Salt water depth chart
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131-acre Bullyard Sound fishing map with NOAA BlueTopo contours (96.8% measured, 97.82% assessed), exact NOAA ESI fish and nursery occurrence, measured USACE channel and flat spots, two verified access sites, three forage calendars and current South Carolina rules. The water tops out around 10 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 131 acres, worked by 2.6 miles of shoreline. A middling shoreline index (1.6) gives it some bays to work without being a maze. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Figure 0.9 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.4 mi at the beam. Hamlin Sound sits 2 mi west — the closest neighbouring chart.
Spring red drum (redfish) on Bullyard Sound hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 2 to 10 ft, and by winter most fish are in 2 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 — channel edge, 7 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a weedless gold spoon or a paddletail swimbait.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed shallow flat (3 ft) | Gold weedless spoon, Paddletail on 1/4 oz jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Weedless gold spoon, Paddletail swimbait |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn & midday | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | 1/2 oz spoon (schools), Big paddletail |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Scented soft plastic on 1/8 oz head, Slow-rolled paddletail |
Spring puts spotted seatrout in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 is the standout, a channel edge at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for winter spotted seatrout. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A popping cork + shrimp or a 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) covers the summer program.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Surveyed shallow flat (3 ft) | Topwater walker, Suspending twitchbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 15 ft | dawn | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Popping cork + shrimp, 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (deep grass edge) |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 12 ft | dawn | Surveyed shallow flat (3 ft) | Popping cork rig, Soft plastic jerkbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | midday & dusk | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Suspending twitchbait (long pauses), Scented plastic crawled on bottom |
Early season southern flounder use the shallows, holding in 1 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. The chart's best answer is WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 — channel edge, 7 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a jighead + gulp swimming mullet or a bucktail tipped with shrimp and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 2 to 15 ft | dawn | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + paddletail (white/chartreuse), Bucktail + Gulp shrimp |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 18 ft | dawn | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Jighead + Gulp swimming mullet, Bucktail tipped with shrimp |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | 3/8 oz bucktail + Gulp (passes), Big paddletail on the jetty edge |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Slow jig + scented grub in the holes |
Come spring, look for black drum tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 2 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2: a channel edge around 7 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A shrimp imitation dragged slowly or a small crab jig is the honest summer answer here.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 25 ft | midday & dusk | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Crab-tipped bottom jig, Shrimp on a jighead |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 18 ft | dawn & dusk | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Shrimp imitation dragged slowly, Small crab jig |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 4 to 22 ft | dawn | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Crab-tipped jig, Scented shrimp jig |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 8 to 35 ft | midday | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Heavy bottom jig + crab |
Early season sheepshead use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Even in summer they hold at 2 to 10 ft; winter keeps them in 3 to 10 ft. Put WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 first on the milk run — a channel edge near 7 ft that grades good for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a small jig + crab piece and you're in the game.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | 1/4 oz jighead + fiddler, Sheepshead jig + shrimp piece |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 15 ft | dawn | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Small jig + crab piece |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 20 ft | midday | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Jighead + shrimp, Small crab jig |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 10 to 30 ft | midday | open water | Heavier jig + crab (deep pilings) |
When the water first warms, bluefish slide up into 2 to 10 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 10 ft, winter 3 to 10 ft. Start at WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2. It's a channel edge holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a popper (early/late) or a metal jigs in the rips rigged through the warm months.
Depth note: when a documented seasonal range extends below this chart, the table shows the deepest mapped working water, not a verified holding depth.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Metal (Hopkins/Kastmaster), Pencil popper |
| Summer | 2 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Popper (early/late), Metal jigs in the rips |
| Fall | 1 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 3 to 25 ft | dawn & midday | Surveyed shallow flat (3 ft) | Pencil popper, Big metal |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft chart-limited; documented 15 to 40 ft | midday | WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 (7 ft) | Metal jig worked slow (southern waters) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 5 features, led in depth by WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge at roughly 7 ft.
Access data: City of Isle of Palms — IOP Public Dock. 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 Bullyard Sound specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Carolina fishing regulations →
Bullyard Sound is about 10 ft (3 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, bluefish on Bullyard Sound. The list combines the water's survey records with habitat-filtered species from broader official evidence; those additions are plausible occurrences, not exact-water abundance or guaranteed catches.
WINYAH BAY TO CHARLESTON channel edge 2 is the top-rated area: a channel edge in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for black drum in winter. 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 Bullyard Sound 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.
Hamlin Sound 2 mi · Cooper River 13 mi · Bulls Bay 14 mi · Lake Moultrie 38 mi · Great Pee Dee River 52 mi, SC/NC · Lake Marion 60 mi · Calibogue Sound 85 mi · Wright River 88 mi, SC/GA · Congaree River 98 mi · Shallotte Inlet 107 mi, NC · Shallotte River 108 mi, NC/SC · Lake Robinson 113 mi
Browse all South Carolina fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: NOAA BlueTopo (NAVD88; 97% measured, 1% 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.