Savannah River Summer: Reds and Trout on the Morning Tide

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Savannah River fishing report for the stretch from downtown Savannah up toward Port Wentworth and across to the South Carolina side. We’re riding a warm early‑summer pattern. According to the National Weather Service Savannah office, we’ve got morning lows in the low 70s, afternoons pushing upper 80s to around 90, light southwest breeze 5–10 knots, with a small chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. Skies have been partly cloudy, just enough cover to keep the bite comfortable mid‑morning. Sunrise is around 6:15 a.m. and sunset close to 8:30 p.m., giving you a long prime window at first and last light. Tide charts from NOAA for the Savannah River entrance are showing a typical 7‑ to 8‑foot swing. Expect a predawn high, falling out through mid‑morning, then a low around lunchtime and a strong incoming through the afternoon. That falling morning tide has been the ticket, pulling bait off the grass edges and concentrating fish on shell and current seams. Inshore on the river edges and side creeks, redfish and speckled trout have been the main story. Local anglers around Elba Island and Fields Cut report “good numbers” of slot reds with a few upper‑slot fish mixed in, plus steady trout action when the water’s got some movement. Most boats are seeing 5–10 keeper reds and a similar number of trout on a solid half‑day when they stay on the move and work the tide. Plenty of smaller rat reds in the mix keeping rods bent. Best baits have been classic Savannah River fare. Live shrimp under a popping cork is still king for trout on the edges of the ship channel and around creek mouths. Mud minnows and small finger mullet on a Carolina rig or jighead are producing reds tight to the grass and along shell bars on the last of the outgoing and first of the incoming. If you’re throwing artificials, tie on a 3–4 inch paddle tail in new penny, opening night, or natural mullet on a 1/8– to 1/4‑ounce jighead. A bone or chrome topwater plug at first light around current breaks has been drawing some explosive strikes from both trout and reds. Farther up‑river toward Port Wentworth and into the fresher stretches, folks are picking off a mixed bag of blue catfish, channel cats, and the occasional flathead. Local reports from bank fishermen along the public access spots mention stringers of 5–10 cats in an evening, with a few 10–20 pound blues caught after dark. Cut shad, chicken liver, and stink bait on the bottom are doing the work there. Just remember that current is strong on the big tides, so bring enough weight to stay pinned. A couple of hot spots to circle: – The bends and drops around Elba Island, especially where the smaller creeks dump in on a moving tide, have been holding solid trout and mixed reds. – Fields Cut and the nearby marsh drains on the South Carolina side are fishing well on the last two hours of the falling tide, with bait pouring out and predators stacked on the edges. Water clarity has been typical Savannah — a little stained, especially on the big tide swings — so don’t be shy about using scented soft plastics or tipping jigs with a piece of shrimp. Fluorocarbon leaders in the 15–20 pound range help around oysters and dock pilings. That’s the latest from the Savannah River. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next 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