Surfside Beach (SC) fishing conditions · South Carolina

Tomorrow, 11 am–7 pmSouthern flounder

The bite peaks at 100. Water is 70°, close to the 70° southern flounder like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.

Log a trip here
Right now: 100 for southern flounder, goTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Southern flounder, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 1004 pm
  2. 96
  3. 96
  4. 967 pm
  5. 91
  6. 91
  7. 9110 pm
  8. 95
  9. 95Sun
  10. 911 am
  11. 91
  12. 91
  13. 914 am
  14. 91
  15. 95
  16. 917 am
  17. 91
  18. 91
  19. 9110 am
  20. 95
  21. 95
  22. 1001 pm
  23. 100
  24. 100
  25. 984 pm
  26. 100
  27. 96
  28. 867 pm
  29. 86
  30. 86
  31. 8310 pm
  32. 95
  33. 95Mon
  34. 961 am
  35. 96
  36. 96
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
70°F

Southern flounder range 58–82°

Wind
9 mph

From the north

Light
Daylight

Sunset 5:19 pm

Sky
Mostly Sunny

No rain expected

Air
66°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Steady

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are South Carolina regulations for these waters.

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

100GoTomorrow, 11 am–7 pm

Water

70°
48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

Right in southern flounder's ideal range. Southern flounder prefers outgoing tide. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 1–20 ft down.

Keep

16" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Flounder (southern, summer and gulf): 16" minimum, 5/person/day, 10 per boat.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on southern flounder

Summer Flounder

Summer flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

94GoTomorrow, 1 pm–4 pm

Water

70°
48°58–75° · ideal 65°85°

Why

Summer flounder prefers outgoing tide. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 10–100 ft down.

Keep

16" minimum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Flounder (southern, summer and gulf): 16" minimum, 5/person/day, 10 per boat.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Oct, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on summer flounder

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

90GoTomorrow, 1 pm–4 pm

Water

70°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in spotted seatrout's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 3–15 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 10 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 14" minimum, 10/person/day.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on spotted seatrout

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

90GoTomorrow, 1 pm–4 pm

Water

70°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Right in sheepshead's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–40 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 10 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 14" minimum, 10/person/day (max 30 per boat).

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Mar–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes slack water. More on sheepshead

Black Drum

Black drum

Pogonias cromis

90GoTomorrow, 1 pm–4 pm

Water

70°
45°55–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Right in black drum's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 2–40 ft down.

Keep

14" minimum · 27" maximum · 5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. South Carolina saltwater: 14–27" slot, 5/person/day, year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Sep–May. Likes an incoming tide. More on black drum

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

90GoTomorrow, 1 pm–4 pm

Water

70°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Right in bluefish's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Holds 5–50 ft down.

Keep

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. No minimum size. 5/person/day (7 on for-hire).

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on bluefish

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

78Worth the tripTomorrow, 1 pm–4 pm

Water

70°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside red drum's active range. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

18" minimum · 25" maximum · 1 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. 18–25" slot, 1/person/day, 2 per boat (state waters), since Jul 1, 2026. No possession in federal waters; no gigging Dec 1–Feb 28.

Verified Oct 21, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 17 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on red drum

Spanish Mackerel

Spanish mackerel

Scomberomorus maculatus

78Worth the tripTomorrow, 1 pm–4 pm

Water

70°
55°65–82° · ideal 74°92°

Why

Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside Spanish mackerel's active range. Holds 5–40 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 15 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. South Carolina saltwater: 12" fork-length minimum, 15/person/day, year-round.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · South Carolina

Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: May–Oct, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. Likes an incoming tide. More on Spanish mackerel

The water

  • Water temperature70°F
  • Barometer29.96 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today5:19 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow6:41 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 3:50 pm–4:50 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:10 pm–12:10 am
  • Minor solunarTomorrow 5:50 am–6:50 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. South Carolina DNR publishes a report for the state.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

Surfside Beach — the incorporated "Family Beach" just south of Myrtle Beach in Horry County — is anchored for anglers by the 814-foot Surfside Pier, rebuilt in concrete and reopened in March 2024 after Hurricane Matthew destroyed the old wooden pier in 2016. The pier reaches past the inshore bar for whiting, pompano, spot, and croaker close in, with Spanish and king mackerel worked off the T-end in summer. Along the surf, reachable from 36 public beach accesses, shore anglers find red drum, black drum, flounder, bluefish, and sheepshead around the pilings year-round.

SCDNR saltwater regs. As of July 1, 2026, red drum tightened to an 18–25" slot at 1 fish/person/day (max 2 per boat). Spotted seatrout 14" min (10/day), flounder 16" min (5/day), black drum 14–27" (5/day), sheepshead 14" (10/day). The Surfside Pier fishing pass covers your license; surf and shore anglers need a SC Saltwater Recreational Fishing License. No shark fishing from the pier.

Also a beach: swim conditions and water-quality advisories on itsabeachday.com.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Garden City Beach2 mi · South CarolinaBest tomorrow 11 am–7 pm
100Go
Myrtle Beach9 mi · South CarolinaBest tomorrow 11 am–7 pm
100Go
Pawleys Island15 mi · South CarolinaBest tomorrow 11 am–7 pm
100Go
North Myrtle Beach23 mi · South CarolinaBest tomorrow 11 am–7 pm
100Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Surfside Beach (SC)?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Surfside Beach (SC) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Surfside Beach (SC)?

Surfside Beach (SC) is listed on this site for 8 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Summer Flounder, and 4 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Surfside Beach (SC)?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Surfside Beach (SC) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Surfside Beach (SC) have?

Surfside Beach (SC) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. SCDNR saltwater regs. As of July 1, 2026, red drum tightened to an 18–25" slot at 1 fish/person/day (max 2 per boat). Spotted seatrout 14" min (10/day), flounder 16" min (5/day), black drum 14–27" (5/day), sheepshead 14" (10/day). The Surfside Pier fishing pass covers your license; surf and shore anglers need a SC Saltwater Recreational Fishing License. No shark fishing from the pier.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Surfside Beach (SC)?

state agency regulations apply at Surfside Beach (SC). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Surfside Beach (SC) tidal water?

Yes. Surfside Beach (SC) sits on tidal water with a NOAA tide station nearby. Today's high/low timing is in the tide chart on this page.