Fishing in Hilton Head, SC

Hilton Head fishing is shaped by two big sounds and a lot of marsh. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, sits between Port Royal Sound to the north and Calibogue Sound to the south, with Broad Creek and Skull Creek cutting in behind it, so there is protected water to fish in almost any wind. Fishing on Hilton Head Island runs on the tide, which can rise and fall 6 to 8 feet: the fish move with it, and so should you.

What You Can Catch, Season by Season

• Spring (March to May): redfish, trout, black drum and sheepshead in the creeks, then cobia arriving in the sounds in late April and May, one of the island’s big events for anglers.

• Summer (June to August): tarpon of 75 pounds and more in the sounds and creeks, jack crevalle, sharks, tripletail, and redfish tailing on the flooded marsh at high tide.

• Fall (September and October): the best months of the year for many locals. Bull redfish of 15 to 30 pounds school up, trout fatten, and the crowds thin out.

• Winter (November to February): redfish and trout in clear, low water, and sheepshead around docks and pilings. Offshore, bull reds sit on the nearshore reefs.

Inshore Fishing: Redfish, Trout and Flounder

Inshore fishing, in the creeks, sounds and marsh around Hilton Head, is where most visitors start, and it fishes well all year. Redfish are the headline catch all year, with spotted seatrout, flounder and black drum alongside them. Calibogue Sound, Broad Creek, Skull Creek and the oyster banks along Port Royal Sound all hold fish; the trick is being on the right bank at the right stage of the tide. Live shrimp, mud minnows and finger mullet are the local baits. A half-day inshore charter is the easiest way to learn the water, and our charter guide shows which boats run inshore trips.

Hilton Head Deep Sea Fishing

Deep sea trips from Hilton Head run from the artificial reefs a few miles out to the Gulf Stream, 60 miles and more offshore. Our deep sea fishing guide covers how far each trip runs, what bites by season and which captains go offshore. The charter guide lists every boat by dock, and shark trips have their own shark fishing page, because shark fishing from the beach is banned.

Surf Fishing on Hilton Head Island

Surf fishing at Hilton Head Island is mostly for whiting, with bluefish and rays in the mix and the occasional redfish near the inlets. The ends of the island fish better than the middle: the sound side at Fish Haul Beach Park on the north end, and the inlet by Burkes Beach. Fish the moving water around low tide, with shrimp or cut bait on a two-hook bottom rig and a pyramid sinker heavy enough to hold.

Beach fishing on Hilton Head has two rules worth knowing. From April through September, fishing and surfcasting are not allowed in the designated swim areas between sunrise and sunset, and shark fishing is banned on the beach and in the water off it all year.

Kayak Fishing and Fly Fishing on Hilton Head Island

The marsh creeks are made for a kayak: quiet water, no wake, and redfish in a foot of water that a boat could never reach. Go on a rising tide so you are not stranded on a mudflat, and go with a guide the first time; the current in the bigger creeks is stronger than it looks. The same flooded marsh is Hilton Head’s fly fishing draw. On the biggest high tides of summer and fall, redfish push into the grass to feed with their tails out of the water, and a fly rod is the best tool there is for them. Southern Drawl Outfitters, just off the island at Moss Creek, is the fly shop.

Fishing Licenses, Bait and Tackle, and Fishing Reports

Anyone 16 or older needs a South Carolina saltwater fishing license to fish from the shore, a free public pier or a dock, and you can buy one online from SCDNR in a few minutes. On a licensed charter boat, the captain’s license covers you.

For bait and tackle on Hilton Head, Blue Water Tackle Shop at South Beach Marina in Sea Pines has sold bait, tackle and crabbing gear since 1979 and runs its own charter boats. Southern Drawl Outfitters, on US 278 at Moss Creek Village, carries live bait such as mud minnows, fiddler crabs and finger mullet as well as fly gear. Either counter will tell you what is biting this week, which is the most current HHI fishing report there is.

Best Fishing Spots on Hilton Head

• Calibogue Sound and Broad Creek: the inshore heart of the island, by boat or kayak.

• Skull Creek and Mackay Creek: deep, fast water, fished from the free Charles C. Haigh Jr. Fishing Pier.

• Port Royal Sound: surf and inlet fishing from Fish Haul Beach Park.

• The Palmetto Dunes lagoons: an 11-mile saltwater lagoon system with redfish and trout. Hilton Head Outfitters in Palmetto Dunes rents kayaks and fishing poles.

• Jarvis Creek Park: a stocked freshwater lagoon with a floating pier, catch and release, for young children.