Savannah River in Augusta

[Spinnerbait]

Can anyone advise me on safe levels to fish the savannah in Augusta? The gauge is rising and falling daily but flows are consistently staying above 11, 12,000 cfs. That seems like a lot of water as you would expect following last weeks rain. I fished it last year about this time and I want to go back just trying to decide if I should give it a week or two.

 

[oldfella1962]

Can anyone advise me on safe levels to fish the savannah in Augusta? The gauge is rising and falling daily but flows are consistently staying above 11, 12,000 cfs. That seems like a lot of water as you would expect following last weeks rain. I fished it last year about this time and I want to go back just trying to decide if I should give it a week or two.

SAVANNAH RIVER AT AUGUSTA, GA - USGS Water Data for the Nation


USGS Current Conditions for USGS 02197000 SAVANNAH RIVER AT AUGUSTA, GA

an older thread here in GOF from 2014 talks about a flow rate of 6,000 and a gauge level of 100 feet is the best.

 

[Artfuldodger]

What area is best for fishing between the upper and lower lock and dams? I saw some people returning in a kayak at the Savannah Rapids Pavillion below the upper lock and dam. I guess they were out there in the rock shoals area. They had some fish though.

 

[oldfella1962]

I go to the pavillion area now and then, mostly to walk the towpath. I wonder how they get the kayaks down to (and then back up from) the river. It seems like steep & rough climb.

 

[Artfuldodger]

I go to the pavillion area now and then, mostly to walk the towpath. I wonder how they get the kayaks down to (and then back up from) the river. It seems like steep & rough climb.

If you park in the lower parking lot by the bridge over the canal, there is steps down to a dock in the river. It did look like a bit of a struggle for them to carry their kayak up those stairs, across the canal bridge, and uphill to the parking lot.

 

[chriswkbrd]

I can confirm that it is a struggle, especially on my first trip when I brought my 85+lb Old Town Predator. I had no idea about the steps. I'm pretty sure I was close to having a heat stroke trying to get it back to the upper parking lot. I now bring my wife's pink & purple 10ft Vibe, and park near the bridge, lol. But, I can fish all day and still make it up the stairs.
Btw, watch out for gators... I wasn't aware of them either until I was headed in on said trip.

 

[huntfish]

The smallmouth fishing is awesome up in those rocks.

 

[weagle]

I've never fished it, but the canal looks like a good place to fish from a Kayak.

 

[oldfella1962]

The smallmouth fishing is awesome up in those rocks.

now that the current has slowed to a reasonable level, if it stays that way I'll fish the rocks this weekend in chest waders. True it will be under windy cold front conditions, but considering smallmouth like cold water I just don't see that being a deal breaker like it is for largemouth. I'm not a smallmouth expert nor river fishing expert so I might be way off in my thinking, but I'm still looking to expand my fishing experiences.

 

[Alex from GA]

I've been there a couple of time and we floated from the Pavillion to a boat ramp on the S Carolina side. The last mile or so is flat water. We caught smallmouth, LM and Bartrams bass for our bass slams. Great place to fish. The smallmouth in my picture was caught there.