StrikeTracks

Coastal conditions

Edisto Beach

Shore · South Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Edisto / ACE Basin coast

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Location Snapshot

Edisto Beach is a South Carolina barrier-island surf fishery with sandy beaches, tidal troughs, and nearby inlet influence along the ACE Basin coast. Red drum, spotted seatrout, spanish mackerel, and bluefish are the principal supported targets.

Active coastal or marine alerts

  • Small Craft Advisory

    Severity: Minor

    Small Craft Advisory issued October 20 at 2:22AM EDT until October 21 at 9:00PM EDT by NWS Charleston SC

    Begins Oct 20, 2026, 2:22 AM · Ends Oct 21, 2026, 9:00 PM

    Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.

    Official NWS alert

Current Coastal Rating

Poor · 48

Beta

Conditions are poor, but confidence is reduced because some coastal inputs are partial or prediction-based.

Scores are model-specific and are not directly comparable across water types.

Should I Go?

Trip conditions only. Target-species activity and seasonal fishery patterns are not yet included.

Wait

Trip conditions may improve later. Review the recommended window and the reason for waiting.

Medium confidence — The recommendation is usable, but one or more inputs are regional, proxied, stale, or incomplete.

Evaluates trip conditions using weather, tides, currents, waves, daylight, and active alerts.

  • This coastal rating is in public beta.
  • Missing waves are not calm. Forecast is not an observation. Prediction is not an observation.
  • Because this rating is in public beta, recommendations are capped at Consider when evidence is limited.

Service Status

Degraded

Coastal conditions are partial, stale, or predictions-only.

Best later window

Tuesday · 11:00 AM–2:00 PM EDT

Window score

73

Max wind
9 mph
Max gust
18 mph
Daylight
100% of window
Tide state
rising

Why

  • A later window scores 73 vs near-term 48; wait for the stronger period.

Watch for

  • An active caution-level alert applies to this destination.

Coastal conditions can change quickly. Review official alerts and current conditions before heading out.

Current Readings

No recent observations are available.

Past 7 Days

No recent observations are available.

Nearby coastal destinations

  • Hunting Island Fishing Pier14.9 mi

    South Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Beaufort County / Hunting Island · Sound

    Approximately 14.9 miles away

  • Folly Beach Fishing Pier23.3 mi

    South Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Charleston / Folly Beach · Shore

    Approximately 23.3 miles away

  • Charleston Harbor Entrance29 mi

    South Carolina · Southeast Atlantic / Charleston Harbor · Harbor

    Approximately 29 miles away

Predicted Tides

Predicted

Falling

Next low tide

Oct 20, 2026, 9:18 AM

In 3 hr 22 min

1.8 ft MLLW

Previous

High · Oct 20, 2026, 3:17 AM · 5.4 ft MLLW

Following

High · Oct 20, 2026, 3:50 PM · 5.9 ft MLLW

Tide prediction proxy

Edisto Beach, Edisto Island · NOAA 8667630

This nearby station is used for tide timing. Predicted height does not represent exact water depth or exposed-flat conditions at this destination.

Predicted Tidal Current

Predicted

Tidal-current predictions are not available for this destination.

Tidal-current timing can differ from high and low tide timing.

Fishery Profile

Fishery Overview

Edisto Beach ocean fishery

A bounded Edisto Beach / Edisto Beach State Park Atlantic ocean beach.

Fishery type
  • Ocean beach surf
Fishing modes
  • Shore
Habitat and structure
Edisto Beach State Park and town ocean surf · Adjacent Edisto Beach wash

Static seasonal guidance · Last reviewed Aug 23, 2026

Not a live bite forecast.

Fishery Targets

Red drum, spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish are representative Edisto ocean-beach targets. Seasonal timing varies by species.

Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency and editorial sources. About fish illustrations

  • Red drum illustration

    Red drum

    Primary

    Sciaenops ocellatus

    Also called Redfish

    Currently in a typical seasonal window

    Typical seasonal window: AUGUST — NOVEMBER

    May also be present outside this peak window.

    South Carolina surf and pier fishing.

  • Spotted seatrout illustration

    Spotted seatrout

    Primary

    Cynoscion nebulosus

    No seasonal pulse known

    Surf, creek-mouth, and nearshore fishing.

  • Spanish mackerel illustration

    Spanish mackerel

    Secondary

    Scomberomorus maculatus

    Typical seasonal opportunity: SPRING — FALL

    Warm-season pier and surf fishing.

  • Bluefish illustration

    Bluefish

    Secondary

    Pomatomus saltatrix

    No seasonal pulse known

    Coastal migratory fishing.

Typical Seasonal Targets

  • Red drum — AUGUST — NOVEMBER
  • Spanish mackerel — SPRING — FALL

Seasonal presence is general guidance and does not indicate current fish activity.

How to Fish Edisto Beach

Typical October approaches include surf casting for Red drum.

  • Surf casting

    Cast jigs, paddle tails, and swimming plugs along the wash, troughs, and bait seams.

    Best for

    • Red drum

    Modes

    • Shore

    Setup

    • Ocean-beach surf setup

Common Tackle Setups

  • Ocean-beach surf setup

    Shore spinning tackle for open-ocean surf fishing.

    Rod
    Medium to medium-heavy spinning rod long enough to reach the second trough.
    Reel
    Spinning reel with a reliable drag.
    Main line
    Braided main line with abrasion resistance in sand and shell.
    Leader
    Fluorocarbon or abrasion-resistant leader.
    Terminal tackle
    Jig heads matched to current and wind.
    Presentation
    Use the Current Coastal Rating for conditions.

    Used for

    • Surf casting

Typical October Lures and Flies

Common lure and fly families associated with this month’s techniques.

  • Minnow-style swimming plug

    Lure
    • Red drum

    Shallow to midwater · Steady, twitch, pause

    Cast across seams and let the plug track with the current

  • Soft-plastic paddle tail

    Lure
    • Red drum

    Shallow, Midwater, Variable · Steady, twitch, jig

    Swim steadily through seams or hop lightly near bottom transitions

  • Bucktail jig

    Lure
    • Red drum

    Shallow, Midwater, Bottom, Variable · Jig, twitch, steady, drift

    Hop, swim, or drift depending on depth and current speed

General seasonal guidance, not a live recommendation, product endorsement, or guarantee of success.

Access, Safety and Regulations

Access

Public ocean beach access at Edisto Beach State Park and town beach. Confirm SCPRT and town rules.

Primary hazards

Ocean shorebreak and rip current.

Fishery considerations

  • Onshore wind steepens the wash. Missing waves are not calm. Forecast is not an observation.

Regulations

Size limits, seasons, and possession rules change. Verify the current official regulations before fishing.

View current recreational saltwater regulations (opens in a new tab)

Location and Access

Shore · South Carolina

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Get Directions to Map Location (opens in a new tab)View Official Access Information (opens in a new tab)

The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.

Data Sources

Planning limitation

Coastal conditions can vary over short distances. Predictions and remote observations are planning information, not guarantees of access or safety.

  • Bounded Edisto Beach / Edisto Beach State Park ocean identity. This is not Edisto River USGS and not generic ACE Basin.
  • Edisto River USGS discharge is not coastal rating evidence.
  • Wind, gust, and wave observations are not available for this location.