Hilton Head Island & Beaufort (Port Royal Sound), South Carolina Fishing Guide

Hilton Head and Beaufort share Port Royal Sound, a deep sound with big rivers, oyster flats and miles of marsh. Inshore anglers fish redfish, trout and flounder most of the year, cobia in the sound in spring, and tarpon in summer, while nearshore reefs and the Navy towers hold sea bass, snapper, amberjack and mackerel. Cobia have their own rules in these southern waters, and the Gulf Stream is a long full-day run.

📍 Southern tip of South Carolina in Beaufort County. Port Royal Sound sits between Hilton Head Island and the Beaufort/Parris Island side, fed by the Broad and Chechessee rivers. Calibogue Sound and the May River (Bluffton) lie on Hilton Head's west side. Nearshore reefs include Hilton Head Reef, Betsy Ross Reef, Fripp Island Reef, Hunting Island Reef and Beaufort 45 Foot Reef.

📅 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)

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Quick facts

Port Royal Sound has been called the deepest natural harbor on the Atlantic coast south of New York, with nearly 30 feet of water over the bar.
SCDNR reports cobia reach Port Royal and St. Helena sounds in mid-April, peak in May and June, and are mostly gone by September.
Nearshore charters run 5 to 25 miles out to artificial reefs that include sunken subway cars and tanks; the Navy towers R7 and R8 are about 50 miles out, and the Gulf Stream is 60 to 80 miles out.
Fishing for sharks and stingrays from shore is prohibited on Hilton Head Island.
At Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, saltwater fishing is allowed year-round in the estuarine waters next to the refuge; freshwater fishing is prohibited.

What you can catch

Red drum (redfish)
Year-round on the flats and creeks; schools on low-tide flats in the Broad River and around Bluffton. New limits since July 1, 2026.
Cobia
Spring run into Port Royal Sound and the Broad River; state waters here are closed to keeping cobia in May.
Tarpon
Summer fish in the creeks and Port Royal Sound; release them.
Spotted seatrout
Best in fall and winter in creeks and marsh.
Flounder
Fall and winter peak; 16-inch minimum.
Black drum
In the island's lagoons, creeks and around structure; 14-27 inch slot.
King and Spanish mackerel
Nearshore in summer; Spanish mackerel show up in spring.
Mahi, blackfin tuna and sailfish
Gulf Stream trips, about 12 hours.

Month by month

January	Redfish, trout and flounder are the main inshore fish. No gigging red drum or trout until Feb 28. Federal shallow-water grouper closed Jan 1 - Apr 30.
February	Winter inshore fishing for redfish and trout.
March	Gigging reopens Mar 1. Nearshore reef fishing for black sea bass starts to pick up.
April	Cobia arrive in Port Royal Sound in mid-April. Spanish mackerel and bluefish show up. Amberjack closed in federal waters all April.
May	Peak cobia, but state waters south of Jeremy Inlet (including Port Royal Sound) are closed to keeping cobia all May. Federal gag season opened May 1 in 2026. Sea turtles nest May - Oct.
June	Cobia still peak. Summer nearshore: amberjack, cobia, king and Spanish mackerel.
July	New red drum limits started July 1, 2026. Tarpon move into creeks and Port Royal Sound.
August	Peak tarpon month in South Carolina. Federal gag season closed Aug 2, 2026.
September	Most cobia have left the sounds. Fall reef fishing for sea bass and snapper.
October	2026 red snapper: federal season Oct 9-11; SC permit season Oct 9-22. Redfish, trout and flounder start their fall peak.
November	Fall peak for redfish, trout and flounder.
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

Fish low tide for redfish schools on the shallow flats off Dawes Island (Broad River, below the SC 170 bridge) and Hazards Creek; Bull Creek near Bluffton fishes on both tides.
Cobia in Port Royal Sound: 1 per person and 3 per boat, 36-inch fork length minimum, and none kept in May. Release extra fish quickly.
Don't target sharks or stingrays from the beach, don't fish in marked swimming areas, and keep lines and bait away from turtle nests (May - Oct).
Get the free SCDNR red snapper permit and report your trip in the VESL app before keeping a red snapper; carry a descending device.
SCDNR posts the South Coast reef locations (Hunting Island to Daufuskie, documents PA-38 to PA-49) on its artificial reef page.

Rules and license

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR); NOAA Fisheries / South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Pinckney Island NWR); Town of Hilton Head Island · 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 are exempt.
Cobia in state waters south of 32 31.0' N (Jeremy Inlet, Edisto), which includes Port Royal Sound: closed May 1-31; 1 per person, 3 per boat; 36-inch fork length minimum; rod and reel or gig only.
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.
Spotted seatrout 10 per person, 14-inch minimum. Flounder 5 per person, 10 per boat, 16-inch minimum. Black drum 5 per person, 14-27 inches. Tarpon 1 per day, 77-inch fork length minimum.
Red snapper 2026: federal season Oct 9-11, 1 per person. SC permit holders: Oct 9-22, 1 per person, 20-inch minimum, free SCDNR permit and trip reporting required.
Hilton Head, Betsy Ross, Fripp Island, Hunting Island and Beaufort 45 Foot reefs are federal special management zones: handline, rod and reel, and spears only.
No shark or stingray fishing from shore on Hilton Head Island; no fishing in designated swimming areas.
Pinckney Island NWR: saltwater fishing allowed in adjacent estuarine waters; freshwater fishing prohibited.

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

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 18 boat ramps and 11 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

C.C. Haigh, Jr. Boat Landing
Dataw Island Marina
Freeport Marina
Fripp Island Marina
Harbour Town Marina
Hilton Head Harbor Marina
Ladys Island Marina
Moreland Landing
Palmetto Bay Marina
Russ Point Boat Landing
Safe Harbor Beaufort
Safe Harbor Port Royal Landing
South Beach Marina
Wexford Harbour

Sources

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