Saluda River Tailwater South Carolina Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Brown Trout (Stocked with some
holdovers)
Rainbow Trout (Stocked with some
holdovers)
Size
Medium
Location
Central South Carolina
Nearest Towns
Columbia
Season
Year-round
Access:
Limited
Non-Resident License
State of South Carolina
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
The trout season is open year-round.
Spring:
Spring is the best season to fish the Saluda River tailwater.
Summer:
The water can get a warm during the hot Summer but it stays cool enough for some trout to survive in the uppermost section near the dam.
Fall:
Autumn is a good time to fish the river for the holdover browns. .
Winter:
Fishing during the winter can be good on warm days.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing the Saluda River Tailwater in South Carolina
The Lower Saluda River is about the last place you would think of fly fishing for trout in the state of South Carolina. It’s over a hundred miles to the mountains. Lake Murray makes this possible. The lake is deep enough that the Saluda River tailwater stays cold enough to support trout and the state stocks both rainbows and brown trout there. That said, fly fishing the Saluda River tailwater can be challenging for a number of reasons.
The trout are mostly put and take but it’s also a put and grow fishery. Young adult brown trout are stocked by helicopter each Fall so they can grow and get used to their new environment and the natural food the river provides when the water is at its coldest time of the year. Rainbows of catchable sizes are stocked monthly, November through April. Although the water gets marginal during the late Summer and early Fall, and even though the stripes eat their share of the trout, some make it as holdovers to grow larger.
This is a big dam with five generators and the flows vary greatly depending on the need for power. The water levels can vary up to ten feet and the currents are dangerous on high water. A great amount of caution should be used when wading the stream. The water rises rapidly when the generators are cut on. Water flow information is available by calling 800 – 830 – 5253.
Fly fishing the Saluda River tailwater isn’t exactly easy. If the water isn’t low you need to fish from a drift boat from various put in and take out points. When it is low you much fish from public access points or obtain permission from land owners along the river. The upper section has access at Hope Ferry Landing and Saluda Shoals Regional Park. There’s also boat access at the state Gardedndale launch behind the zoo.
The river is full of trout after the last April stocking. It’s probably the best month to fish but trout can be taken year-round. The trout are commonly caught during the winter months on midge imitations. The brown trout are much more selective in what they eat than the rainbows.