South Carolina fishing rules from mountain trout streams to the Atlantic
South Carolina does not have one universal fishing-limit chart. The legal answer changes with the species, exact lake or river, freshwater/saltwater dividing line, season, fish length and — offshore — whether you are inside state waters or beyond the three-mile federal boundary.
Why an older South Carolina regulation booklet can already be wrong
2025–2026 guide
SCDNR says this book remains valid through August 15, 2026.
But legislation enacted during 2026 already changed red drum and blue catfish regulations before the annual guide-year transition.
2026–2027 rules
SCDNR’s new PDF is available and the online eRegulations pages were updated in early August.
Current Acts 120 and 231 are already legally effective and should be used even if an older printed booklet says something different.
Identify your fishing zone before reading a species limit
Inland lake / river
Use freshwater game-fish limits, then check the named-water bass, striped bass, catfish or trout exception.
SCDNR State Managed Lake
Managed lakes can use special creels, boating rules, operating hours and restrictions on nongame devices.
Saltwater state waters
From the official freshwater/saltwater dividing line to roughly three nautical miles offshore, South Carolina marine rules control.
Federal Atlantic waters
Beyond the three-mile boundary, NOAA/SAFMC seasons, permits, closures and release-gear rules become critical.
Rules most likely to affect a South Carolina trip right now
Red drum
18–25″ • 1/personMaximum two per boat in state waters. New rule effective July 1.
Many striped-bass waters
June 16–Sept. 30Multiple coastal rivers and the Santee system prohibit striped/hybrid bass possession during the summer closure.
Lake Murray striper
5/day • any lengthJune 1–September 30 special summer rule.
Blue catfish
150/day most watersSeveral major waterways remain capped at 25.
Red snapper
Federal recreation closedSouth Carolina state waters retain a separate 2-fish, 20-inch rule.
Gag grouper
Closed Aug. 2Current federal closure extends into 2027.
Flounder
16″ • 5/personMaximum 10 per boat.
Spotted seatrout
14″ • 10/dayFreshwater and saltwater are separate South Carolina privileges
Freshwater fishing
A South Carolina freshwater fishing license is generally required for public freshwater fishing.
Saltwater fishing
A recreational saltwater license is generally required when harvesting marine finfish, oysters, clams, shrimp or crab.
Special nongame-device permits can still be required regardless of age.
Recreational resident-license eligibility generally uses a 30-day SC residency requirement.
Required licenses, permits, stamps/tags and identifying information must be available while exercising the privilege.
South Carolina freshwater size & daily possession limits
| Species | Size | Daily possession | Important exception |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bream | Any length | 30 | Redbreast sunfish has a separate 15-fish limit. |
| Redbreast sunfish | Any length | 15 | Counts toward game-fish total. |
| Crappie | 8″ minimum | 20 | Managed-lake regulations may differ. |
| Walleye + sauger | Any length statewide baseline | 8 combined | Named waters can impose additional rules. |
| Chain pickerel | Any length | 30 | Statewide baseline. |
| Yellow perch | Any length | 30 | Statewide baseline. |
| Smallmouth bass | 12″ minimum | 5 black-bass aggregate | Savannah-border waters can use a 10-black-bass aggregate. |
| Largemouth bass | No statewide minimum | 5 black-bass aggregate | Many major reservoirs use a 14-inch minimum. |
| Spotted bass | Any length | 15 statewide | Savannah-border waters use combined black-bass limits. |
| White bass | Any length | 10 | Savannah River rules differ. |
| Striped + hybrid bass | Water-specific | 10 statewide baseline | Santee, Murray, Russell, Hartwell, coastal rivers and Savannah River have major special rules. |
| Trout | Any length statewide baseline | 5 | Multiple catch-and-release/artificial-lure waters apply. |
The statewide “no minimum” largemouth rule disappears on many major lakes
14-inch largemouth waters
Includes Lakes Blalock, Greenwood, Jocassee, Marion, Monticello, Moultrie, Murray, Secession, Wateree and Wylie, plus the middle Saluda and upper Santee reaches.
