Redfish

About

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.

Where they live

Oyster bar edges are the most consistent redfish habitat in the Charleston system. Any bar that creates a current seam on an outgoing tide holds fish. Spartina grass edges — especially corners and points where grass meets open water — are prime ambush zones. Creek mouths where smaller tributaries drain into the Stono, Ashley, Wando, or Kiawah River systems concentrate bait and, by extension, redfish. Dock pilings and bridge supports hold fish in all tidal stages. Open sandy flats adjacent to grass — especially inside Kiawah Island and in Bulls Bay — produce tailing fish from August through November.

When they bite

Outgoing tide is the primary window for Charleston redfish. As water drains off the marsh flats, reds follow baitfish and crabs to the creek mouths and ambush points. Target the last two hours of outgoing and the hour before dead low — fish stage at creek mouths, oyster bar edges, and any hard structure where current creates a seam. Incoming tide pushes fish up onto the flats. On a building flood, work the grass edges and shallow flat interiors in the first hour of incoming — reds follow the tide in. Near-low windows at dawn and dusk in fall are the tailing prime time.

Dawn through mid-morning is consistently the most productive window for redfish in Charleston, especially on the flats. Tailing activity peaks in the early light when water temps are in their daily sweet spot. Late afternoon into dusk is the second window — the last hour of outgoing tide at dusk during fall is as reliable as anything in Charleston inshore fishing. Midday can be productive on cloudy days or when a tide change coincides with first light.

How to catch them

Bait: Live shrimp under a popping cork or free-lined on a jig head remains the most consistent bait in the Charleston system year-round. Live finger mullet are the fall bait — weightless or Carolina-rigged near grass edges.

Technique: Poling the flats and sight-casting is the pinnacle Charleston redfish experience — polarized glasses are mandatory. Look for tails and wakes in shallow water, and lead the fish by 6 to 8 feet.