Best Time to Fish in Charleston
South Carolina · Friday, September 11
🌅
7:02 AM
Sunrise
🌇
7:33 PM
Sunset
🌙
0%
Moon
The next 7 days in Charleston
| Day | Dawn window | Dusk window | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 6:32 AM – 8:02 AM | 6:03 PM – 8:03 PM | 🌑 New Moon · 0% |
| Sat, Sep 12 | 6:32 AM – 8:02 AM | 6:02 PM – 8:02 PM | 🌑 New Moon · 1% |
| Sun, Sep 13 | 6:33 AM – 8:03 AM | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 5% |
| Mon, Sep 14 | 6:34 AM – 8:04 AM | 5:59 PM – 7:59 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 10% |
| Tue, Sep 15 | 6:34 AM – 8:04 AM | 5:58 PM – 7:58 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 17% |
| Wed, Sep 16 | 6:35 AM – 8:05 AM | 5:56 PM – 7:56 PM | 🌒 Waxing Crescent · 26% |
| Thu, Sep 17 | 6:35 AM – 8:05 AM | 5:55 PM – 7:55 PM | 🌓 First Quarter · 36% |
Dawn and dusk windows are computed from sunrise/sunset for Charleston; times shown in local time. Best-window ranges are guidance, not guarantees — weather and tides matter too.
Today's best windows in Charleston
🌅 Dawn — 6:32 AM to 8:02 AM
The first light window is the most reliable bite of the day for most species — fish move shallow to feed before the sun gets high.
🌇 Dusk — 6:03 PM to 8:03 PM
The last couple hours of light are the second prime window, especially as water cools and bait moves.
🌙 Moon — New Moon (0% lit)
Solunar feeding activity peaks around the new and full moons. Overlap a solunar period with dawn or dusk and you have the best window of the day.
Sunrise, sunset, and moon phase are computed for Charleston (South Carolina); times shown in local time. Best-window ranges are guidance, not guarantees — weather and tides matter too.
Today's tides in Charleston
| Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 2:34 AM | 0.1 ft |
| High | 8:47 AM | 6.2 ft |
| Low | 2:54 PM | -0.0 ft |
| High | 9:02 PM | 6.3 ft |
Predictions from NOAA station 8665530 (CHARLESTON (Customhouse Wharf)), about 1 mi from Charleston. Times in local time, heights relative to MLLW.
Get the precise solunar + tide forecast for your spot
Dawn and dusk are the reliable daily answer, but the exact solunar major/minor periods and the tides for the specific water you're fishing shift day to day. The MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner pulls live NOAA, USGS, and solunar data to score the best times for your exact Charleston spot.
See the AI Trip Planner →Best season to fish Charleston
Redfish and speckled trout are catchable year-round. The famous flood-tide redfish sight-fishery happens on the highest tides of late summer and early fall (roughly August through October), when water floods the spartina flats. Fall is the overall peak inshore — reds school up and trout feed hard. Cobia move into the Lowcountry sounds in spring, and the nearshore and Gulf Stream fisheries peak spring through fall. Winter concentrates redfish in big schools in the deeper creeks, where they are catchable on warm, calm days.
Best time to fish in Charleston — FAQ
What is the best time of day to fish in Charleston?
The most reliable windows are the low-light hours around sunrise and sunset. Today in Charleston, sunrise is about 7:02 AM and sunset about 7:33 PM, so the dawn and dusk windows either side of those are your best bets — especially on an overcast day or a moving tide.
Does the moon affect fishing in Charleston?
Yes. The strongest solunar feeding periods and biggest tides come around the new and full moons. The moon is currently a New Moon (0% illuminated). For the precise solunar major/minor times and tides for your exact spot, use the MyFishingBuds AI Trip Planner.
What is the best season to fish in Charleston?
Redfish and speckled trout are catchable year-round. The famous flood-tide redfish sight-fishery happens on the highest tides of late summer and early fall (roughly August through October), when water floods the spartina flats. Fall is the overall peak inshore — reds school up and trout feed hard. Cobia move into the Lowcountry sounds in spring, and the nearshore and Gulf Stream fisheries peak spring through fall. Winter concentrates redfish in big schools in the deeper creeks, where they are catchable on warm, calm days.
Do I need a fishing license to fish in Charleston?
Yes — most adult anglers need a South Carolina fishing license. See the South Carolina fishing license guide for 2026 resident and non-resident prices, who's exempt, and where to buy.
What tide is best for fishing in Charleston?
Moving water usually beats slack tide — fish the hour or so around a tide change, when current is strongest and sweeps bait past structure. See today's tide times for Charleston above to plan around the next high or low.
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