Georgia Surf Fishing Guide
Georgia's short coast is covered at Tybee Island near Savannah and at St. Simons and Jekyll Island in the Golden Isles.
Striper Tracker covers 3 Georgia surf-fishing locations: Tybee Island, St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island. Each one has its own Surf Fishing HQ page with live ocean temperature, tides, waves, wind and moon, and the fish usually in season.
Georgia beaches we cover
Tybee Island
Georgia Coast · surf, pier, inlet and marsh
Seasonal species: Red drum (surf), Red drum (marsh flood tide), Whiting / sea mullet, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, Flounder and Sharks. Main surf target: Red drum (marsh flood tide).
Tides: NOAA station 8670892 (semidiurnal) · Waves: no nearshore buoy
St. Simons Island
Golden Isles · pier, surf, inlet and marsh · also covers East Beach / Gould’s Inlet
Seasonal species: Red drum (surf), Red drum (marsh flood tide), Whiting / sea mullet, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, Flounder and Sharks.
Tides: NOAA station 8677344 (semidiurnal) · Waves: no nearshore buoy
Jekyll Island
Golden Isles · pier, surf and marsh
Seasonal species: Red drum (surf), Red drum (marsh flood tide), Whiting / sea mullet, Speckled trout, Black drum, Sheepshead, Spanish mackerel, Flounder and Sharks.
Tides: NOAA station 8677344 (semidiurnal) · Waves: no nearshore buoy
Georgia surf fishing seasons
| Species | Usually around | Peak | How anglers fish it | Season source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red drum (surf) | Mar–Nov occasional Dec–Feb | Apr–May, Aug–Nov | Cut mullet or blue crab near sound inlets and pier ends; spring and fall are best. | regional research |
| Red drum (marsh flood tide) | May–Oct | Aug–Oct | Tailing reds on flooded grass during big spring-tide floods. Georgia has the largest tidal range on the coast. | SCDNR warm-month data; exact months estimated |
| Whiting / sea mullet | Mar–Nov | Mar–May, Sep–Oct | Shrimp on bottom rigs from the beach or pier. | general guidance |
| Speckled trout | Sep–Apr | Oct–Nov | Live shrimp under a float around pilings and creek mouths in fall. | general guidance |
| Black drum | all year | Feb–Apr | Shrimp or clams on the bottom near pier pilings. | general guidance |
| Sheepshead | Nov–May | Feb–Apr | Fiddler crabs tight to pilings and rocks. | general guidance |
| Spanish mackerel | Apr–Oct | May–Sep | Small spoons from the pier on clear, moving water. | general guidance |
| Flounder | Apr–Oct | Sep–Oct | Mud minnows dragged slowly along the bottom near docks and inlets. Not scored: flounder rules change often. | general guidance |
| Sharks | May–Oct | Jun–Sep | Cut bait on heavy tackle, mostly at night. Release protected species. | general guidance |
Seasons are regional calendars from published sources, not checked for this exact beach. "Usually around" means the fish is normally present that month; it is not a rating of today's fishing, a catch report or a sighting.
Where the conditions come from
Ocean temperature comes from the nearest suitable NOAA buoy or water-level station, with NASA JPL MUR satellite temperature as a fallback; tides from NOAA tide stations; wind from the National Weather Service forecast; and moon phases from the U.S. Naval Observatory. Each beach page names its own stations and how old each reading is.
Licenses and regulations
Saltwater licenses, size limits and seasons change. Check the Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division before you fish.
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