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Saluda River Fishing Report

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

A cold tailwater in the capital: the Saluda runs trout below Lake Murray through Columbia.

2/5

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

Flow

799 cfs

Air / High

96 / 96 F

Wind

SE 3 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 02169000, 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.

Saluda River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 799 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind SE around 3 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 96. Water sits around 54 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: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 101 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 Saluda River near Columbia.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 02169000.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp96 F

High / Low96 / 74 F

WindSE 3-5 mph

Pressure1013.6 hPa, rising

Sky / Rain2% cloud, 0%

Sunrise / Sunset07:00 / 19:46

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

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

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 96/74 F, wind 6 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 Saluda River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Saluda 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

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

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 Saluda River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 97 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 6 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 7 mph.

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. Trout regulations apply on the lower Saluda tailwater: check current SCDNR rules and Lake Murray generation schedules.

Access

Saluda Shoals Park, Gardendale and I-20 access, and the Columbia Riverwalk; public landings above the lake.

About this water

A 200-mile river to the Broad at Columbia, with a cold tailwater below Lake Murray, South Carolina.

Fishing Saluda River: the full guide

Trout in South Carolina

The Saluda River flows about 200 miles across South Carolina to join the Broad at Columbia, and the reach below the Lake Murray dam is one of the southernmost trout fisheries in the eastern United States. Cold water drawn from deep in the reservoir keeps the lower Saluda in the fifties year-round, supporting stocked and holdover brown and rainbow trout inside a metropolitan area.

The lower Saluda tailwater

The tailwater runs about ten miles from the dam to the confluence, with shoals, ledges and deep runs. Trout are taken on nymphs, streamers and small dries, with striped bass also holding the cold water in summer when they are pushed out of warmer river reaches. Generation raises the river fast: know the schedule and the horns.

Above the lake

Upstream of Lake Murray the Saluda runs a warm Piedmont river holding largemouth, redeye and smallmouth bass, catfish and bream, floated by kayak from public landings. It is an entirely different fishery from the tailwater, and worth knowing as an alternative when generation shuts the lower river down.

Columbia logistics

Access to the tailwater is via Saluda Shoals Park, the Gardendale and I-20 access points, and the Riverwalk at the confluence, with kayak floats common. Columbia surrounds it with every service. Whitewater paddlers use the shoals on generation: coordinate rather than compete, and check flows before wading.

Common questions

Trout in South Carolina?

Yes: deep cold releases from Lake Murray keep the lower Saluda in the fifties year-round, supporting trout.

How do I check generation?

The dam operator publishes schedules: check before every trip, since the river rises quickly.

Are there stripers?

Yes: striped bass hold the cold tailwater in summer when warmer river reaches push them out.

Is fishing good at Saluda 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 Murray18 mi Lake Wateree35 mi Broad River45 mi Lake Marion55 mi Lake Greenwood56 mi Thurmond Lake68 mi

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