14″Savannah-border group
Hartwell, Russell, Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah, Stevens Creek, Chattooga and Savannah waters use a 10-black-bass combined limit.
Slade’s Lake
12″ • 2/dayA good example of why the exact lake must be checked before applying statewide limits.
“Can I keep a striper today?” depends heavily on the South Carolina water
Lake Murray
5/dayJune 1–September 30: no minimum length. The middle Saluda reach uses the same summer framework.
Santee River system
June 16–September 30 possession is closed.
Lower Saluda catch-and-release remains allowed under special hook restrictions.
Many coastal rivers
Ashepoo, Ashley, Edisto, Great/Little Pee Dee, Waccamaw and many other listed waters close striped/hybrid bass possession June 16–September 30.
Lower Savannah River
2/day • 27″Striped, hybrid or white bass are combined under this lower-Savannah rule.
South Carolina blue catfish limits changed dramatically in 2026
Most South Carolina waterways
150/dayThe 2026 law increased the blue-catfish daily bag to 150 fish per person on most state waterways.
25-fish exception waters
25/dayLake Marion, Lake Moultrie, upper Santee River and the Pee Dee River from the North Carolina border south to the Highway 301 bridge.
Lake Marion and other major reservoirs add rules beyond fish size
Lake Marion winter closures
All watercraft and fishing are prohibited November 1–February 28 on Cantey Bay, Black Bottom and Savannah Branch.
Lake Moultrie Hatchery WMA
Closed to fishing each Saturday until noon and all day on the last Saturday of the waterfowl season.
State Managed Lakes
Nongame fishing devices are prohibited on SCDNR State Managed Lakes. Individual lake hours, boating restrictions and creels can also differ.
South Carolina trout: statewide five-fish rule with important special streams
Statewide baseline
5/dayBrook, brown, rainbow trout and their hybrids; no statewide minimum length unless a special-water rule applies.
Delayed-harvest style waters
Several designated reaches are catch-and-release Nov. 1–May 14 with single-hook artificial-lure restrictions.
Examples include portions of Chauga, Chattooga, Corbin, Devils Fork, Eastatoe and Howard creeks/rivers.
Lower Saluda River
5/dayOnly one trout may exceed 16 inches under the broader Lower Saluda trout rule. A designated I-20-to-Stacey’s-Ledge reach is catch-and-release only.
Rod limits, baitfish rules & nongame-device permits
Game fish may be taken with hook-and-line/pole/rod-and-reel; no more than four may normally be used by one angler at once.
An unlimited number of lawful rod-type devices may be used when everyone aboard age 16+ has a valid fishing license.
A separate tag/permit is required and waterbody restrictions apply.
Requires the appropriate recreational permit and is subject to location-specific device rules.
Can a game fish be used as bait?
Generally no, except qualifying bream other than redbreast sunfish. Any game fish legally used as bait still counts toward the daily creel.
Where can trout be used as bait?
Only on specified waters including Lakes Hartwell, Russell, Thurmond, Tugaloo and Yonah, Stevens Creek Reservoir and the Savannah River.
Freshwater fish are measured by total length
Close the fish’s mouth, measure from the tip of the snout to the farthest tip of the tail and pinch the tail together.
Saltwater regulations can instead use either total length or fork length depending on species.
South Carolina red drum rules changed this summer
Before July 1, 2026
15–23″Two red drum per angler per day, up to six per boat.
July 1, 2026 onward
18–25″1 per person per day, maximum 2 per boat. Federal-water possession is prohibited.
South Carolina state rules stop at roughly three nautical miles offshore
Reef-fish seasons can change immediately when you cross the state/federal boundary.
Freshwater/saltwater dividing line → 3 nautical miles. SCDNR state size, bag and method rules apply.
3 → 200 nautical miles. NOAA/SAFMC seasons, closures, permits and reef-fish release-gear rules can apply.
