Finetooth Shark

Season in Charleston

Peak months: Jun, Jul, Aug.

SCDNR MRRI arrival and departure temperatures placed on NCEI Charleston averages. Florida Museum: common off SC in warm months, migrates south when surface water drops below 68 F. (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Shallow beach water and the first trough in summer, especially where mullet or menhaden are in the wash.

Close in: schools sometimes chase mullet and menhaden into the surf.

What to look for

Slender gray or bronze shark with plain fins (no black tips) and a short, narrowly rounded snout.

Bait

Live or fresh cut mullet, Cut menhaden (bunker), Cut spot. 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; non-offset circle hook.

Common mistakes

• Mistaking it for a blacktip or spinner: finetooth fins are unmarked
• 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 finetooth shark

Typical: 2 to 3 ft. Large: Up to 5 ft.

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)
• Florida Museum, Discover Fishes: finetooth shark (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)
• 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