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Santee River Fishing Report

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

Below the lakes: the Santee River runs stripers, catfish and shad through the South Carolina lowcountry.

3/5
Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.
Water temp
~84 F est.
Air / High
91 / 91 F
Wind
SSE 6 mph

Sources: 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.

3/5Fair. Fish early or late.Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Santee River stays in its summer rhythm: early magic, midday siesta, evening reprieve. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SSE around 6 mph, rising pressure near 1015 hPa and a high of 91. 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 96 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.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~84 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp91 F
High / Low91 / 72 F
WindSSE 6-7 mph
Pressure1014.5 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain35% cloud, 5%
Sunrise / Sunset06:55 / 19:41
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 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 91/72 F, wind 7 mph, rain 5%

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

Species guide

The species that matter on Santee 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 Santee 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 Santee 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 early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 94 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows. Striped bass led the card at good. High of 93 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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, with saltwater rules in the lower reaches. Striper, catfish and shad limits per current SCDNR regulations.

Access

Public ramps from below the dams toward the coast; Santee Coastal Reserve and Francis Marion National Forest access.

About this water

A 143-mile river from the Santee Cooper lakes to the Atlantic, Berkeley, Williamsburg and Georgetown counties, South Carolina.

Fishing Santee River: the full guide

A river below the reservoirs

The Santee River flows about 143 miles from the Santee Cooper lakes to the Atlantic through the South Carolina lowcountry, a broad blackwater river through swamp and rice-field country. Below the dams it holds striped bass, blue and flathead catfish, American shad in spring, largemouth bass in the backwaters and, in the lower reaches, redfish where salt pushes in.

Stripers and shad

Striped bass hold the deeper bends and the tailrace areas below the dams, taking live bait, swimbaits and plugs, with the cooler months best. American shad run the river in late winter and spring, providing fast light-tackle fishing on darts and small spoons: an old lowcountry tradition that few visitors know about.

Catfish and the swamp

Blue and flathead catfish grow very large in the Santee system, which is famous for them: cut and live bait fished on the channel edges and deep bends produces fish that can exceed fifty pounds. The swamps and backwaters off the main river hold largemouth bass, bream and crappie in classic blackwater cover.

Lowcountry logistics

Ramps serve the river at several points from the dams down toward the coast, with the Santee Coastal Reserve and Francis Marion National Forest protecting extensive land along the corridor. Navigation demands care: deadfalls, shifting sandbars and swamp channels. Georgetown and Moncks Corner frame the region.

Common questions

How big do the catfish get?

Very: the Santee system is famous for blue and flathead catfish, with fish exceeding fifty pounds taken regularly.

When is the shad run?

Late winter into spring: fast light-tackle fishing on darts and small spoons, an old lowcountry tradition.

Is navigation tricky?

Yes: deadfalls, shifting sandbars and swamp channels demand care and local knowledge.

Is fishing good at Santee River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish early or late. Heat pins the bite to the dawn and dusk windows.

Nearby waters

Lake Moultrie12 miLake Marion32 miCharleston39 miMurrells Inlet49 miMyrtle Beach60 miSaluda River84 mi
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