2026 recreational inshore & offshore finfish limits
| Species | Size | Bag / boat limit | Important rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red drum | 18–25″ TL | 1/person; 2/boat | State waters only; possession prohibited in federal waters. No gig harvest Dec. 1–Feb. 28. |
| Black drum | 14–27″ TL | 5/person | No listed seasonal closure. |
| Flounder | 16″ TL | 5/person; 10/boat | Bag applies to hook-and-line or gig harvest. |
| Spotted seatrout | 14″ TL | 10/person | No gig harvest Dec. 1–Feb. 28. |
| Sheepshead | 14″ TL | 10/person; 30/boat | State recreational rule. |
| Tripletail | 18″ TL | 3/person; 9/boat | State recreational rule. |
| Weakfish | 12″ TL | 1/person | No listed seasonal closure. |
| Bluefish | No minimum listed | 5/person; 7 in qualifying for-hire fishery | Federal rules may differ. |
| Tarpon | 77″ FL | 1/person | Rod and reel only. |
| Cobia | 36″ FL | 1/person; vessel limit varies by zone | May 1–31 closure applies in state waters south of Jeremy Inlet latitude; federal/state-north vessel limits differ. |
| Dolphin / mahi | 20″ FL | 10/person; 54/boat | Headboats have no boat limit; federal permit rules apply to for-hire vessels. |
| King mackerel | 24″ FL | 3/person | Federal permit rules may apply to for-hire vessels. |
| Spanish mackerel | 12″ FL | 15/person | Federal rules may apply offshore. |
| Wahoo | No state minimum listed | 2/person | Recreational sale prohibited. |
| Saltwater catfish | — | NO POSSESSION | Hardhead and gafftopsail catfish must be released immediately. |
South Carolina state water and federal red snapper rules are currently different
South Carolina 0–3 nm
2/day • 20″SCDNR states there is no closed red-snapper season in South Carolina state waters under the state rule.
South Atlantic federal waters
No recreational harvestThe planned 2026 state EFP season was halted by federal court action. NOAA rescinded the earlier EFPs; federal recreational red snapper remains closed unless a new opening is formally announced.
Important South Atlantic reef-fish status for August 2026
Red snapper
Federal recreational harvest remains closed.
Gag grouper
Current federal closure began August 2, 2026.
Black sea bass
13″ • 7/dayVermilion snapper
12″ • 5/dayAsk two questions before rigging natural bait for a saltwater game fish
Live bait or cut bait triggers the next check.
Current Act 231 tackle requirement applies.
Non-offset and non-stainless steel.
One freshwater license can cover the Savannah boundary system — but not its tributaries
Reciprocal waters include
Covered channels of the Savannah River, parts of the Tugaloo and Chattooga system and major impoundments including Thurmond, Russell, Hartwell, Yonah, Tugaloo and Stevens Creek.
What is not automatically covered
Tributary streams entering those impoundments and rivers are not automatically included in the reciprocal-license agreement.
Legal harvest and safe consumption are separate decisions
Season, creel, length and water-specific regulation.
South Carolina DES publishes consumption advisories for monitored lakes, rivers and streams.
Consumption recommendations can differ by species and fish size.
South Carolina pre-trip regulation checklist
- Identify the exact water. Do not stop at “Lake Murray,” “Santee,” “Savannah” or “the coast.” Reach and jurisdiction can change the rule.
- Confirm freshwater vs saltwater. Use SCDNR’s official freshwater/saltwater dividing line when fishing tidal rivers.
- Check a named-water exception. Bass, striped bass, blue catfish and trout have many important local rules.
- Measure using the correct system. Freshwater uses total length; saltwater species may use TL or FL.
- Carry the correct license. Freshwater and saltwater privileges are separate.
- For natural-bait saltwater gamefish: verify whether the 4/0+ circle-hook rule applies.
- Offshore: check NOAA/SAFMC immediately before leaving the dock. Federal closures can change faster than an annual printed guide.
- Red snapper: do not assume the originally proposed July–August 2026 federal season happened.
- Using jugs, trotlines, traps or nets? obtain the required nongame permit/tag and check whether that device is legal on your water.
- Planning to eat the catch? check the current South Carolina fish-consumption advisory.
Twelve South Carolina fishing-rule errors that are easy to make
Current rule is 18–25 inches, one per person and two per boat.
