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4,886-acre Bulls Bay fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo survey contours (76.93% measured, 97.64% assessed), source-traceable coastal structure, regional fish-survey occurrence, sourced forage timing and verified public access. The water tops out around 42 ft. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The channels, holes and drop-offs come from the source data, not a distance-from-shore model. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The outline encloses 4,890 acres, worked by 25.9 miles of shoreline — one island included. With a shoreline index of 2.6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. Roughly 98% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. The basin spans about 7.8 mi end to end and 4.7 mi across at its widest. Its nearest charted neighbour, Cooper River, is 23 mi to the west.
Early season red drum (redfish) use the shallows, holding in 1 to 8 ft. Summer is a 2 to 12 ft game here, winter a 3 to 15 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow feeding flat — feeding flat, 7 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (7 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (7 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel shoulder (17 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
In spring, spotted seatrout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 4 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 20 ft. Surveyed channel edge is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 10 ft, rated prime for summer spotted seatrout. Time it for early morning. You won't need more than a popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (7 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Surveyed channel edge (10 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (7 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Spring southern flounder on Bulls Bay hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 3 to 18 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 40 ft. The chart's best answer is NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break — channel edge, 14 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning. The summer box starts with a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 15 to 40 ft | midday | Surveyed channel edge (27 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
When the water first warms, black drum slide up into 4 to 25 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 18 ft, winter 8 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth: a channel edge around 35 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 4 to 22 ft | dawn | NOAA BlueTopo measured channel break (14 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 8 to 35 ft | midday | NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth (35 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Spring sheepshead on Bulls Bay hold shallow, usually 5 to 25 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 15 ft in summer, 10 to 30 ft once it turns cold. Put NOAA charted pile first on the milk run — a dock line near 3 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a small jig + crab piece.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | NOAA charted hard seabed (6 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | NOAA charted pile (3 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 5 to 20 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (14 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 10 to 30 ft | midday | NOAA charted pile (14 ft) | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
Count 15 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, NOAA BlueTopo measured inlet-channel depth, sits near 35 ft.
Access data: South Carolina DNR — Public Water Access (PL084; OBJECTID 964). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for South Carolina waters are set by the South Carolina DNR (saltwater) — and special regulations can apply to Bulls Bay specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Carolina fishing regulations →
Bulls Bay is about 42 ft (13 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart is built from real agency bathymetry referenced to NAVD88; directly measured coverage remains distinguished from source interpolation. The contours reflect measured and quality-assessed source depths.
Anglers target red drum (redfish), spotted seatrout, southern flounder, black drum, sheepshead on Bulls Bay.
Shallow feeding flat is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for red drum (redfish) in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
For red drum (redfish), the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Bulls Bay is regulated by the South Carolina DNR (saltwater). Check the official South Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Cooper River 23 mi · Lake Moultrie 38 mi · Great Pee Dee River 39 mi, SC/NC · Lake Marion 60 mi · Shallotte Inlet 92 mi, NC · Shallotte River 94 mi, NC/SC · Calibogue Sound 99 mi · Congaree River 100 mi · Wright River 103 mi, SC/GA · Lake Robinson 107 mi · Lake Waccamaw 108 mi, NC · Cape Fear River - Reach 2 of 2 116 mi, NC/SC
Browse all South Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 77% measured, 21% source-interpolated). How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.