By Captain Jason Webber, USCG-licensed captain, Myrtle Beach Sport Fishing, Murrells Inlet, SC.
Is October a good time to fish Myrtle Beach?
Yes. If you asked us to pick one month to put a first-timer on fish off Murrells Inlet, we would pick October and we would not think about it very long. The reason is temperature.
The seven-degree drop that changes everything
NWS Wilmington climatology puts the water off Myrtle Beach at about 76°F in the first ten days of October, 73°F through the middle of the month, and 69°F by the last week. That slide inside four weeks does two things at once. It pushes bait out of the creeks and along the beach, and it tells every predator in the system that winter is coming and it is time to eat. The 70-degree line is the one to watch: once the water crosses it, the inshore fishing goes from good to as good as it gets.
Inshore: peak bull red season
Bull red drum in the 20 to 40 pound range show up around the jetties and the nearshore wrecks. Slot reds school in water shallow enough to sight-fish them. Every bull red over the slot is released, and the new 2026 rules on keepers are in our red drum rules post. Spotted seatrout hit their annual peak on the grass flats and creek mouths in 5 to 25 feet, and this is all 4-Hour Reef & Wreck Charter water inside 15 miles.
Flounder staging at the inlet
Flounder stack up at the inlet and the jetties in October before the offshore spawning migration, and once they go, in November, that is largely it until spring. If flounder are the fish you want, this is the month.
Sheepshead and black drum return to structure
As the water cools, sheepshead and black drum move back onto the jetty rock, the pilings and the nearshore wrecks. Black drum peak from fall through spring, and pompano make their fall run along the beach at the same time.
Nearshore: kings hold, false albacore and bluefish arrive
King mackerel hold over the nearshore reefs through the month while the water is in the 70s, which is the middle of the fall king run. Little tunny, the false albacore, blitz the bait along the beach, and bluefish arrive with them. The 6-Hour Offshore Day Charter is the trip for this.
Offshore: last call before winter
Wahoo are often at their best from fall through spring, mahi and blackfin tuna are still on the troll, and yellowfin run through October. Billfish taper as the month goes on. Gulf Stream runs are 70 to 100 miles out on the 12-Hour Gulf Stream Trolling Charter and they are weather-gated, so treat offshore as the opportunistic upgrade rather than the default.
Bottom fishing in October
Black sea bass, vermilion snapper, triggerfish, amberjack, red grouper and scamp are open. Gag grouper is closed. The full open-and-closed picture, with sources, is in Fall Bottom Fishing: What’s Open and What’s Closed. The 8-Hour Offshore Day Charter is the bottom-fishing day most groups book.
Weather: the tropics wind down, the fronts start
Hurricane risk drops through the month, per NOAA climatology. What replaces it is the first cold fronts and the occasional nor’easter, which can blow the offshore trips out for a few days at a time while the inshore water still fishes fine. Our October recommendation is inshore or nearshore as the default, offshore when the window opens. Weather is the captain’s call: not safe or not fishable means a free reschedule or a full deposit refund.
Fewer boats, better availability
The summer crowds are gone, lead times are shorter, and the fish are aggressive. October is the easiest month of the year to get the date you actually want. Every species above is in our species guide with distance, depth and peak months.
Call (843) 231-5453 between 8am and 8pm, or check live availability.
Frequently asked questions
Is October a good month for fishing in Myrtle Beach?
Yes. Cooling water brings bull red drum to the jetties, puts spotted seatrout at their annual peak, stages flounder at the inlet and holds king mackerel nearshore. It is arguably the best all-round month of the year off Murrells Inlet.
What is the water temperature off Myrtle Beach in October?
About 76°F in the first ten days, 73°F mid-month and 69°F in the last week, based on NWS Wilmington climatology.
When is the fall bull red drum run in South Carolina?
October is the peak. Bull reds of 20 to 40 pounds move around the jetties and nearshore wrecks as the water falls through the 70s.
Can you still go offshore fishing in October?
Yes, when the weather allows. Wahoo, mahi and blackfin tuna are still on the troll 70 to 100 miles out, but October fronts can close the window for days at a time, so inshore is the safer default.