by Thunderbolt should hold fish right around that high slack, with bait pushing up against oyster edges and grass. Cooling water temps have turned on the trout bite. Reports up and down the river show solid numbers of speckled sea trout—keeper fish in the 14-18 inch range are popping up from Port Wentworth bends down to Tybee’s marshes. Best bet has been soft plastics on 1/8-ounce jigheads, in new penny or electric chicken hues. Under a popping cork, try Gulp! shrimp or DOA lures—let that cork drift, give it a sharp pop, and hold on. The first light bite’s been best, but the bite has continued into late morning on outgoing tides. Red drum (redfish) are stacked up along shell rakes and creek mouths on the incoming. Slot and over-slot brute reds up to 30 inches have been caught on cut mullet and live shrimp fished on the bottom. You’ll find plenty over near Priests Landing, Shellman Bluff, and the drop-offs by Fort Pulaski. Black drum are in the mix, especially if you fish blue crab or shrimp tight by bridge pylons or near the international terminals upriver. Sheepshead reports are solid around dock pilings and channel markers, especially down by Cockspur Island. Live fiddler crabs are gold, but if you can’t find those, fresh shrimp or clams will draw strikes. Flounder are slow, but a few have been weighed in near Lazaretto Creek and around the mouth of the Wilmington. Mud minnows on Carolina rigs are pulling the handful caught. If you’re targeting striped bass above Savannah proper, November’s a prime month—try Rat-L-Traps or bucktail jigs worked fast around current breaks just below the locks. For a quick rundown of hot spots: - The grass points and creek mouths near Lazaretto Creek and Tybee’s back side have been steady for trout and reds. - Industrial wharves and the Bridges of Highway 17 still put out mixed bags, especially for those patient with crab or shrimp This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.