South Carolina Fishing Reports (May 2026)

Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still some grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. There’s still plenty of red snapper around as well. On the jetties Tight to the rocks there have been a few trout...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still some grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. There’s still plenty of red snapper around as well.
On the jetties Tight to the rocks there have been a few trout and smaller redfish on your typical slip corks using live shrimp. Also if you can find some fiddler crabs there’s a few sheepshead around as well.
In The back water creeks there has still been some small red fish, flounder and trout back up in some of the potholes typically we’ve been using finger mullet live shrimp or artificial baits like voodoo and gulp on a jig head. In some of the deeper channels leading up to some of these holes there has been a good push of trout ranging from 13 inches to 22 inches using slip corks with live shrimp and fishing them down towards the bottom. Don’t be surprised if you hook some flounder and black drum as well while doing this. This trout bite should continue to get better.
In the ICW there’s been Some black drum in the channels around structure. They’ve been biting dead or live shrimp on the Carolina rig on the bottom. Along the creek mouths and shell banks There is a good number of trout right now that are focusing on that scattered shell bottom and tight to the grass on the higher tides. Use your slip cork with a live shrimp and drift it down along these banks. This pattern should continue to get better as we get later into the fall as the trout start to migrate to our area.

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Matt Latorre
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

The fall inshore fishing is really heating up!The bull reds are staging at the inlets and jetties for their annual spawn and will readily take live or fresh cut mullet. The flats fishing has been great and will only get better as the mullet and shrimp begin to leave with...

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Matt Latorre Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

The fall inshore fishing is really heating up!The bull reds are staging at the inlets and jetties for their annual spawn and will readily take live or fresh cut mullet. The flats fishing has been great and will only get better as the mullet and shrimp begin to leave with the cooling water. The bait of choice has been live finger mullet. The speckled trout bite has been good on live shrimp and artificials. Look for the trout to really bunch up through November and December. The best fishing of the year is the next couple of months. Get out there!

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Matt Simon
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

Blackfin tuna biting real good on the troll and live bait.

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Matt Simon Mount Pleasant, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

Blackfin tuna biting real good on the troll and live bait.

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still a good number of grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. Don’t be surprised if you end up catching a bunch of red snapper as well and always have a...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

On the near shore ledges 10-20miles out there are still a good number of grouper around. Pin fish or pogies on a Standard grouper rig has seem to be the best. Don’t be surprised if you end up catching a bunch of red snapper as well and always have a pitch rod ready just in case a Cobia shows up.
On the nearshore reefs is been a little slow with a Flounder bite. It seems to be we are on an inshore transition on the flounder at the moment but that should change in the next couple weeks as another push a fish should go back out to the reef.
On the jetties There is still a little bit of a bull red fish Bite going on, typically Two hours before or after high or low tide. The best bait has been live pogies if you can find them but they will eat small croakers and fresh dead pogies as well. Tight to the rocks there have been a few trout and smaller redfish on your typical slip corks using live shrimp.
In The back water creeks there have been some small red fish back up in some of the potholes typically we’ve been using finger mullet live shrimp or artificial baits like voodoo and gulp on a jig head. In some of the deeper channels leading up to some of these holes there has been a good push of trout ranging from 13 inches to 22 inches using slip corks with live shrimp and fishing them down towards the bottom. Don’t be surprised if you hook some flounder and black drum as well while doing this.
In the ICW there’s been Some bigger red drum in the channels around structure. They’ve been biting finger mullet or pogies on the Carolina rig on the bottom. Also in some of the sam

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

On the nearshore reefs there’s been a good push of larger flounder with most ranging from 18”-25”. The flounder have been biting mullet, pogies, and baby croakers in the 3-7”range using a Carolina rig 1oz -3oz depending on the tide. Best bites have been around the barges and APCs. If...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

