South Carolina · United States

Hilton Head South Carolina fishing forecast

68 Good of 100

Hilton Head South Carolina is a saltwater fishing spot in South Carolina, United States. Anglers here target Red Drum, Spotted Sea Trout, Cobia. The most productive months are typically April, May, June, July, August, September, October.

Quick answer

Best monthsApril, May, June, July

Top speciesRed Drum, Spotted Sea Trout, Cobia

Score now68/100

Local rulesUnited States — Federal Waters

Today’s verdict

Trending up — 6 points above this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±7 points, from 7 live signals

The statistical model disagrees with the physics model here today — treat this score with extra caution.

Helping the score most

Water temperature+24.8Chlorophyll+17.5Waves+9.0

Working against it

Marine heatwave-2.0

Pressure trend

Pressure stable — fish feeding on their usual rhythm

Next solunar peak

major 09:27

Current conditions

Live conditions are temporarily unavailable for this spot (last data Sep 2, 2026). Seasonal and regulation info below is unaffected.

Hilton Head tide chart & times · 14 km from this spot

What the score means at Hilton Head South Carolina

Hilton Head South Carolina currently scores 68 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 28.6 °C. 7 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +24.8: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Chlorophyll +17.5: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Thermocline +4.0: a defined layer stacks fish at one depth
Pre-storm bite +3.5: the classic feed before heavy weather

What’s biting now

The model expects today: red-drum, spotted-sea-trout, king-mackerel, spot-croaker, pinfish, atlantic-croaker, southern-flounder, black-drum

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Gibbous · 72% lit

Solunar day rating

50 / 100

Best months for Hilton Head South Carolina:

Score history at this spot

9 days tracked at this exact location

Best recent day: 2026-07-29, 75/100

2 day(s) at 70+ in the tracked period

About this spot

Water type

Sea

Open coastal saltwater — conditions and safety depend heavily on the live wind, wave, and tide forecast, so check them before you head out.

Access & shore

Fishable from shore · offshore-only

What you can catch

Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus
Spotted Sea Trout

Cynoscion nebulosus
Cobia

Rachycentron canadum

Best months by species at Hilton Head South Carolina

Red DrumSciaenops ocellatus
Spotted Sea TroutCynoscion nebulosus
CobiaRachycentron canadum

Typical months; local seasons and closures apply.

Local regulations

U.S. federal fisheries authority

United States — Federal Waters

Species	Bag limit	Min size	Open season
Red Drum	1/day	45.7–68.6 cm slot	Jan 1 – Dec 31
Federal waters Gulf of Mexico: 1 fish/day, 18–27" slot. Atlantic federal rules differ.

Licensing:

saltwater-recreational — residents Federal Recreational Fishing License may be required in addition to state license when fishing federal (EEZ) waters., non-residents Same as residents. Many states require their own license even in federal waters.

FishRadar regulations are summaries only. Federal and state waters rules overlap — always verify current federal and state agency rules before fishing.