Blue marlin fishing out of Georgetown starts with the tournament in late May and runs to the Georgetown Hole and Gulf Stream water. This guide covers the timing, the run, the charted structure with depths, the local method and the people who fish it, so you can decide where to look from Georgetown. It does not promise fish.
When blue marlin are off Georgetown
The local season has a clear start marker and an operator-described peak.
Tournament start
The Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament runs in late May. Treat it as the start of the local season.
Summer and fall peak
Operators describe the peak as running through summer and fall. That comes from operators, not from a Breakpoint measurement. For the season beyond this port, see the Atlantic Southeast picture (see also the wider Atlantic Southeast guide).
| Window | What marks it |
|---|---|
| Late May | Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament |
| Summer and fall | Peak, as operators describe it |
Where boats run from Georgetown
Boats run offshore from Georgetown to the Georgetown Hole and to Gulf Stream water.
The Georgetown Hole
The Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament host says the Georgetown Hole is known for blue marlin big enough to hit the scales. A Hammock Coast tourism article places the fight about 15 miles out in the Atlantic. That distance is the article’s; we did not measure it.
Gulf Stream water
Operators describe running to Gulf Stream waters. We give no distance, temperature or edge position for it.
Reading conditions at NIWS1
The nearest NOAA buoy is NDBC station NIWS1 at Oyster Landing, North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve.
- Station: NIWS1
- Position: 33.349 N, 79.189 W
NIWS1 readings describe conditions at the reserve, not at the Georgetown Hole or in Gulf Stream water. Read the wind, wave height and period it reports, then check the official NOAA forecast for your run.
Named grounds and structure off Georgetown
C J Davidson Jr Reef is the one reef with a bearing: it lies at 147 degrees, 6.5 nm from channel buoy 2WB, with one buoy marked. Reef names and depths below come from the SC DNR artificial reef locations listing.
| Reef | Depth (ft) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hector Reef | 12 | |
| Georgetown Nearshore Reef | 30 | |
| Georgetown Reef | 35 | |
| North Inlet Reef | 45 | |
| C J Davidson Jr Reef | 53 | 147 degrees, 6.5 nm from channel buoy 2WB, one buoy marked |
| Cape Romain Reef | 55 | |
| Greenville Reef | 85 | |
| Vermilion Reef | 110 |
These are named structures charted in 12 to 110 ft. The sources do not describe them as blue marlin water; they point to the Georgetown Hole and Gulf Stream water.
You can view the reefs and depths on the Chart Contours layer in Breakpoint. Chart layers are not for navigation.
How blue marlin are fished here
Trolling is the local method, and the tournament scoring shapes how teams treat the fish.
Trolling
Blue marlin out of Georgetown are fished by trolling. For spreads and general tactics, use the blue marlin guide, which this page does not restate.
Tournament scoring and release
Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament scoring favors release:
- Release: 600 points
- Boated fish: 1 point per pound
- Boated fish are weighed at the marina dock
A release outscores any boated fish under 600 pounds.
Who fishes blue marlin out of Georgetown
The late-May tournament draws tournament teams to the port. For hire, Winyah Adventures fishing charters, run by Captain Eric, USCG-licensed, lists blue marlin. If you fish other billfish, see the billfish guides.
FAQ: blue marlin fishing out of Georgetown
How far out do boats run for blue marlin from Georgetown?
A Hammock Coast tourism article places the fight about 15 miles out in the Atlantic. The tournament host names the Georgetown Hole as the ground. Operators describe running to Gulf Stream waters. We give no other distances.
When is blue marlin season out of Georgetown?
The late-May tournament marks the start of the local season. Operators describe the peak as running through summer and fall. We give no months beyond these.
Where are tournament blue marlin weighed?
Boated fish are weighed at the marina dock. Boated fish score 1 point per pound, against 600 points for a release.
Do the reefs off Georgetown hold blue marlin?
The named reefs sit in 12 to 110 ft and are charted structure. The sources do not describe them as blue marlin water. The marlin sources point to the Georgetown Hole and Gulf Stream water.
Should I charter or run my own boat?
Winyah Adventures, run by Captain Eric, is USCG-licensed and lists blue marlin. If you run your own boat, you have the reef table, the C J Davidson Jr bearing and the NIWS1 numbers to plan from. We give no cost or trip details.
