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Broad River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A Piedmont river through Sumter National Forest: the Broad runs bass, catfish and bream past Union.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1,160 cfs
Air / High
97 / 97 F
Wind
E 2 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 02156500, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Broad River stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. The river is running 1,160 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind E around 2 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 97. Water sits around 84 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: plan around them and beat the heat.

The plan, species by species

Striped bassGood

Deep and early: live bait on downlines over the river channel at first light, or downriggers along thermocline depth.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Largemouth bassFair

Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

CrappieSlow

Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 103 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Broad River near Carlisle.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 02156500.

1,7493,3374,9251,160 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp97 F
High / Low97 / 72 F
WindE 2-3 mph
Pressure1014.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain3% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:01 / 19:48
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~84 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 97/72 F, wind 5 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Broad River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Topwater at first light on points and seawalls, then slide out to 12-25 ft brush and points with a Carolina rig, deep crank or drop shot. The bite is dawn, dusk or deep.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall

The reservoir heavyweight. Follows shad and herring schools in open water year-round. Deep and early: live bait on downlines over the river channel at first light, or downriggers along thermocline depth.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Anchor on 20-30 ft baited holes with punch bait or cut shad. They keep biting through the heat when everything else quits.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Straight down on bridge pilings and deep brush at 15-25 ft. Minnows outfish jigs in hot water; move until the graph shows them stacked.

When to come: the Broad River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Largemouth bass
Striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 84 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Broad River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 99 F, wind to 5 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 98 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 4 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

South Carolina requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

South Carolina license. Black bass, catfish and striped bass regulations vary by reach and season: check current SCDNR rules.

Access

Public landings, Sumter National Forest access and bridge crossings around Union and Lockhart.

About this water

A 150-mile Piedmont river crossing Union County and the Sumter National Forest, South Carolina.

Fishing Broad River: the full guide

A river of the upper Piedmont

The Broad River rises in North Carolina and flows about 150 miles across the South Carolina Piedmont, running through Union County and the Sumter National Forest before joining the Saluda far downstream at Columbia. Through this middle reach it is a rocky, shoaly river holding largemouth and redeye bass, blue and flathead catfish, bream and seasonal striped bass.

Bass on the shoals

The shoals, ledges and current seams hold bass through the warm months, worked with tubes, jigs, small crankbaits and topwater from kayaks and by wading where flows allow. It is genuinely attractive river fishing with far less pressure than the reservoirs on either side of it, and the forested corridor keeps the setting wild.

Catfish and seasonal stripers

Blue and flathead catfish grow large in the deeper holes and are taken on cut and live bait, particularly at night. Striped bass move upriver from the lower system on seasonal migrations and hold the deeper pools and shoal edges: spring and fall are the windows, and low light is the time.

Union County logistics

Access is via public landings, the Sumter National Forest corridor and bridge crossings, with the Lockhart area and Rose Hill vicinity serving different reaches. Union is the base town. Flows below the upstream dams change with generation and rain: check them before wading anything on the shoals.

Common questions

Is it good bass water?

Yes: shoals, ledges and current seams hold largemouth and redeye bass with far less pressure than the nearby reservoirs.

Is wading safe?

Only with care: flows change with generation upstream and with rain. Check before stepping in.

Are there stripers?

Seasonally: striped bass move upriver in spring and fall and hold the deeper pools and shoal edges.

Is fishing good at Broad River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Lake Murray35 miLake Greenwood40 miLake Wylie42 miLake Wateree43 miSaluda River45 miLake Norman72 mi
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