Where to go Crabbing on Hilton Head Island

Part of the Lowcountry region of the United States, Hilton Head Island is known for its golf courses, beaches, and fishing spots.

For any crab lovers planning a trip to Hilton Head, I found the top three public crabbing spots on the Island. The fishing pier at Pinckney Island, the bridge along Singleton Beach Road, and the fishing pier at Sterling Point Drive are great spots to go crabbing on Hilton Head Island.

Let’s look into each spot to make sure your crabbing trip is a great one.

Hilton Head Fishing Charters

Before you decide to go through the process of finding a crabbing spot, purchasing crabbing gear, and going down the rabbit hole that is recreational crabbing, you may want to consider a crabbing charter. A crabbing charter is a private crabbing trip with an expert captain. He or she will take you on the water with their boat to set crab traps and go fishing. You’ll spend the day on the water and learn a thing or two, and you get to keep whatever fish or crabs you catch!

I highly recommend this experience to anyone new to crabbing. There is a huge learning curve when it comes to figuring out crabbing techniques, buying the right gear, the right bait, finding the best time to go crabbing, and the list goes on. With a charter, however, you’ll get to have an expert at your side to answer any questions as you learn how to go crabbing. They’ll provide all the gear necessary, a license, and everything else you will need for this trip.

I don’t say this to overwhelm you, but just to introduce the idea of a charter boat.

I recommend this experience if you’re crabbing with children, are a beginner, or want a guided tour of the South Carolina Lowcountry. Not only will you get to go home with blue crabs, but you will also learn a thing or two about the marsh’s wildlife.

Click here to browse fishing & crabbing charters on Hilton Head Island at FishingBooker.com (Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for Fishingbooker.com I may receive a small commission if you use my link).

Public Crabbing Spots

Surrounded by saltwater marshes on the west, and the great Atlantic to the east, Hilton Head Island is a great place to catch SC blue crabs. If you’re lucky enough to rent or own a home on the island with a pier, you can most definitely go crabbing from there. Just make sure you’re over relatively shallow, calm marsh waters.

If not, I found three great public spots to go crabbing near Hilton Head Island.

1) Pinckney Island

Just before you cross the J. Wilton Graves Bridge and enter Hilton Head Island, you’ll stumble upon Pinckney Island.

The island is a great spot to explore and photograph the thrilling natural wildlife of South Carolina. You can hunt white-tailed deer in the fall and go fishing, or crabbing, in the surrounding estuaries.

The island provides a small boat landing dock for your fishing boats. If you don’t have a boat, there are plenty of boat rentals in the area. Check out this helpful article I found on boat rentals nearby Hilton Head Island.

The wildlife refuge also has a great pier for fishing or crabbing. It doubles as a boat launch, so be sure to use any crab traps on the southern end of the pier, out of the way from any boats. People seem to have the most luck with ring nets on the fishing pier.

Parking may get a bit crowded during busy parts of the year, such as deer hunting season and certain events. There are plenty of free parking spots along William Hilton Pkwy at C.C. Haigh, Jr. Boat Landing.

You can also go crabbing along the island’s shoreline. Just be wary of any wildlife that you may encounter. It is prohibited to go crabbing or fishing in the freshwater ponds on the island.

Aim for flat, shallow, sandy beaches for crabbing. It’ll make using hand lines or crab snares much easier and more enjoyable.

You will need a South Carolina Saltwater Recreational Fishing License to go crabbing on the wildlife refuge unless you plan on using less than 3 or fewer drop nets, 3 or fewer fold-up traps, or 3 or fewer handlines. You can easily buy a license on SC Department of Natural Resources website.

For more information about Pinckney Island, visitor activities, and rules & regulations be sure to check their website.

2) Singleton Beach Rd

Singleton Beach Rd is one of my favorite spots to go crabbing on Hilton Head Island. It’s not as crowded as Pinckney Island crabbing pier and is minutes away from the Atlantic Ocean. There’s not very much open water for fishing, but shallow running waters are perfect for a crabbing trip.

If you take a look at Singleton Beach Rd on Google Maps, it bridges over Folly Feeder Creek. The creek feeds straight from the Atlantic ocean into a shallow saltwater marsh, perfect for crabbing or shrimping. You’ll be sure to catch a delicious crustacean dinner by the end of the day.

Keep in mind that this crabbing spot is along a public road, so I’d be wary about bringing children or pets.

Parking can be a bit of a pain. Unless you’re lucky enough to snatch a spot alongside the road, you’ll have to park at Chaplin Community Park. It’s only a few minutes up the road, or a ten-minute walk from Singleton Beach Rd bridge.

Because of this, I recommend packing light. A small cooler should hold your bait, some water, and snacks for the trip. I recommend using it to hold the crabs you catch, so be sure to bring a towel and some ice packs to keep them cool and damp.

A small backpack can hold crab ring nets and hand lines, along with whatever else you plan to keep you occupied.

Also, consider bringing some boots you don’t mind getting muddy. You’ll have a much better chance at catching crabs wading deeper into the marsh in untouched waters. Just be careful, there are alligators in Hilton Head. On the south side of the bridge, you’ll find dozens of small islands to set up camp on. They’re great for crabbing and even greater for a crabbing adventure.

3) Sterling Point Drive

On the end of Sterling Point Drive, right after the roundabout, lies a fishing pier most visitors to Hilton Head Island don’t know about. It stretches a considerable length out into the surrounding estuary.

Unlike Singleton Beach Rd, Sterling Point Drive is out of the way of the busy roadways, surrounded by trees with plenty of white sand and green grass. You’ll definitely get the coastal South Carolina to feel after a day on Sterling Point Drive.

You’ll be sure to catch a few fish on the open water, and a few blue crabs in the saltwater marsh.

There’s plenty of space to park along Sterling Point Drive at the roundabout. I especially like this spot because of the close proximity from the fishing pier to your vehicle.

When is South Carolina’s Crabbing Season?

South Carolina’s crabbing season typically lasts from October 1st to May 15th. For the most accurate season dates, check out South Carolina’s DNR website or call 843-953-9300.

Which crabs can I legally keep?

In South Carolina, you are legally allowed to keep blue crabs that span 5 inches across the carapace (from point to point). Be sure to bring a crab gauge for the most accurate measurement. You can pick one up online, at a local bait & tackle shop, or at any nearby store that sells crabbing supplies.

When you catch a crab, the first thing you do is turn it over. You need to check whether it’s a male or a female. A female will have a more rounded abdomen in the shape of the capitol building, while a male crab’s abdomen will be more narrow in the shape of the Washington monument.

If it’s a female crab and it has an orange sponge underneath, you’re required by law to throw it back. That orange sponge is millions of tiny crab eggs, and we need those eggs to spawn more crabs for more crabbing trips.

Where to go Crabbing on Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Fishing Charters