Winyah Bay fishing: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum

Bay · South Carolina

Winyah Bay, South Carolina: Spotted Seatrout May, Jun, Sep, Oct. 48 ft at the deepest measured point.

Winyah Bay fishing: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum 1

Winyah Bay fishing: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum 2

Winyah Bay fishing: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum 3

Bay

Surface area: 14,278 acres22.3 mi²from the mapped waterbody polygon; varies with water level
Maximum depth: 48 ftdeep
Average depth: 13.3 ft
Fish species: 6
Access points: 1
Access: open to the public

Water claritynow 2.3 ft

Winyah Bay fishing: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum

Target species: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Black Sea Bass
Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct for Spotted Seatrout
Second window: Apr, Oct for Atlantic Croaker

The bay

Winyah Bay covers 14,278 acres in South Carolina, across Georgetown County. It is a bay: the deepest point measured is 48 feet (14.6 m). Our records hold 6 species for this water.

5 target fish, led by Spotted Seatrout

Spotted Seatrout — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
Atlantic Croaker — Best months: Apr, Oct.
Black Drum — Best months: May, Sep, Oct.
Sheepshead — Best months: May, Sep, Oct.
Black Sea Bass — Best months: Oct, Nov, Apr.

Also recorded here: Inland Silverside.

Aerial view of the north inlet of Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.jpg — NOAA · Public domain

Depth: down to 48 ft at the deepest measured point

Deepest measured point: 48 ft (14.6 m). We hold 42 depth contours for this water, drawn from 16,459 soundings.

Water and conditions

Water temperature averages 72°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 45°F and the warmest is 92°F; the warmest monthly average is 85°F. pH averages 7.4. These readings span 2016–2026.

Sailboat in Winyah Bay (17 July 2006).jpg — Pollinator at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

Monthly average water temperature: Jan 52°F · Feb 56°F · Mar 57°F · Apr 68°F · May 76°F · Jun 82°F · Jul 85°F · Aug 83°F · Sep 80°F · Oct 74°F · Nov 62°F · Dec 55°F

Ramps and access

On this water we hold 1 fishing pier.

Fishing piers

Winyah Bay Fishing and Observation Pier — on Great Pee Dee River.

The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Season by season

Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, 52–57°F) — Steady but no peak: Atlantic Croaker, Black Sea Bass.
Spring (Apr, May, 68–76°F) — Biting: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Black Sea Bass.
Summer (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, 80–85°F) — Biting: Spotted Seatrout, Black Drum, Sheepshead.
Fall (Oct, Nov, 62–74°F) — Biting: Spotted Seatrout, Atlantic Croaker, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Black Sea Bass.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 14,278 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Winter water drops to 52°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do. Summer water sits at 85°F: heat and afternoon lightning are the real risks, not the fishing.

Where this data comes from

NOAA NOS Hydro — NOAA NOS hydrographic survey archive: class A, a survey of the bottom.
NOAA Digital Coast — NOAA Digital Coast bathymetric lidar: class A, a survey of the bottom.
NOAA BlueTopo: class A, a survey of the bottom.
NOAA National Bathymetric Source (S-102 ed3.0.0) — NOAA S-102 bathymetric surfaces: contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: soundings: class A, a survey of the bottom.
NOAA ENC — NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.