Fly fishing report · Southeast

Broad River

A Broad River report for anglers planning the South Carolina scenic segment below Ninety-Nine Islands Dam, reading shoal-heavy flow, and choosing safe public access for a bass-first day.

Check flow & weather

Today's river scoreHigh source confidence

Good

Best option: Bank / edge.

Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.

Updated Jul 13, 11:17 PM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes

Recommended approachBank / edge

Mode scores adjust the river-wide score for the risks of wading, bank fishing, or floating.

Wade72/100

Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.

Bank / edge · Best fit77/100

Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.

Float74/100

A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.

Confirm before you leave

Flow and weather right now.

Use the flow trend to confirm the score before you leave. Weather can change the safest and most productive fishing window.

River strategy

Fish the Broad as a public shoal corridor with real current and limited bank exits, not as a casual roadside creek.

The safest publishable Broad River plan is the South Carolina scenic segment below Ninety-Nine Islands Dam. Start with RiverReports and USGS 02153200, launch only from the named SCDNR access points, and let current, release signals, and your comfort in rocky shoals decide whether the day is a short bank session or a committed float.

SCDNR designates the 15-mile reach from Ninety-Nine Islands Dam to the Pacolet River confluence as the Broad Scenic River and lists multiple public access points inside that corridor.
The upstream Ninety-Nine Islands tailrace access includes a boat ramp, parking, a bank-fishing trail, and a canoe portage trail around the dam, which makes it the clearest starting point for a fly angler who wants legal public water without guessing.
SCDNR notes about eight river miles from the Ninety-Nine Islands accesses to Dalton's Landing, which is a meaningful float commitment rather than a quick hop between easy bank pull-offs.
South Carolina's smallmouth-bass profile specifically lists the Broad River in the species' range and describes smallmouth as stream fish that hold to clear, cool pool sections and nearby structure.

Why this score moved

Short-term weatherUse caution

The forecast has storm or heavy-precipitation risk, so timing and access matter more than the score alone.

FlowHelps score

USGS shows 900 cfs with a rising about 56% over about 6 hours trend. same-date USGS history (1998-2025, 28 readings) puts the normal middle range around 665 cfs-1,590 cfs. Flow is inside the same-date normal range, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.

SeasonHelps score

Early summer: Often the best blend of active warmwater fish, manageable daylight, and enough current for streamer or topwater planning.

WeatherHelps score

The NWS forecast is about 74F with Showers And Thunderstorms Likely.

Public alertsHelps score

No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.

Read the water

What changes the plan.

The Broad is strongest for fly anglers when flows are stable enough to read current tongues around the shoals and low enough that your take-out plan still feels simple. Rising water, release noise near the dam, or muddy current should push you toward a short bank session at the tailrace or a full skip.

Stable moderate flow

Best for reading shoals, floating between public launches, and stripping streamers through defined current lanes.

Low clear water

Good for careful wading and lighter flies, but stay honest about exposed rock, spooky fish, and longer walks between productive lies.

Rising or release-influenced water

Treat as a major caution near the dam and anywhere current starts filling the shoals; shorten the session or move off the water.

High stained current

Best skipped unless you are already committed to a safe float plan with the right boat control and local familiarity.

Field plan

Fish it with intention.

Best flows

Use the Blacksburg trend with water color and shoal safety. Stable or slowly falling water is the cleanest warmwater signal.

When to skip

Skip when the river is rising, muddy, pushy over shoals, too hot, release-affected, or the put-in/takeout plan is not confirmed.

Local plan

Start with the Blacksburg gauge, then choose Ninety-Nine Islands or a planned landing before picking flies.

Backup water

Compare Lower Saluda River, North Saluda River, or Catawba options when the Broad is high, muddy, hot, or shuttle-limited.

Hatches & flies

Bring a flexible box.

