The Beaufort, SC marine forecast covers live wind speed and gusts, tide predictions, wave conditions, and major and minor solunar feeding times, updated continuously from NOAA and Open-Meteo. The strongest fishing windows usually line up with the moving tide and the solunar periods shown below — check current conditions before you head out.
By Steve Wilson, lifelong angler & founder of My Marine Forecast
Last updated: Aug 1, 2026, 8:01 AM
Winds 2–13 mph from the SE gusting to 20 mph. Air temperatures 78–92°F. The strongest fishing windows line up with the moving water around each tide change, roughly an hour on either side.
Today's Tides · Station 8664753
| Loading tide data… |
Wind
2–13 mph SE
Gusts
20 mph
Air Temp
78–92°F
Tides from NOAA Station 8664753 · wind & temperature from Open-Meteo. Open the live forecast for hourly charts and the 7-day outlook.
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Tide data sourced from NOAA Station 8664753
Beaufort is the heart of South Carolina's Lowcountry fishing region, surrounded by the vast salt marshes, tidal creeks, and sounds of the Sea Islands. The Beaufort River, Port Royal Sound, and the numerous tidal waterways connecting them provide exceptional habitat for red drum, flounder, and spotted seatrout. Beaufort is a beloved destination for saltwater fly anglers pursuing redfish on the expansive flats.
The ACE Basin — just north of Beaufort — is one of the most pristine and productive coastal ecosystems on the East Coast, supporting enormous populations of red drum and providing a remarkable wilderness fishing experience. The Hunting Island State Park shoreline offers productive surf and nearshore fishing for striped bass in winter and red drum in fall and spring.
Beaufort's tidal range is substantial, with 6–8 foot tides creating powerful currents that push baitfish through the creeks and channels. The best fishing here coincides with these moving tides. Monitor the live tide chart above closely to plan your Beaufort fishing adventure, and target the two hours before and after each tide change for maximum fish activity.
Spring: Redfish spread over the shell rakes and mud flats of the Beaufort and Broad rivers as the water warms. Sheepshead reload on structure after spawning offshore. May brings the cobia run into Port Royal Sound, a fishery this town built its spring calendar around, and speckled trout begin taking topwaters over shell at daybreak.
Summer: Tailing redfish on flood tides are the signature pattern, with fish crawling through flooded grass on big evening tides. Trout bite early over oyster bars in the rivers. Tarpon and big sharks follow menhaden schools into St. Helena and Port Royal sounds by July, and hard-pulling jack crevalle show in the same water.
Fall: Big bull redfish spawn in Port Royal Sound through October, while slot fish and trout feed on the shrimp pouring from the marsh. The Broad and Coosaw rivers produce steady limits of trout on live shrimp. Flounder mass near Fripp and Trenchards inlets before moving out, and October air makes the whole estuary pleasant to fish.
Winter: Redfish pack into clear-water schools on shallow flats around Lady's Island and the Broad River, best on sunny low tides. Sheepshead take over the structure bite on bridge pilings and nearshore reefs. Trout winter in deep holes of the Beaufort and Coosaw rivers and bite slowly worked grubs on midday warmups.
Port Royal Sound is the defining water, deep and full of bait, hosting spring cobia and fall bull reds. The Broad River Fishing Pier, built on a span of the old highway bridge, gives shore anglers a legitimate shot at reds, drum, sharks and whiting. The Beaufort and Coosaw rivers wind through oyster-lined marsh full of trout and slot reds. Hunting Island State Park offers surf fishing and a lagoon system, with adjacent Fripp Inlet a proven drum spot, and St. Helena Sound to the north is a broad, lightly pressured estuary.