On the nearshore reefs there’s been a good push of larger flounder with most ranging from 18”-25”. The flounder have been biting mullet, pogies, and baby croakers in the 3-7”range using a Carolina rig 1oz -3oz depending on the tide. Best bites have been around the barges and APCs. If you get a pretty day there’s been a good push of grouper as shallow as 50-60ft on the ledges. The best baits have been pin fish and live pogies.
Around the jetties there has been some trout redfish flounder and Spanish . Most of the trout have been caught on live shrimp floating down along the rocks anywhere from 5 to 10 foot down. You can catch some of the redfish using the slip corks with live shrimp or Just off the rocks on the outside and around the channel there’s been some bigger (over slot)redfish you can use cut bait (blue fish, pogies, mullet) or live pogies on a Carolina rig (2-3oz weight with 12”-16” 40lb fluorocarbon leader with a 8/0 circle hook. These bigger reds aren’t the main bull run which should start very soon but are more of our local fish pushing to the jetties with all the bait in the ocean. While fishing for these reds there is a good amount of flounder have been tight to the rocks and hanging around any bottom structure don’t be surprised if you catch them in the channel too. If you just fishing for flounder the outside of the jetties when the water is cleanest with a 1/4 ounce jig head with a finger mullet has been the best. If you start seeing an area with Spanish jumping and chasing mullet try anchoring in that area and start throwing live mullet around the boat on

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Jeremy Espiritu
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

Inshore in the charleston area the redfishing has been incredible. This month you can expect to catch reds and seatrout. The good quality sized sea trout should show up by the end of October. Along the beaches the big bull redfish should be making their presence known in big numbers...

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Jeremy Espiritu Moncks Corner, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

Inshore in the charleston area the redfishing has been incredible. This month you can expect to catch reds and seatrout.
The good quality sized sea trout should show up by the end of October.
Along the beaches the big bull redfish should be making their presence known in big numbers s the water Temps begin to cool down. But currently if you want to go fishing, the Inshore bite has been great, with lots of big redfish being caught Inshore! If you would like to fish in Charleston or the surrounding book your trip with me and will get into ’em

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Christopher Ossmann
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

The grouper are starting to moving in about 60 to 70 foot of water. We're catching a good mix of keepers and a few shorts on live pin fish and pogies. As for inshore most of the flounder are moving in from the reefs and there's a good amount of...

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Christopher Ossmann Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

The grouper are starting to moving in about 60 to 70 foot of water. We're catching a good mix of keepers and a few shorts on live pin fish and pogies. As for inshore most of the flounder are moving in from the reefs and there's a good amount of fish around the creek mouths and deeper channels. The best baits have been finger mullet or smaller pogies. Theres been a good push of redfish around the jetty rocks, grass flats and backwater creeks. We've been catching them on live shrimp, pogies, and finger mullet. As for trout it's been slim pickins the few we've been catching have been around the jetties and shell banks on live shrimp.

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Will Adams
Johns Island, South Carolina
Reported: 3 years ago

September is the month to remember. Sheepshead, flounder, and trout are gonna be looking to feed now that water temp is slowly dropping. Always look for moving water and depth with structure around. I personally go during the low tide and look for areas that has both and come back...

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Will Adams Johns Island, South Carolina Reported: 3 years ago

September is the month to remember. Sheepshead, flounder, and trout are gonna be looking to feed now that water temp is slowly dropping. Always look for moving water and depth with structure around. I personally go during the low tide and look for areas that has both and come back during the high tide and set up for the stopping tide. Usually i do the best the first three hours of the dropping tide. I've found that smaller baits do well such as mud minnows and finger mullet. September usually has slot if rain so
if the water looks cloudy from sunshine the run off use finger mullet. Finger mullet can be seen easier than mud minnows, they are white and not dark like the mud minnows. With using shrimp, one also noticed if you use large shrimp that they too can be seen easier and it can keep the trash fish away due to the size but not always. Popping corks will be starting their way back into my tackle box as well. Along with artificial baits such as the Vudu shrimp. Con't forget your Pro Cure and please don't over do the amount needed. It can and will ruin not only the color but also the dexterity of the bait.

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