Myrtle Beach Fishing – Do South Carolina Fishing Right

By Tom Keer

Jun 21, 2017

Myrtle Beach is always a lot of fun, but it's a top notch fishery, too.  Seasonal species run along the coast and can be caught from piers and on inshore and offshore charters.  There are a lot of tackle shops, and fishermen friendly campgrounds and hotels means one thing; good fishing is only a short walk away.

Nearly dead center in the middle of some 60-miles of South Carolina sand lies Myrtle Beach.  Arcades, a Ferris wheel, restaurants, and souvenir shops have made the town a family vacation destination for years.  And while the number of golf courses is significant, Myrtle Beach fishing might be even more popular.
    
While South Carolina fishing is historically well known, Myrtle Beach fishing is quite diverse.  Where to fish isn't exactly a simple question. Fishing spots are just about everywhere.  There are piers, seven of which are operational.  Two others are in the process of being rebuilt as they sustained damage from Hurricane Matthew.  Inshore fishing is along the beach, throughout the wide variety of estuaries, and to short runs a mile or three off the beach.  Offshore fishing trips go further out, but here's a sample of fish to catch:

Species to catch from the Piers:  Red and black drum, flounder, King mackeral, and sharks.  
Species to catch Inshore:  Both red and black drum, speckled sea trout, cobia, and trigger fish.  
Species to catch Offshore: Blackfin tuna, bluefin tuna, mahi mahi, pompano and amberjacks.  

In a way, fishing in Myrtle Beach is short handle for there are lots of different species of fish to catch.    

Where to Fish: To make things easy, here are the locations of the piers.  And get this; there is lodging in the form of campgrounds, hotels, and RV parks near each of these piers!

•    South Jetty at Murrells Inlet. Huntington Beach State Park, North Litchfield

•    Apache Campground Pier. 9700 Kings Road, Myrtle Beach 

•    2nd Avenue Pier. 110 North Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach

•    Cherry Grove Pier. 3500 North Ocean Boulevard, North Myrtle Beach

    Myrtle Beach State Park Pier. 3301 South Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach

•    Pier 14. 1306 North Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach

•    The Pier at Garden City. 110 Waccamaw Drive, Garden City Beach 

•    Springmaid Pier and Surfside Pier are currently closed due to damage sustained by Hurricane Matthew. They'll reopen in 2018.

Hire a charter captain, rent your own boat, walk the beaches or splash a kayak.  Myrtle Beach fishing can be done all year long and with fly, bait, soft plastics or lures.  Tackle shops are plentiful, and bait tanks are always full.  Shrimp, cigar minnows and finger mullet are popular, but some anglers favor squid, blood worms and green worms.  

This summer, pack up the family and try fishing in Myrtle Beach.  It's always fun in the sun.
Tom Keer
Tom Keer
Tom Keer is an award-winning writer who lives on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  He is a columnist for the Upland Almanac, a Contributing Writer for Covey Rise magazine, a Contributing Editor for both Fly Rod and Reel and Fly Fish America, and a blogger for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Take Me Fishing program.  Keer writes regularly for over a dozen outdoor magazines on topics related to fishing, hunting, boating, and other outdoor pursuits.  When they are not fishing, Keer and his family hunt upland birds over their three English setters.  His first book, a Fly Fishers Guide to the New England Coast was released in January 2011.  Visit him at www.tomkeer.com or at www.thekeergroup.com.