Fort Sumter Tide Charts & Fishing
Thursday, November 5 · NOAA station 8665728 (Fort Sumter)
Tides live · forecast as of 2:07 AM ET
Tide chart and current conditions
Tide now
3.9 ft
▲ Rising · 1.2 ft/hr
Next high
4:45 AM
5.8 ft · in 2h 38m
Next low
10:45 AM
0.5 ft · in 8h 38m
Wind
4 mph ESE
Light breeze
Fishing score
79 /100
Very Good
drag to pan · scroll or pinch to zoom · hover for detail
| Day | Tide | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Nov 5 | High | 4:45 AM | 5.8 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Low | 10:45 AM | 0.5 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | High | 4:57 PM | 5.6 ft |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Low | 11:06 PM | 0.4 ft |
| Fri, Nov 6 | High | 5:35 AM | 6.0 ft |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Low | 11:39 AM | 0.4 ft |
| Fri, Nov 6 | High | 5:43 PM | 5.5 ft |
| Fri, Nov 6 | Low | 11:51 PM | 0.3 ft |
Today's Tide Times in Fort Sumter
Today in Fort Sumter, high tide arrives at 4:45 AM (5.8 ft) and again at 4:57 PM (5.6 ft), and low tide bottoms out at 10:45 AM (0.5 ft) and again at 11:06 PM (0.4 ft). That's a 5.4-foot swing — big, fast-moving water that concentrates feeding fish.
The sun rises at 6:40 AM and sets at 5:25 PM, under a waning crescent (22% illuminated). Tidal range is in the middle of its two-week cycle.
Tomorrow starts with a high tide at 5:35 AM (6.0 ft) — see the 7-day outlook below to plan the week.
Fishing Score · Now
79/ 100
Best windows today
- 6:00 AM – 8:00 AMExcellent
- 6:00 PM – 8:00 PMExcellent
strong outgoing tide · dawn bite window · light wind
Sun & Moon
- Sunrise
- 6:40 AM
- Sunset
- 5:25 PM
Waning Crescent
22% illuminated
Neap tides — gentler water movement. Fish the dawn and dusk windows.
Conditions
70°F
Partly cloudy
- Wind
- 4 mph ESEgusts 8
- Waves
- 2.4 ft @ 6s
- Water temp
- 70°F
Light breeze — Great fishing conditions
7-Day Fishing Outlook
Today
79° / 65°
Excellent
Best: 6:00 AM–8:00 AM
Fri, Nov 6
77° / 67°
Excellent
Best: 7:00 AM–9:00 AM
Sat, Nov 7
72° / 61°
Excellent
Best: 8:00 AM–10:00 AM
Sun, Nov 8
67° / 55°
Excellent
Best: 4:00 AM–6:00 AM
Mon, Nov 9
68° / 55°
Excellent
Best: 4:00 AM–6:00 AM
Tue, Nov 10
71° / 54°
Excellent
Best: 4:30 AM–6:30 AM
Wed, Nov 11
73° / 59°
Excellent
Best: 4:30 AM–6:30 AM
7-Day Tide Table for Fort Sumter
High and low tide times and heights for the next seven days, with sunrise (↑) and sunset (↓). Heights are relative to MLLW. NOAA predictions for station 8665728; local time.
| Day | Tides | Sun |
|---|---|---|
| TodayThu, Nov 5 |
| ↑ 6:40 AM↓ 5:25 PM |
| TomorrowFri, Nov 6 |
| ↑ 6:41 AM↓ 5:24 PM |
| Sat, Nov 7 |
| ↑ 6:42 AM↓ 5:23 PM |
| Sun, Nov 8 |
| ↑ 6:43 AM↓ 5:22 PM |
| Mon, Nov 9 |
| ↑ 6:44 AM↓ 5:22 PM |
| Tue, Nov 10 |
| ↑ 6:45 AM↓ 5:21 PM |
| Wed, Nov 11 |
| ↑ 6:46 AM↓ 5:20 PM |
What's Biting at Fort Sumter
Activity ratings reflect typical feeding seasons — not legal seasons. Regulations, closures, and size/bag limits change; always check current SCDNR regulations before keeping any fish.
Redfish
Sciaenops ocellatus
Season: Year-round, best in fall
Baits: Cut mullet, Live shrimp, Gold spoons
Sight-fish tailing reds on shallow flats on a flooding tide. Fall schools push bait against oyster bars and grass edges.
