Service area
Fishing charters from Murrells Inlet
The short answer
Murrells Inlet sits about fifteen minutes south of Myrtle Beach and is where a lot of the area’s charter boats actually dock. The inlet opens onto a creek and marsh system on one side and gives a short run to nearshore reefs on the other, which is why boats keep here rather than on the beach front.
Why the boats are here and not in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is where people stay. Murrells Inlet is where the water works.
The inlet is a real tidal inlet with a creek system behind it, so a boat can fish protected water on a windy day and be through the mouth and onto nearshore structure in a short run on a calm one. A beachfront departure gives you neither.
Fifteen minutes in the car, and it is the reason the fishing is any good.
What the inlet fishes like
Behind the inlet you have creeks, oyster beds, sandbars and marsh edge. Shallow, sheltered, and full of structure that fish use on a tide.
This is redfish, flounder, speckled trout and black drum water. It fishes differently at different stages of the tide, which is why a captain who knows which bar holds fish on a falling tide in October is worth more than a bigger boat.
Out through the mouth, you reach reefs, wrecks and live bottom. Spanish and king mackerel, cobia, black sea bass, and sharks that are around more often than people expect.
Little River, a little further north, fishes the same way and gets worked on the right day.
Finding the dock
3993 US-17 BUS, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576, on the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk.
The Marsh Walk is the half mile boardwalk along the creek, which makes it easy to find and slightly harder to park on a summer evening. Come earlier than you think you need to, especially in season.
Phone: (843) 241-7706
What is here besides the boat
The Marsh Walk is restaurants and bars along the water, so a morning trip and lunch afterwards is the obvious plan, and an afternoon trip lands you back about when the place gets going.
Worth knowing if you are building a day around the trip rather than squeezing it in.
Which trip from here
| Trip | Hours | Where it fishes from Murrells Inlet |
|---|---|---|
| Half day | 4 | The creek system and the inlet, or a short run to close structure |
| Three quarter day | 6 | Room to fish inshore and get out to reefs |
Party size decides the boat. Confirm the assigned boat and its passenger capacity before booking. This is the difference from a party boat.
More on what a charter here involves.
Questions about fishing out of Murrells Inlet
How far is it from Myrtle Beach?
About fifteen minutes by car heading south on 17 Business. From the north end of Myrtle Beach, allow longer in summer traffic.
Is it better than fishing out of Myrtle Beach itself?
For inshore, yes, and not by a small margin, because the creek system is right there. For nearshore it is a question of the run on the day. The inlet is why most of the local fleet is here.
Where do we park?
Along the Marsh Walk, and it fills up. Arriving with time in hand is the whole trick in season.
What time do trips leave?
There are morning and afternoon departures, and the afternoon half day leaves early afternoon. Exact times move with the season and the tide, so confirm when you book.
Can you fish in the creeks if the ocean is rough?
That is the advantage of this inlet. A day that is unfishable outside is often a good day behind the marsh, and a captain will make that call for you.
Do you fish Little River as well?
Yes, when the day suits it.
How do we book?
Call (843) 241-7706, or use the booking page on the site to check what is open on your dates.
Still deciding which trip?
Tell us how long you have, how many are coming, and whether anyone has fished salt water before. We will say which trip fits and what the fishing is doing.
Keep reading
- Fishing charters out of Murrells InletInshore and nearshore fishing charters from Murrells Inlet: trip lengths, conditions and what to confirm before booking.
- Deep sea fishing out of Myrtle BeachDeep sea fishing out of Myrtle Beach covers several very different trips. What is reachable from Murrells Inlet, what you catch, and how long you need.
Last reviewed Carolina Hook and Fly