Act 120 changed daily and oversized-fish rules in May 2026.
Many major reservoirs use a 14-inch minimum.
Possession closes June 16–September 30.
Murray remains open with a separate five-fish summer rule.
Species creels sit inside the broader total.
The freshwater boat exception does not automatically apply on shore.
Unauthorized aquatic-species release is prohibited.
The new 2026 circle-hook rule can apply.
Hardhead and gafftopsail possession is prohibited.
Federal recreational harvest is currently closed.
Savannah-system reciprocity does not automatically extend up tributaries.
Call the South Carolina office that manages the question
SCDNR publishes 803-734-4DNR as its general license/customer contact.
“I’m fishing [exact South Carolina water] on [date], targeting [species] with [method/bait]. Can you confirm the current size, daily possession limit, season and any water-specific or federal restriction?”
The rule is explained above — use these for the last live check
Fast answers to common regulation questions
What is the South Carolina largemouth bass limit?
The statewide baseline is five black bass in the applicable combined limit, and largemouth bass generally have no statewide minimum size. Many major reservoirs including Murray, Marion, Moultrie, Wateree, Wylie and Jocassee require largemouth bass to be at least 14 inches.
What is the South Carolina crappie limit?
The statewide freshwater limit is 20 crappie per person per day with an 8-inch minimum, unless a managed-water regulation says otherwise.
How many fishing rods can I use in South Carolina freshwater?
A freshwater angler generally may use no more than four hook-and-line, pole or rod-and-reel devices at one time. From a boat, an unlimited number of lawful rod-type devices may be used when every person aboard age 16 or older has a valid fishing license.
What is the 2026 South Carolina red drum limit?
Effective July 1, 2026, red drum must measure 18 to 25 inches total length. The limit is one per person per day and no more than two per boat per day in state waters. Possession is prohibited in federal waters.
What changed for blue catfish in South Carolina in 2026?
Effective May 15, 2026, the daily limit became 150 blue catfish on most South Carolina waterways. The limit remains 25 on Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie, the upper Santee River and the specified Pee Dee River reach. Several waters also limit anglers to two blue catfish over 32 inches per day.
Can I keep striped bass from Lake Murray in August?
Yes, under the current Lake Murray summer rule. From June 1 through September 30 the limit is five striped or hybrid bass per day and there is no minimum striped-bass length.
Can I keep striped bass from the Santee River system in August?
No. Striped and hybrid bass possession is closed in the Santee River system from June 16 through September 30. A special catch-and-release exception applies in the Lower Saluda River with additional hook rules.
What is South Carolina’s trout limit?
The statewide baseline is five trout per person per day with no statewide minimum length. Numerous designated trout streams have catch-and-release periods, artificial-lure restrictions or special size rules.
What is South Carolina’s flounder limit?
The current recreational rule is five flounder per person per day, no more than ten per boat, with a 16-inch total-length minimum.
What is South Carolina’s spotted seatrout limit?
The recreational limit is 10 spotted seatrout per person per day with a 14-inch total-length minimum. Gig harvest is prohibited from December 1 through February 28.
Is South Carolina red snapper fishing open in federal waters in August 2026?
No. Recreational red snapper harvest in South Atlantic federal waters remains closed as of August 12, 2026 after the planned state exempted fishing permit program was halted. South Carolina state waters retain a separate two-fish, 20-inch rule.
Do I need a South Carolina saltwater fishing license?
A recreational saltwater fishing license is generally required when harvesting marine resources such as finfish, oysters, clams, shrimp or crab. Exceptions include certain anglers fishing from licensed public piers or while under hire on licensed charter vessels.
The species is only half the rule — the waterbody completes it
South Carolina’s biggest fishing-regulation mistakes happen when an angler uses a statewide number on a special lake, applies a Lake Murray striped-bass rule to the Santee system, or carries a state-water marine rule beyond the three-mile federal boundary.
Regulation review completed . Current 2026 statutory changes, updated SCDNR/eRegulations pages, current license pricing and active federal red-snapper status were considered during this review.