Savannah River Summer Bite: Reds, Trout, and Tidal Timing on the Georgia-South Carolina Line

This is Artificial Lure with your Savannah River fishing report, coming to you like a buddy at the ramp. We’re working a warm, muggy morning along the Savannah River on the Georgia–South Carolina line. Light to moderate southwest breeze, temps pushing into the upper 80s later, with a mix of clouds and sun and the usual chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. Sunrise is right around a quarter after six, with sunset near eight‑thirty in the evening, giving you plenty of low‑light window on both ends of the day. Tides near Savannah and Port Wentworth are running about a 7‑foot swing. Look for a higher morning tide pushing in through mid‑morning and then a good falling tide through the afternoon. In this river, that moving water is everything: the last two hours of incoming and the first half of the outgoing are your money times. When that current starts to slack, the bite usually does too. Recent chatter from local anglers and tackle shops up and down the river says the inshore mix has been solid. Folks have been picking off **redfish** and **speckled trout** around the lower river marsh edges and feeder creeks, with a few **flounder** mixed in. Upriver, around the fresher stretches, the **largemouth bass** and **striped bass** have been cooperating, along with steady **catfish** action, especially at night. Numbers-wise, most boats putting in a decent effort are seeing half a dozen to a dozen keeper reds and trout combined on the lower river, with some underslot fish keeping things interesting. Upriver bass guys are reporting anywhere from 5 to 15 fish on moving baits when the current’s right, plus bonus stripers around the bridges and deeper bends. Catfish anglers soaking bait on ledges are coming back with coolers of channel cats and the occasional blue, especially after dark. For **lures**, keep it simple and local: - For reds and trout: a 3–4 inch paddle‑tail or shrimp imitation on a 1/8–1/4 oz jighead, in natural or new‑penny colors. A popping cork with a suspended soft plastic or shrimp is still hard to beat on the flats and creek mouths. - For flounder: same jig, but drag it slowly along the bottom near drop‑offs and dock pilings. - For bass and stripers upriver: white or shad‑pattern swimbaits, small crankbaits in chartreuse or shad, and bucktail jigs worked along current breaks, bridge pilings, and riprap. **Best bait** right now: live shrimp and mud minnows downriver, fished either under a popping cork or on a Carolina rig around shell bars and grass points. Cut mullet or menhaden will tempt bigger reds and blue cats. Upriver, nightcrawlers, cut shad, or chicken livers will keep the catfish rods bending, while live shad or herring, where legal and available, are prime for stripers. A couple of **hot spots** to circle on your mental map: - The bends and creek mouths around **Hutchinson Island and Fields Cut**, where the outgoing tide pulls bait off the grass and stacks trout and reds along the edges. - The **bridge and riprap areas near Port Wentworth and upstream**, where current hits structure and creates perfect ambush points for stripers, bass, and big cats, especially on that first push of outgoing water. Fish the shade, fish the current breaks, and let the river tell you what it wants. If the water’s moving and you’re around bait, you’re in the right neighborhood. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn