Blacktip Shark

Season in Charleston

Peak months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug.

SCDNR MRRI arrival and departure temperatures placed on NCEI Charleston averages. Blacktips leave Bulls Bay, SC in October when water drops below 70 F (PLOS ONE 2016). (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Just past the breakers along the beach and around inlets, often where bait schools are being pushed.

Just past the breakers; fast and sometimes leaps and spins chasing bait schools.

What to look for

Black tips on the pectoral fins, first dorsal and lower tail lobe; white anal fin; no ridge between the dorsal fins (a ridge means it may be a prohibited sandbar).

Bait

Fresh cut mullet, Cut menhaden (bunker), Cut bluefish or other oily fish. Fish-finder rig cast just past the breakers: steel leader, non-offset, non-stainless circle hook (required in SC with natural bait), 50 to 80 lb braid on a 10 to 15 ft surf rod.

Leader

Steel leader; 8/0 to 12/0 non-offset circle hook.

Common mistakes

• Confusing a sandbar shark (prohibited) with a blacktip: check for the ridge between the dorsal fins
• Fighting the fish to exhaustion; keep fights short
• Dragging the shark up the dry sand

Landing

Lead it into the shallow wash and keep it in the water there. Do not drag it up the dry sand or lift it by the tail.

Handling

• Teeth
• Abrasive skin
• Sudden thrashing

Keep it in the water: do not drag it up the beach and keep hands away from the mouth and gills. If the hook is deep or you would have to reach near the mouth, cut the leader as close to the hook as you can; carry a cutter that can cut the leader or hook. Prohibited sharks (sandbar, sand tiger, dusky and others) must be released without removing them from the water; treat any shark you cannot identify as prohibited.

Keep or release

Shore shark fishing is legal under SC state rules here, but not at Folly Beach Pier (3rd St W to 3rd St E) or, per WTOC in 2015, from Hilton Head beaches. The SC minimum size for this group means nearly every shark from the beach is released.

Recipes for blacktip shark

Typical: 3 to 5 ft. Large: Over 6 ft. SC record 163 lb 14 oz (Hilton Head, 2009).

South Carolina limits

• Minimum: 54 in FL
• Maximum: none
• Bag: 1 shark per vessel per trip (the limit SC publishes for its blacktip, bull, finetooth, spinner and other large coastal group)
• Season: No closed season listed
• Rod and reel or handline only
• Non-offset, non-stainless circle hooks required with natural bait (not with flies or artificial lures)
• Land with head, tail and fins naturally attached
• Federal waters (past 3 miles) need a federal HMS permit with a shark endorsement
• Check local rules: many beach towns ban shore shark fishing
• Sandbar sharks look like blacktips and bull sharks and are prohibited: if unsure, release it in the water

Last checked 2026-10-11. A summary, not legal advice; the official rules win. SC Department of Natural Resources fishing regulations.

Sources

• SCDNR Marine Resources Research Institute: shark research (estuary arrival and departure temperatures) (Official source)
• Kajiura and Tellman 2016, PLOS ONE: blacktip shark migration and water temperature (Official source)
• NOAA NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide, all-stations monthly averages (Charleston Cooper River Entrance, Fort Pulaski, Gray's Reef, Fernandina Beach, Mayport, St. Augustine, Trident Pier Port Canaveral, Lake Worth Pier, Fowey Rocks, Virginia Key, Vaca Key, Key West) (Official source)
• SCDNR Marine Resources Division: Sharks of South Carolina (2004 field guide; limits in it are outdated, see R2) (Official source)
• Carolina Sportsman: surf sharking in the dark (SC beaches) (Angler knowledge)
• SCDNR saltwater game fish records (Official source)
• SC shark size and catch limits (eRegulations), last updated Aug 5, 2026 (Official source)

All the fish of Charleston