Murrells Inlet Creek Fishing: A Redfish and Flounder Guide

The Murrells Inlet Creek System

Murrells Inlet is South Carolina's premier saltwater estuary — a maze of tidal creeks, spartina marshes, and oyster-studded mud flats stretching from the Waccamaw River south to Huntington Beach State Park. Unlike the developed beachfront to the north, the Murrells Inlet marsh system remains largely undisturbed, providing nursery habitat for shrimp, crabs, and baitfish that sustain one of the healthiest inshore fisheries on the East Coast. Redfish fishing in Murrells Inlet is the main draw, but the same creeks produce flounder, speckled trout, sheepshead, and black drum throughout the year.

Understanding the Tidal Influence

Murrells Inlet experiences a tidal range of roughly 5 feet on spring tides and 3 feet on neap tides. This swing dramatically changes the fishing landscape every six hours. At high tide, redfish push into the flooded spartina grass to feed on fiddler crabs, and the entire marsh becomes accessible by shallow-draft skiff or kayak. At low tide, water drains out of the creeks into the main channels, concentrating fish along oyster bars, drop-offs, and deep bends. Successful anglers match their tactics to the tide phase rather than picking one spot and waiting.

Redfish Tactics by Season

• Spring: As water temps climb past 60 degrees in March, reds move from winter holding holes in the ICW onto the warming flats. Sight-casting gold spoons to tailing fish on sunny, calm mornings is the purest form of Lowcountry fishing
• Summer: Dawn topwater blowups along grass edges give way to midday cut-bait fishing in deeper creek bends. Live shrimp freelined on a 1/0 circle hook is a reliable summer pattern
• Fall: Bull reds invade the inlet mouth in September and October. These fish run 30 to 45 inches and fight like freight trains on medium-heavy tackle. Fresh cut mullet on the bottom at the inlet jetties produces consistent bites
• Winter: Fish slow down but do not leave. Concentrate on the deepest holes in the main creek channels with live shrimp under a popping cork. Work the bait slowly — winter reds will not chase

Flounder Hotspots

Flounder in Murrells Inlet favor the transition zones where sandy bottom meets mud or oyster shell. The main creek channel from the Garden City Bridge down to the inlet mouth holds flatfish throughout the warm months, with the highest concentrations appearing during the fall run in September and October. Bounce a live mud minnow or finger mullet along the bottom on a 1/4-ounce jig head, letting the current sweep the bait across the channel edges. When you feel that distinctive thump-and-hold bite, count to three before setting the hook — flounder need time to turn the bait in their mouths.

Old-timers in Murrells Inlet say the best flounder fishing is on the last two hours of a falling tide at the inlet mouth. As water drains off the flats, baitfish get funneled through narrow cuts, and flatfish stack up to ambush them.

Creek Fishing Comparison: Kayak vs. Skiff

Local Knowledge

Murrells Inlet is a working fishing village with a dock-side restaurant row known as the Marshwalk. Local bait shops along US-17 Business carry live shrimp, mud minnows, and fiddler crabs, and the staff can point you toward which creeks have been fishing well that week. The boat ramp at the end of Wachesaw Road provides direct access to the upper creek system, while the public landing off Business 17 near the Marshwalk puts you closer to the inlet mouth.

South Carolina regulations require a saltwater fishing license for all anglers 16 and older. Current limits and size restrictions are available on the SCDNR website.