House Creek Fishing Pier (Old House Creek Dock)
A small, free Town dock over the marsh on the north end: quiet water, easy crabbing, parking for six.
Today's Tides
This is small tidal water: fish and crab the two hours either side of high tide. At dead low the creek can drain nearly to mud.
See the full Hilton Head tide chart →House Creek Fishing Pier is a small public dock at the end of a wooden boardwalk over the marsh, on Old House Creek on the north end of Hilton Head. The Town, which runs it, calls it Old House Creek Dock. It is free, quiet and a little hidden, and a good place to take children crabbing. For deeper water and a bigger pier, the other public option is the Charles C. Haigh Jr. Fishing Pier; our guide to Hilton Head’s fishing piers compares them.
Finding It
The dock is at 50 Sterling Pointe Drive, about 500 feet down Sterling Pointe from Silver Oak Drive. The drive in passes through residential streets, so keep your speed down and your music low: the neighbors are the reason it stays a pleasant place to fish. The parking area holds only five or six cars. On a summer weekend, go early or be ready to come back later.
Crabbing and Fishing on House Creek
Crabbing is what most people come for: a chicken neck on a string or a drop net off the end of the dock, and blue crabs come up on a rising tide. Anglers catch pinfish and croaker most often, with the odd flounder or spotted seatrout, and the occasional stingray. It is small tidal water, so fish the two hours either side of high tide; at dead low the creek can drain nearly to mud. The Hilton Head tide chart will tell you when. For sheepshead, the fish with human-looking teeth, the deep pilings at the Haigh pier are the better bet.
Keep an eye on the marsh as well as the line. Egrets and herons work the grass, and roseate spoonbills turn up on the mudflats, which makes it a good stop even when nothing is biting.
Before You Go
Crabbing with three or fewer drop nets, traps or hand lines needs no license. Fishing with a rod does: anyone 16 or older needs a South Carolina saltwater fishing license. There are no restrooms, so bring what you need and take everything home with you, and pack bug spray for the evening. The dock is short: about five or six people fit comfortably at high tide. For charters and other ways to fish the island, see the Hilton Head fishing guide.
What reviewers say
People describe a quiet, free pier with pretty marsh views, and one visitor who searched for days for a place to fish on the island called it the best they found. Pinfish and croaker bite readily, and people also land flounder, crabs and the odd stingray, though a few say the fish mostly nibbled the bait. It is small: about five or six people fit comfortably at high tide, and at low tide the creek runs very shallow. The drive in passes through private neighborhoods, and regulars ask visitors to keep it quiet so it stays open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated
Where is House Creek Fishing Pier?
At 50 Sterling Pointe Drive on the north end of Hilton Head Island, about 500 feet down Sterling Pointe from Silver Oak Drive. The Town calls it Old House Creek Dock.
Is House Creek Fishing Pier free?
Yes. There is no fee and the parking is free, though the lot only holds five or six cars.
Can you go crabbing at House Creek Fishing Pier?
Yes, it is one of the best crabbing spots on the island. With three or fewer drop nets, traps or hand lines, you do not need a license.
Are there restrooms at House Creek Fishing Pier?
No. Jarvis Creek Park, a short drive east, has public restrooms.
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