Fish guide

Fish Guide

The FishOS guide covers the saltwater fish you are most likely to meet from the surf, piers, jetties and nearshore waters, starting with the Carolina coast. Each one has its own page with season, where to find it, what to look for, the best lures, bait, leader, common mistakes, how to land it, handling, and the current South Carolina size and bag limits, with a link to the official rules.

The fish of Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay, RI

Showing the fish for Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay, RI.

Bluefish

Pomatomus saltatrix

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Weakfish

Cynoscion regalis

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Black Sea Bass

Centropristis striata

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Summer Flounder

Paralichthys dentatus

Oct: Few around

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Season, lures and limits

False Albacore

Euthynnus alletteratus

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Tautog

Tautoga onitis

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Scup

Stenotomus chrysops

Oct: Few around

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Season, lures and limits

Winter Flounder

Pseudopleuronectes americanus

Oct: Rare

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Season, lures and limits

Atlantic Bonito

Sarda sarda

Oct: In season

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Season, lures and limits

Cunner

Tautogolabrus adspersus

Oct: Few around

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Season, lures and limits

Hickory Shad

Alosa mediocris

Oct: Peak

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Season, lures and limits

Sharks and other fish that are not a target

You may hook these from the beach or a pier. They are here so you can identify them, and each page says why it is not a target.

Spiny Dogfish (non-target)

Squalus acanthias

Not a target here

Season, lures and limits

Sea Robins (non-target)

Northern sea robin (Prionotus carolinus) and striped sea robin (Prionotus evolans)

Not a target here

Season, lures and limits

Season bars: dark blue peak, light blue in season, gray few or rare. They are our inference from state wildlife agency and NOAA species profiles, water temperatures and local reports; each fish's page lists its sources.

What each fish page covers

Every fish page gives you the season month by month, where to find it, what to look for, the best lures, bait, leader, common mistakes, how to land it, handling for teeth and spines, and whether to keep or release. The page also shows the current South Carolina size and bag limits, the date they were last checked, and a link to the official rules.

Regulations and handling

FishOS is not legal advice. The official rules win, and each fish page shows when the limits were last checked. Sharks, stingrays and sea catfish are listed so you can identify them. Sharks are not shown as a target where land-based shark fishing is banned, as it is in Horry County, Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach (North Myrtle Beach bans it within a mile of the beach).

See which fish are worth it today

The planner ranks every fish for your exact time, tide and weather.

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