Spotted Seatrout
Cynoscion nebulosus
Season: Year-round, best in cooler months
Baits: Live shrimp under a popping cork, Soft plastics, Topwaters
Drift grass flats in 2–6 feet with a popping cork ahead of the drift. Gator trout hunt alone in skinny water at dawn.
Southern Flounder
Paralichthys lethostigma
Season: Spring and fall; the fall run to the passes is the event
Baits: Live mud minnows, Finger mullet, Gulp! shrimp on a jig head
Drag a bait slowly along the bottom at channel edges, jetty rocks and the down-current side of structure on an outgoing tide. In the fall, flounder stack in passes and inlets on their way to the Gulf or ocean; fish the drop-offs then.
Sheepshead
Archosargus probatocephalus
Season: Winter – early spring
Baits: Fiddler crabs, Shrimp, Barnacles
Fish tight to pilings and rocks — the bite is a subtle tick. Set the hook the instant you feel weight; they steal baits for a living.
Cobia
Rachycentron canadum
Season: Spring migration along the beaches, again in the fall
Baits: Live eels, Live pinfish or menhaden, Big bucktail jigs
A sight-fishing target that cruises just under the surface along the beach, often shadowing rays, turtles or buoys. From a pier or jetty, watch the up-current side and have a heavy jig ready to pitch. They follow a hooked fish to the boat and can be caught in pairs.
Gear for These Conditions
TheAnglerStore →Matched to the species feeding at Fort Sumter right now.
Surf Rods
Okuma Tundra Surf Spinning Rod — 7 ft, 2-Piece
Okuma build the Tundra as a surf series and say so themselves, they describe it as favoured by catfish anglers and cost-conscious surf anglers.
$25.95Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Soft Baits
Zoom Fluke 4" — Smokin' Shad, 10-Pack
Same darting soft-jerkbait profile in the standard body, in a translucent shad pattern that covers most clear-water situations.
$3.99Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Terminal Tackle
Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Offset Circle Sea Hook — 4/0, 50-Pack
The circle hook does the work for you: no strike, just let the rod load and the hook finds the corner of the jaw on its own.
$15.97Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Tools
Rapala 8" Super Stainless Steel Pliers
Eight inches of stainless with an internal spring that holds the jaws open, so you can work one-handed while the other hand is busy holding a fish.
$32.99Shop at TheAnglerStore →
Fort Sumter Tide & Fishing FAQ
›What time is high tide in Fort Sumter today?
High tide in Fort Sumter today is at 4:45 AM (5.8 ft) and again at 4:57 PM (5.6 ft), measured at NOAA station 8665728 (Fort Sumter).
›What time is low tide in Fort Sumter today?
Low tide in Fort Sumter today is at 10:45 AM (0.5 ft) and again at 11:06 PM (0.4 ft).
›When is the best time to fish in Fort Sumter today?
Today's best fishing window at Fort Sumter is 6:00 AM–8:00 AM (rated Excellent, 89/100), driven by strong outgoing tide, dawn bite window, light wind. The score blends tide movement, dawn/dusk light, moon phase, wind, and water temperature.
›What fish are biting in Fort Sumter in November?
In November, the most active species at Fort Sumter are Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Southern Flounder, Sheepshead. See the species section above for baits, techniques, and seasons.
›Is this the tide chart for Sullivan's Island?
Yes — Fort Sumter (NOAA station 8665728) is the closest official tide prediction station to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, so these are the tide times anglers and boaters in Sullivan's Island plan around.
›How accurate is this Fort Sumter tide chart?
Predictions come directly from NOAA CO-OPS harmonic predictions for station 8665728 (Fort Sumter) and are the same data used in official tide tables. Actual water levels can vary with storms and barometric pressure, so treat predictions as planning guidance, not navigation data.
About Fort Sumter
NOAA maintains tide predictions for Fort Sumter as part of its lowcountry station network. This page tracks station 8665728 (Fort Sumter) live: today's highs and lows, the week ahead, sun and moon, and the conditions that decide whether it's worth wetting a line — all in one view. Fort Sumter is the closest NOAA tide station to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina — if you fish, paddle, or boat out of Sullivan's Island, these are the tide predictions to plan around.