Red drum, flounder and black sea bass limits for Grand Strand anglers in SC and NC

Grand Strand anglers may keep one red drum a day in both South Carolina and North Carolina as of Oct. 30, 2026, but the legal size differs: 18 to 25 inches in South Carolina and 18 to 27 inches in North Carolina. Flounder is open year-round in South Carolina at five fish a day, 16 inches minimum, while North Carolina’s 2026 recreational flounder season in inside waters ran only Sept. 1 to 14. Black sea bass must be at least 13 inches, with a limit of seven, in federal waters off both states.

Horry and Georgetown counties follow South Carolina rules, set by state law and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Brunswick County follows North Carolina rules, set by the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF).

Red drum, flounder and black sea bass limits: SC vs. NC

Recreational limits as of Oct. 30, 2026, per South Carolina law, SCDNR, the NC DMF and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Species	South Carolina (Horry, Georgetown)	North Carolina (Brunswick)
Red drum	18 to 25 inches total length; 1 per person per day; 2 per boat per day	18 to 27 inches total length; 1 per person per day
Flounder	16 inches minimum; 5 per person per day; 10 per boat per day; open year-round	Closed except set seasons; 2026 inside-waters season was Sept. 1 to 14, 15 inches, 1 per person
Black sea bass	Federal rules: 13 inches minimum, 7 fish	13 inches minimum, 7 per person per day south of Cape Hatteras

What are the new red drum rules in South Carolina?

South Carolina’s red drum limit changed on July 1, 2026. Anglers may now keep one red drum per day, 18 to 25 inches total length, with no more than two per boat, under Act 231 of 2026, which the governor signed May 19, 2026. The previous limit allowed two fish per person, 15 to 23 inches, and six per boat.

The same law requires non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing for saltwater gamefish with natural bait on a hook size 4/0 or larger.

What are the red drum rules in North Carolina?

North Carolina allows one red drum per person per day, 18 to 27 inches total length, according to the NC DMF 2026 recreational guide, updated Jan. 26, 2026. Possessing a red drum longer than 27 inches is illegal, and red drum may not be gigged, speared or gaffed.

Every red drum kept in North Carolina must be reported to the DMF, under a rule that took effect Dec. 1, 2025.

When is flounder season on the Grand Strand?

In South Carolina, flounder is open all year. Each angler may keep five flounder per day, at least 16 inches long, with no more than 10 per boat, under rules that took effect July 1, 2021, according to SCDNR. The limits cover southern, Gulf and summer flounder. State law bans gigging for flounder in South Carolina salt waters during daylight hours, according to the S.C. Code of Laws.

In North Carolina, recreational flounder harvest is closed most of the year. The 2026 season in coastal and joint fishing waters ran Sept. 1 to 14, with a 15-inch minimum and one fish per person per day, hook and line or gig only, according to the NC DMF. Every flounder kept had to be reported.

A separate ocean season for Gulf flounder only, in North Carolina ocean waters from Portsmouth Island to the South Carolina line within 3 miles of shore, ran March 9 to 22, 2026, with a 15-inch minimum and one fish per day, per DMF proclamation FF-13-2026. As of Oct. 30, 2026, flounder harvest is closed in Brunswick County waters.

What are the black sea bass limits off Myrtle Beach and Brunswick County?

In federal waters of the South Atlantic, black sea bass must be at least 13 inches total length, with a bag limit of seven fish, according to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The 2026-27 federal recreational season opened April 1, 2026, and runs through March 31, 2027, for the full year, according to NOAA Fisheries.

In North Carolina state waters south of Cape Hatteras, the DMF lists the same 13-inch minimum and seven fish per person per day. North Carolina anglers may not keep both a state and a federal bag limit of the same species on one trip, per the DMF guide. SCDNR’s black sea bass page points South Carolina anglers to the federal snapper-grouper regulations.

Boats fishing for snapper-grouper species, including black sea bass, in federal waters must carry a descending device attached to at least 16 ounces of weight and 60 feet of line, plus a dehooking tool, according to the council. Non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks are required with natural bait.

Where to check fishing rules before you go

South Carolina rules are posted by SCDNR at dnr.sc.gov. North Carolina rules change by proclamation; the DMF posts them on its website and answers questions at 252-515-5500 or 800-682-2632.

Spotted a rule change or a closed ramp? Send it to the Grand Strand Dispatch through the contact page.

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