Charleston, South Carolina Fishing Guide

Charleston has a big harbor, miles of salt marsh and creeks, nearshore artificial reefs, and a long run to the Gulf Stream. Inshore boats fish for redfish, trout, flounder and sheepshead year-round, with tarpon in late summer, while offshore boats troll for mahi, wahoo and blackfin tuna and bottom fish the ledges. Federal MPAs, spawning zones and reef rules apply offshore, and several bird islands close in nesting season.

📍 Charleston, South Carolina. Boats run out of Charleston Harbor between the jetties off Sullivan's Island and Morris Island. Inshore anglers fish the harbor, the creeks and marsh, and Bulls Bay and Cape Romain to the north. Nearshore artificial reefs sit off Charleston, Folly, Kiawah and Edisto, and the Gulf Stream and the Charleston Bump lie well offshore to the southeast.

📅 South Carolina Fishing Calendar — best months, closed seasons, bait & rigs →

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Georgia & South Carolina map →

Quick facts

The Charleston Harbor jetties, one from Sullivan's Island and one from Morris Island, were built from December 1878 to summer 1895 to keep a deep ship channel open.
The Charleston Bump is a deep rocky rise 80 to 100 miles southeast of Charleston. It pushes the Gulf Stream offshore and stirs up eddies where marlin, sailfish, tuna and mahi gather (NOAA).
NOAA says the Charleston Bump is the only known spawning ground for wreckfish in the western North Atlantic.
Two federal deepwater marine protected areas lie southeast of the harbor: the Edisto MPA (about 10 x 5 nautical miles) and the Charleston Deep Artificial Reef MPA (about 7 x 5 nautical miles).
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, north of Charleston, is open to fishing in its bays, creeks and beaches under state rules; its Marsh Island and White Banks are closed Feb 15 - Sep 15 for nesting birds.

What you can catch

Red drum (redfish)
Main inshore fish. Tail on flooded grass flats on big tides; big bull reds in the harbor in summer. New, tighter limits since July 1, 2026.
Spotted seatrout
Inshore staple in creeks and marsh; easier to sight-cast in clear winter water.
Flounder
Inshore staple; 16-inch minimum and 5 per person in South Carolina.
Sheepshead
Around jetties, docks and pilings; 14-inch minimum.
Tarpon
Late summer around the jetties, Bulls Bay, inlets and barrier-island sandbars; August is the peak.
Black sea bass and reef fish
Bottom fishing on nearshore reefs and offshore ledges and rock piles 40 to 50 miles out.
Mahi, wahoo and blackfin tuna
Gulf Stream trolling targets; sailfish are mixed in.
Red snapper
Offshore bottom fish with a very short, tightly managed season. In 2026 it opened Oct 9.

Month by month

January	Redfish school up in clear, cold creeks but are slow to bite. No gigging red drum or trout until Feb 28. Federal shallow-water grouper closed Jan 1 - Apr 30.
February	Winter inshore fishing. Cape Romain's Marsh Island and White Banks close Feb 15 for nesting birds.
March	Gigging reopens Mar 1. Crab Bank, Deveaux Bank and Bird Key Stono close to the public Mar 15 for nesting birds.
April	Greater amberjack closed in federal waters Apr 1-30. Federal grouper closures (except red grouper) end Apr 30.
May	Federal gag season opened May 1 in 2026. Cobia closed all May in state waters south of Jeremy Inlet (Edisto).
June	Redfish start working flooded grass flats on big tides. Summer is the time for big bull reds in the harbor.
July	New red drum limits started July 1, 2026. Tarpon pick up as water nears 80 degrees.
August	Peak tarpon month. Federal gag season closed Aug 2, 2026.
September	Tarpon until the fall mullet run. Cape Romain bird-island closure ends Sep 15.
October	2026 red snapper: federal season Oct 9-11; SC permit season Oct 9-22. Bird sanctuaries reopen Oct 15. Tarpon fade by mid-October.
November	Inshore redfish, trout and flounder. Offshore trips when the weather allows.
December	No gigging red drum or trout from Dec 1. A second red snapper season in December 2026 is possible only if NOAA and the state announce one.

Tips

For tailing redfish, guides say a 6.0-foot tide at the Charleston Harbor gauge is ideal (5.8 is nearly as good); be on the flat 1 to 2 hours before high tide and use small weedless lures or flies.
To keep a red snapper off South Carolina in 2026, every angler aboard needs SCDNR's free red snapper permit and must report the trip in the VESL app.
Carry a descending device; fish with barotrauma (swollen from deep water) must be released with one.
Stay off Crab Bank, Deveaux Bank and Bird Key Stono from Mar 15 to Oct 15; Tomkins Island is closed all year.
Tarpon: menhaden is the usual bait; use circle hooks and release the fish in the water.

Rules and license

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR); NOAA Fisheries / South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Cape Romain NWR) · Official rules page ↗

SC saltwater license needed for anglers 16 and older; one license covers state and federal waters. Anglers on a hired charter boat or a licensed public fishing pier are exempt.
Red drum (since July 1, 2026): 1 per person, 2 per boat, 18-25 inches; non-stainless, non-offset circle hooks with natural bait on hooks 4/0 or larger. No red drum from federal waters.
Spotted seatrout 10 per person, 14-inch minimum. Flounder 5 per person, 10 per boat, 16-inch minimum. Sheepshead 10 per person, 30 per boat, 14-inch minimum. Black drum 5 per person, 14-27 inches.
Red snapper 2026: federal season Oct 9-11, 1 per person, no minimum size. SC permit holders: Oct 9-22, 1 per person, 20-inch minimum, free SCDNR permit and trip reporting required.
Edisto MPA and Charleston Deep Artificial Reef MPA: no fishing for or keeping snapper-grouper; trolling for tuna, mahi, mackerel and billfish is allowed.
Spawning special management zones Area 51 and Area 53 off Charleston: no snapper-grouper fishing year-round.
Offshore artificial reefs are federal special management zones: handline, rod and reel, and spears only (no powerheads).
Closed areas: Bulls Island impoundments (Cape Romain NWR) closed to fishing; Crab Bank, Deveaux Bank and Bird Key Stono closed Mar 15 - Oct 15.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 47 boat ramps and 9 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

75 ton Tavelift
Ashley Marina
Boat ramp near Breach Inlet
Boat ramp near Jeanette Creek
Boat ramp near Sewee Bay
Boat ramp near The Cove
Carolina Yacht Club
Charleston Harbor Marina
Charleston Maritime Center
Cooper River Marina
Dolphin Cove Marina
Hobcaw Creek Community Docks
Madere's Landing
Remley's Point Boat Landing
Safe Harbor Bristol
Safe Harbor Marina
Station 26 Boat Landing
Sweetwater Charleston Boat Slipway
Wappoo Cut Public Boat Ramp

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.