ALERT
NWS · Special Weather Statement issued September 21 at 10:38PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC

SC September fishing outlook: coast heats up, lakes turn

Juvenile red drum from Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery, SC. Photo: Gena Lyons/USFWS.

September marks the swing month for South Carolina anglers, when the water begins to cool from its late-summer peak, bait clouds concentrate in the creeks and lakes, and predator species from redfish on the coast to striped bass in the Piedmont start their fall feed. SCDNR’s saltwater and freshwater fishing trends for the month, compiled […]

SC shrimp baiting season opens with 60-day window

White shrimp, Litopenaeus setiferus. Photo: NOAA/public domain.

South Carolina’s recreational shrimp baiting season opened at noon Friday, Sept. 11, giving licensed shrimpers along the entire coast — from Beaufort County waters up to the Grand Strand — a 60-day window to work the tidal creeks and estuaries where fall white shrimp are staging before their run to the ocean. The opener date […]

NJ Sea Birds Win Atlantic Fishing Championship

New Jersey Sea Birds Win Atlantic Division Fishing Championship

The New Jersey Sea Birds secured the Atlantic Division Championship on August 24, 2026, capping a weekend that saw them overcome a significant deficit on the final day. The team entered Championship Sunday trailing Lights Out Boston by 275 points but erased that gap within 23 minutes of lines in. The Sea Birds faced challenges […]

Lights Out Boston Leads Atlantic After Grand Slam

Lights Out Boston Leads Atlantic Division Championship After Grand Slam

Lights Out Boston secured a significant lead in the Atlantic Division Championship on Sunday, August 23, 2026, by completing a billfish grand slam. This achievement pushed them to 1,025 points, establishing a 275-point advantage heading into Championship Sunday. The second day of the Atlantic Division Championship weekend in Ocean City saw intense competition. North Carolina […]

Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Heats Up for Catfish, Bream

Santee Cooper Lakes Fishing Heats Up for Catfish, Bream

A public comment period for a proposed red snapper season, which could impact South Carolina anglers, is set to close on August 25. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries is currently accepting feedback on the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Exempted Fishing Permit proposal. If approved, this permit would allow South Carolina to […]