Speckled Trout: season, lures and limits

Showing the fish for Charleston and the Lowcountry, SC.

Fishing region

Season in Charleston

Peak months: Oct, Nov.

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SCDNR: estuarine resident, spawns April to September. SCDNR October forecast: trout should peak at Edisto, bite well in moving water in Charleston and improve along grass lines at Hilton Head as the water clears. Cold winters can stun trout (SCDNR). (Our inference)

Season by region

Myrtle Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Delmarva	JFMAMJJASOND
Virginia Beach	JFMAMJJASOND
Outer Banks	JFMAMJJASOND
Southern NC	JFMAMJJASOND
Charleston	JFMAMJJASOND
Georgia	JFMAMJJASOND
Northeast Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Space Coast	JFMAMJJASOND
Florida Keys	JFMAMJJASOND
Southwest Florida	JFMAMJJASOND
Tampa Bay	JFMAMJJASOND
Big Bend	JFMAMJJASOND
Panhandle	JFMAMJJASOND
Alabama	JFMAMJJASOND
Mississippi	JFMAMJJASOND
Louisiana	JFMAMJJASOND
Upper Texas	JFMAMJJASOND
Middle Texas	JFMAMJJASOND
Lower Texas	JFMAMJJASOND

Where to find them

Inlets, jetties, the holes near piers; uncommon on the open beach.

Holes, inlet edges and around piers.

What to look for

Shrimp skipping, small bait in calm, clean water around structure.

What to throw

Popping cork with a soft plastic or live shrimp1/8 to 1/4 oz jighead under the cork oz, About 4 in soft plastic shad or shrimp (Cedar Key used a 4 in Sea Shad). Pop the cork sharply, pause while the bait settles, repeat; with tripletail, cast just past the target and reel back with a small pop.

Jighead with a scented soft-plastic shrimp or mullet (Gulp style)1/4 to 1/2 oz, 3 to 4 in. Slow drag and hop on the bottom with pauses; scent does the work.

Bucktail or jighead with a 4 to 5 in paddle tail1/2 to 1 oz, 4 to 5 in tail. Slow hops along the bottom: lift, drop, let it touch, repeat.

Topwater popper or walk-the-dog plug1 to 2 oz, 4 to 6 in. Popper: sharp pops with pauses. Walker: rhythmic side-to-side twitches.

Bait

Live shrimp under a popping or slip cork, Finger mullet. Popping cork, 24 to 36 in of 20 lb fluorocarbon.

Leader

20 to 25 lb fluorocarbon, 24 to 36 in.

Common mistakes

Horsing the fish; soft mouth tears
Fishing the open surf instead of the inlet

Landing

Soft mouth: steady pressure, slide it up, do not lift.

Handling

Two canine teeth in the upper jaw

Hold behind the head; unhook with pliers.

Keep or release

14 in minimum, 10 per person per day. SCDNR asks for voluntary release after cold kills.

Recipes for speckled trout

Typical: About 14 in, 1.3 lb. Large: 4 lb and up. SC record 11 lb 13 oz (1976).

South Carolina limits

Minimum: 14 in TL
Maximum: none
Bag: 10 per person per day
Season: Open year-round
Rod and reel and gig only; gigging closed Dec 1 to Feb 28
Gamefish: cannot be sold
Circle hook required with natural bait at 4/0 and up

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

Sources

SCDNR species profile: spotted seatrout (Official source)
SCDNR Saltwater Fishing Trends (pier operator forecasts) (Angler knowledge)
SCDNR 2018: cold stun and spotted seatrout (Official source)
Gregg Holshouser Grand Strand fishing reports, 2019-2020 (mirror) (Angler knowledge)
SC finfish size and catch limits 2026-2027 (eRegulations, linked from SCDNR), last updated Aug 11, 2026 (Official source)
SC saltwater general information: license, circle hooks, gamefish, Horry pier buffer, last updated Aug 11, 2026 (Official source)

All the fish of Charleston

Speckled Trout