TimingWhat to watchUseful flies

March-MayCrayfish movement, baitfish, and mixed spring insectsCrawfish patterns, olive streamers, black bugger, small popper

Reviewed family · report says “Crawfish patterns”Crayfish and Crawfish PatternsCrayfish patterns differ in claw size, eye placement, shell profile, leg motion, weighting, hook orientation, and snag resistance. Rust, brown, olive, tan, and pale molting colors remain labeled choices rather than aliases for one recipe.See family guide

Reviewed family · report says “olive streamers”Trout Streamer PatternsStreamer is a method-and-silhouette family, not a recipe. Size, color, weight, and presentation phrases stay visible, while baitfish, leech, sculpin, Woolly Bugger, and articulated identities link to their more specific destinations when known.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

June-AugustTerrestrials, minnows, and topwater warmwater feedingPoppers, sliders, baitfish streamers, foam bugs

Reviewed family · report says “Poppers”Bass and Panfish Popper PatternsPoppers may use cupped foam, cork, balsa, deer hair, or pencil-shaped heads. Head face, size, buoyancy, tail, legs, and weed guard determine sound and action; a generic popper label does not identify one fly.See family guide

Reviewed family · report says “sliders”Warmwater Slider and Diver PatternsA slider has a tapered, flat, or softly shaped head that glides or pushes a small wake with limited noise. A diver has an angled, collared, folded, or otherwise shaped head that pulls below the surface when stripped and rises on the pause. Frog, baitfish, and large-insect profiles can be tied on either idea, so the exact head action, buoyancy, hook orientation, weed guard, and material must stay named.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

September-OctoberBaitfish and crawfish feeding windowsClouser, crawdad fly, leech streamer, bugger

Reviewed pattern · report says “Clouser”Clouser Deep MinnowThe reviewed chartreuse-and-white form uses sparse layered bucktail with flash around lead barbell eyes. The eyes make the fly sink between strips and ride hook point up; color, eye weight, hook, and saltwater materials must remain labeled.See photos & how to fish it

Reviewed family · report says “crawdad fly”Crayfish and Crawfish PatternsCrayfish patterns differ in claw size, eye placement, shell profile, leg motion, weighting, hook orientation, and snag resistance. Rust, brown, olive, tan, and pale molting colors remain labeled choices rather than aliases for one recipe.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Late fall-winterSparse insect activity and slower forage-driven feedingSmall jig streamer, leech, bugger, sink-tip baitfish pattern

Reviewed family · report says “Small jig streamer”Trout Streamer PatternsStreamer is a method-and-silhouette family, not a recipe. Size, color, weight, and presentation phrases stay visible, while baitfish, leech, sculpin, Woolly Bugger, and articulated identities link to their more specific destinations when known.See family guide

Reviewed family · report says “leech”Leech PatternsLeech patterns share an elongated moving silhouette, but material, weighting, hook orientation, and retrieve vary. Pine-squirrel, rabbit-strip, balanced, and Woolly Bugger forms remain separately labeled rather than being presented as one recipe.See family guide + 2 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box

Pick one public access corridor and fish it deliberately instead of trying to sample every shoal in a single day.

At the tailrace, work the first soft current off the main push before you start bombing long casts across the whole river.

On float days, stop where the shoal feeds into a darker pool or a bank eddy rather than wasting time on uniform fast water.

If the rocks start getting slick enough that landing a fish feels secondary to staying upright, back out and change the plan.

Access & responsibility

Know the entry. Know the exit.

Check current South Carolina freshwater game-fish regulations, license requirements, and any posted access or release warnings before fishing the Broad Scenic River corridor.

Ninety-Nine Islands Tailrace Fishing Area and Boat Ramp

The clearest bank-and-boat starting point, with a boat ramp, parking, bank-fishing trail, and canoe portage around the dam.

99 Islands Boat Ramp

A downstream public landing on the opposite bank that works better for launch-and-float planning than for roaming bank access.

Dalton's Landing

The main downstream public take-out for the scenic segment and the key checkpoint for deciding whether your float distance is realistic.

Transparent sources

Check the facts behind the plan.

Last material review: 2026-06-02

flowRiverReports: Broad River near Blacksburg flowUSGS Broad River near Blacksburg, SC 02153200 accessSCDNR Broad Scenic River backgroundSCDNR Smallmouth Bass species profile regulationSouth Carolina freshwater game fishing regulations accessSouth Carolina Public Fishing Access safetyNational Weather Service forecast point near Blacksburg

Common questions

Before you leave.

Where should I start on the Broad River in South Carolina?+

The clearest public start is the Ninety-Nine Islands tailrace access because SCDNR specifically lists the boat ramp, bank-fishing trail, and canoe portage there.

What flow should I watch for Broad River trips?+

Use RiverReports for the live chart and keep USGS site 02153200 near Blacksburg open as the official flow backstop before committing to either wading or floating.

Is this a wade river or a float river?+

It can be both, but the safest default is a short tailrace bank-and-edge session or a clearly planned float between public ramps. It is not a good river for improvising exits once you are committed.