Waterlands

Species guide · South Carolina

Southern flounder fishing in South Carolina

Paralichthys lethostigma, a bottom species also called flounder, doormat and flatfish. Listed for the South Atlantic region. Peak season, about 9 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in Coastal waters from Murrells Inlet to South Santee River SC out 20 NM at 70, one of 4 South Carolina bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Peak season
Where it's scoring nowAll South Carolina waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

South Atlantic

Peak season, about 9 more weeks
  1. Jan: Off season
  2. Feb: Off season
  3. Mar: Off season
  4. Apr: Shoulder season
  5. May: Shoulder season
  6. Jun: Shoulder season
  7. Jul: Shoulder season
  8. Aug: Shoulder season
  9. Sep: Peak season
  10. Oct: Peak season
  11. Nov: Peak season
  12. Dec: Off season

Peak: Sep to Nov. In season (shoulder or peak): Apr to Nov.

Research notes, South Atlantic region

Summer and early fall are best in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina marsh and inlets, with the offshore spawning run in fall. North Carolina's recreational season is short and set each year by NCDMF under its southern flounder plan.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 4

South Carolina bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's southern flounder score this hour.

1
70Great
Coastal waters from Murrells Inlet to South Santee River SC out 20 NM

Best window today 5-8 PM (72) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 PM (75) · 6 named spots

2
69Great
Charleston Harbor

Best window today 5-8 PM (76) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 PM (78) · 37 named spots

3
67Great
Coastal waters from Edisto Beach SC to Savannah GA out 20 NM

Best window today 5-8 PM (77) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 AM (79) · 28 named spots

4
55Good
Coastal waters from Little River Inlet to Murrells Inlet SC out 20 NM

Best window today 8 AM-12 PM (63) · Best day Thu, Sep 24 at 8 AM (67) · 1 named spot

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 52°F to 88°F, best between 62°F and 80°F.
Water depth
1 to 30 ft of water.
Structure
Marsh, flat, pass, inlet, channel, jetty and bridge, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers outgoing tide and incoming tide, with moderate current.Flounder ambush bait swept past them, so creek mouths, marsh drains and the edges of passes fish best on a falling tide. A rising tide lets them move onto shallow flats and grassy shorelines. Night giggers look for calm, clear water in 1 to 2 feet.
Light
Some lift around dawn and dusk; feeds at night too.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
15 kt of wind and 2 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Flounder lie half buried on soft bottom along marsh edges, creek mouths, dock pilings and the sandy sides of passes, usually in 1 to 15 feet of water. Drag a mud minnow or finger mullet on a Carolina rig, or bump a soft plastic slowly along the bottom, and give the fish a few seconds before setting the hook. In fall the adults stack up at passes and jetties on their way offshore, and many anglers gig them at night in knee-deep water.

Methods
bottom fishing, Carolina rig, drifting, jigging, gigging
Lures
soft plastic on jighead, bucktail jig, scented soft plastic
Bait
mud minnow, finger mullet, live shrimp, mullet strip, croaker

Regulations

SCDNR saltwater regulations Buy a South Carolina fishing license License types

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Synced with SCDNR Sep 18, 2026.

No reviewed southern flounder rule for South Carolina is on file yet. Check with SCDNR before you keep one.

Other South Carolina species