Shark Fishing on Hilton Head Island
Shark fishing on Hilton Head Island is a charter-boat trip. The beach is closed to it, and the captains work the sounds and nearshore waters in the warmer months.
Today's Tides
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Some captains sell these as shark tours, but they are all the same trip: a few hours on a charter boat with the gear provided. Booking opens here, in each captain’s own booking system.
Booked through FareHarbor, the island operators’ own booking system. HHI.com may earn a commission.
Shark Species and Seasons
From late spring through early fall the sounds and nearshore channels hold sharks, and the peak runs from late spring through summer. Each species below carries its South Carolina rule.
Blacktip
54 inches to keep
Fast, with aerial spins when hooked. One of the sharks the Hilton Head captains name first, and in the water from late spring through early fall.
Bonnethead
Keepable: 1 per person
A small member of the hammerhead family. The bonnethead and the Atlantic sharpnose are the two sharks South Carolina lets each angler keep, one a day.
Lemon and spinner
54 inches to keep
Both turn up in the sounds and nearshore waters in the warm months and fall under the same 54-inch fork-length minimum as blacktip.
Bull
54 inches to keep
A heavy, powerful shark that charter guides name alongside blacktip in Hilton Head waters. Warm-month fishing, with the peak from late spring through summer.
Hammerhead
78 inches to keep
South Carolina sets the longest minimum, 78 inches, on hammerheads, so almost every one is released.
Sandbar, dusky, mako, sand tiger
Release at once
These sharks are prohibited in South Carolina. If one takes the bait, the captain unhooks it and lets it go.
Why Shark Fishing Here Means a Boat
The Town of Hilton Head Island bans baiting or fishing for shark from the beach, and the ban reaches 400 yards out from the water’s edge along the beach (Sec. 8-1-211(11) of the Town code). That is why a shark trip means a boat, a captain who knows where the fish feed and tackle that is already set up. The rest of the beach rules are on the Hilton Head beach rules page.
Fishing for sharks is not a sign of more sharks near swimmers, and most trips are catch-and-release. If the question is what the sharks do around the beaches, the shark safety page has the record.
South Carolina Shark Rules
Hooks and tackle: non-offset, non-stainless-steel circle hooks, on rod and reel or handline, unless you are using flies or artificial lures.
Daily limit: 1 Atlantic sharpnose or bonnethead per person. For the larger sharks, 1 shark per boat.
Size: 54 inches (fork length) for blacktip, spinner, lemon, bull, tiger and the other large sharks, and 78 inches for hammerheads.
Protected: sandbar, dusky, mako, sand tiger and several other sharks must be released at once.
Federal waters: a federal Highly Migratory Species permit with a shark endorsement is required past state waters.
Fishing license: anyone aboard a hired charter boat can fish without a personal South Carolina saltwater license. If you fish from shore or a dock you need one at age 16 and over.
The size and bag rules come from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and can change, so check the SCDNR website or ask your captain before the trip.
Captains Who Run Shark Trips
These captains list shark trips among their charters. The full charter guide has every dock and boat.
Hilton Head Sport Fishing at Shelter Cove Marina: private inshore and offshore charters on four boats, 3 to 10 hours, from Dock B since 1989.
Gone Fishing HHI sells inshore, nearshore, private offshore and shark fishing charters on Hilton Head Island, with live dates to book online.
Bulldog Fishing Charters Hilton Head: Captain Christiaan's 3- to 9-hour shark, cobia and offshore trips from the Hudson Road docks on Skull Creek.
Black and Blue Charters fishes nearshore, offshore and for sharks from a 30-foot Blackfin out of Skull Creek. Meet Captain Stratton and book online.
Out of the Blue Fishing Charters runs inshore, nearshore, offshore and shark trips from Squire Pope Road on Skull Creek. Meet Captain Drew and book.
Captain Hook at Shelter Cove Harbour: a 70-foot party fishing boat with 5.5-hour offshore trips, inshore shark fishing and a Tuesday fireworks trip.
More on Fishing and the Beach
Book charter fishing on Hilton Head Island: inshore, offshore and shark trips, with every captain listed by dock at the island's four marinas.
Every rule on Hilton Head's public beaches, from the Town ordinance: alcohol, glass, dogs, holes, tents, fires, lifeguard flags and sea turtle lighting.
Sharks off Hilton Head: the species in the surf, when they are around, the bites reported at Sea Pines and Coligny, and how to lower the odds.
Hilton Head fishing, season by season: inshore redfish, deep sea trips, surf fishing, free piers and crabbing, plus licenses, bait shops and charters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you go shark fishing on Hilton Head?
Yes, from a boat with a charter captain. The season runs from late spring through early fall, and most trips are catch-and-release. State rules limit what you can keep.
Can you shark fish from the beach on Hilton Head?
No. The Town code bans baiting or fishing for shark from the beach and within 400 yards of the water’s edge along the beach (Sec. 8-1-211(11)). Shark trips go out on a charter boat.
When is the best time for shark fishing on Hilton Head?
Sharks are in the warmer months, with the peak from late spring through summer and fishing into early fall.
Do you need a fishing license for a shark charter on Hilton Head?
Not aboard a hired charter boat: South Carolina does not require a personal saltwater license for anyone fishing on one. You would need a license if you fished from shore or a dock, at age 16 and over.
Can you keep the shark you catch?
Rarely. You can keep one Atlantic sharpnose or bonnethead per person a day, and one larger shark per boat if it meets the size minimum, 54 inches for most species and 78 inches for hammerheads. Sandbar, dusky, mako and sand tiger sharks must be released. Most charters release everything.
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