Redfish Fishing in Charleston, SC

Redfish — red drum — are the backbone of Charleston inshore fishing. They live year-round in the Lowcountry's tidal creeks, oyster bar shorelines, and marsh grass edges, making them the most accessible target in the system from January through December. What makes Charleston special for reds isn't just their numbers — it's the variety. You'll find feeding fish tailing on the flats inside Kiawah and Seabrook Island in August, pushing wakes along spartina banks in the Stono River in October, and stacked in deep creek bends along the Wando River when water temperatures drop below 60°F in January.

The fall run from September through November is when Charleston redfish fishing reaches its peak. Mature slot fish school up on the flats and in creek systems throughout the ACE Basin, Bulls Bay, and the Kiawah/Seabrook marsh complex. These aren't singles — you'll find pods of 10 to 50 fish pushing bait against oyster bars on a falling tide, and sight-casting to tailing reds on sun-lit flats is the signature Charleston inshore experience. During this window, every outgoing tide from mid-September to mid-November is a potential hunt.

South Carolina regulations: Redfish must measure between 15 and 23 inches total length to keep — this slot protects both juvenile fish and the large spawning-age females above slot. The daily bag limit is 2 fish per person, with a boat limit of 6 fish. All redfish outside the slot must be released immediately. A saltwater fishing license is required. Verify current regulations at scdnr.sc.gov before your trip, as limits are subject to change.

Juvenile redfish (under 15 inches) flood the back creek systems every spring and summer — Shem Creek tributaries, the upper Ashley River grass edges, and shallow ICW cuts hold schools of small reds from June through August. These aren't legal to keep, but they make incredible light-tackle sport and are excellent practice for the larger fish you'll encounter come fall.