South Carolina · United States

Hilton Head South Carolina fishing forecast

54 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 now54/100

Local rulesUnited States — Federal Waters

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Today’s verdict

Trending down — 8 points below this spot’s 7-day average

Score confidence ±4 points, from 8 live signals

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

Helping the score most

Water temperature+25.0Waves+9.0Wind+8.0

Pressure trend

Pressure stable — fish feeding on their usual rhythm

Next solunar peak

major 09:10

Current conditions

Live conditions are temporarily unavailable for this spot (last data Oct 1, 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 54 out of 100 (Good). Water temperature is 26.2 °C. 8 forecast signals are active in this score.

Water temperature +25.0: how close the water is to this species mix’s comfort band
Waves +9.0: swell energy stirring the water column
Wind +8.0: surface chop, oxygen and bait drift
Chlorophyll +5.4: plankton density — the base of the food chain
Chlorophyll front +5.0: a plankton edge — classic feeding line
Current +3.9: moving water concentrates bait

What’s biting now

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

Bite windows

Moon

Waning Gibbous · 78% lit

Solunar day rating

50 / 100

Best months for Hilton Head South Carolina:

Score history at this spot

10 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 ground

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.

Some rules may have changed since our last verification — always confirm with the authority before you fish.

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