Folly Beach fishing conditions · South Carolina

Tonight 8 pm to tomorrow 11 amBluefish

The bite peaks at 75. Water is 67°, close to the 70° bluefish like best, and a solunar period lands on the window. Wind builds to 22 mph out of the northeast by today at 3:00 am.

Small Craft Advisory until Saturday 2 am
Log a trip here
Right now: 48 for bluefish, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Bluefish, 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. 483 am
  2. 48
  3. 48
  4. 486 am
  5. 48
  6. 52
  7. 489 am
  8. 48
  9. 48
  10. 4812 pm
  11. 52
  12. 52
  13. 483 pm
  14. 48
  15. 48
  16. 636 pm
  17. 67
  18. 71
  19. 719 pm
  20. 71
  21. 71
  22. 71Tue
  23. 75
  24. 75
  25. 713 am
  26. 71
  27. 71
  28. 716 am
  29. 71
  30. 71
  31. 759 am
  32. 71
  33. 63
  34. 6312 pm
  35. 63
  36. 67
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
67°F

Bluefish range 60–80°

Wind
22 mph

From the northeast · rough for small boats

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:32 am

Sky
Mostly Clear

No rain expected

Air
62°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Steady

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

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.

Bluefish

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

75Worth the tripTonight 8 pm to tomorrow 11 am

Water

67°
50°60–80° · ideal 70°90°

Why

Right in bluefish's ideal range. Bluefish prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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

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

Red Drum

Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

63MarginalTonight 8 pm to tomorrow 11 am

Water

67°
55°65–85° · ideal 75°95°

Why

Red drum prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. 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

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

Spotted Seatrout

Spotted seatrout

Cynoscion nebulosus

63MarginalTonight 8 pm to tomorrow 11 am

Water

67°
50°60–85° · ideal 72°95°

Why

Spotted seatrout prefers incoming tide. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside spotted seatrout's active range. 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

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

Southern Flounder

Southern flounder

Paralichthys lethostigma

55MarginalTonight 8 pm to tomorrow 11 am

Water

67°
48°58–82° · ideal 70°92°

Why

Right in southern flounder's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Southern flounder prefers outgoing tide. 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

Season here: Mar–Nov. More on southern flounder

Summer Flounder

Summer flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

55MarginalTonight 8 pm to tomorrow 11 am

Water

67°
48°58–75° · ideal 65°85°

Why

Right in summer flounder's ideal range. Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Summer flounder prefers outgoing tide. 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

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

Sheepshead

Sheepshead

Archosargus probatocephalus

43Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

67°
50°60–82° · ideal 72°92°

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Inside sheepshead's active range. Sheepshead prefers slack tide. 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

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

The water

  • Water temperature67°F
  • Barometer30.27 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:32 am
  • Sunset today6:35 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:30 am–8:30 am
  • Major solunarToday 12:20 pm–2:20 pm
  • Minor solunarTonight 6:10 pm–7:10 pm

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

A Charleston barrier island between Lighthouse Inlet and the Stono River. Red drum, speckled trout and flounder in the surf and around structure (SCDNR puts summer flounder around inlets, jetties and beaches and southern flounder mostly in the estuaries), sheepshead on the pilings and rocks, bluefish in spring and fall.

Nearby

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

Charleston Harbor9 mi · South CarolinaBest now until tomorrow 3 pmCoastal Flood WarningRip Current StatementHigh Surf Advisory
63Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Folly Beach?

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

What fish are commonly targeted at Folly Beach?

Folly Beach is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Red Drum, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Summer Flounder, and 2 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 Folly Beach?

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 Folly Beach 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 Folly Beach have?

Folly Beach has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Folly Beach?

state agency regulations apply at Folly Beach. 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 Folly Beach tidal water?

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