The days will start to slowly get cooler in September.. Air temperatures are expected to be around 70-90°F, with water temperatures around 80-85°F. There is also a mild cold front expected around the middle of the month, so hopefully that means we won’t have that summer heat every day.
Weather & Conditions Forecast: What to Expect
Expected Air Temp: 70–90°F
Expected Water Temp: 80–85°F
Hopefully the temperatures will finally start coming down throughout September. As the water cools, the inshore fish should become more active. The shrimp will also start getting thicker, which means we’ll see more redfish feeding on shrimp and busting on them in the shallow areas.
Fish Behavior: Who’s Showing Up in the Beaufort, SC Waters?
Redfish, tarpon, sharks, tripletail, trout, and jacks should all be around. Redfish should also become more consistent as the water cools down.
There is a possibility that the redfish will start becoming more active throughout the day. It really just depends on the weather. The same goes for redfish schooling up into groups. I don’t really have an answer for that, but that’s the truth. Some days you’ll find them schooled up, and other days they’ll be more spread out.
Tarpon are another question. They could leave after the next cold front, or they could stick around for another couple of months. I’m not really sure. It really depends on how quickly we get those colder temperatures. It’s still a prime time for Bull Reds.
Fly Fishing Forecast
I’d still stick with dark colors, especially black. The water will usually be a little dirtier than it was during the clearer summer conditions, and darker flies are easier for the fish to see.
Fly size should stay around 3-5 inches, similar to the last few months. More than anything, though, a good accurate cast is going to matter. Having the right fly doesn’t help much if you can’t get it in front of the fish. Flood tide fishing should continue to be very productive in September, especially as the water starts cooling down.
Spin Fishing Forecast
Topwater should be a good option in the morning and during other low light periods. I don’t really have a favorite color for topwater, so I’d focus more on getting the lure in the right place and putting a good cast on the fish.
Once the sun gets higher, soft plastics like Z-Man baits should be a good option for redfish and others.
Bay Boat Forecast
September should be a really good month for bay boat trips. Redfish, bull reds, sharks, stingrays, and tarpon should all be options.
The biggest difference from July and August is that redfishing should become more consistent throughout the day. I’m not exactly sure why, but once September rolls around, we usually start seeing better redfish action during more parts of the day instead of having to rely as heavily on early morning or late evening. As the water continues to cool, the fishing should only get better.
August Challenge: Catch Your First Lowcountry Slam
If you haven’t caught a lowcountry slam yet, definitely consider booking the trip to make it happen! A Lowcountry Slam is when you catch 3 different species in the same day, whether you’re fly fishing or spin fishing. It could be something like a redfish, flounder, and trout. For the type of fishing we do around the area, I’d consider catching 3 out of these 5mspecies a Lowcountry Slam: tarpon, bull redfish, shark, tripletail, and cobia.
Thanks for reading the July 2026 Beaufort SC Fishing Report Forecast
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Tight Lines,
Zach Markow