South Carolina Public Waters
3 notable public water bodies. Use “Fishing near me” to sort by distance.
| Water | Type | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Murray SC | lake | — | Striped bass. |
| Santee Cooper Lakes SC | lake | — | Catfish and bass. |
| Charleston Harbor SC | bay | — |
Coordinates are approximate. Always confirm public access, boat-launch status, and local rules with the managing agency before you travel.
Spot profiles
Each profile covers the water’s type, the species recorded there, access notes, and the regulations or special rules that apply to that specific waterbody.
Lake Murray
Santee Cooper Lakes
Charleston Harbor
Planning a trip in South Carolina
Everything below is drawn from FishFig's verified South Carolina data layer — license fees, stocking records, resolved statewide limits, and reported license-free dates. Each figure names its source.
Public waters in South Carolina covered here
This state hub indexes 3 notable public water bodies: 2 lakes, 1 bay. The dataset is a curated list of destination waters rather than every public access point, so a productive local pond or municipal lake near you may still be missing.
Species profiles exist for 3 of the 3 tracked waters. Commonly indexed destinations include Lake Murray, Santee Cooper Lakes and Charleston Harbor.
Use the "Fishing near me" sorter on this page to reorder the list by straight-line distance from your location. Straight-line distance is a planning estimate, not a drive time — a water 20 miles away across a ridge or a bay can take far longer to reach than one 40 miles down a highway, and seasonal closures, launch fees, and permit requirements are set by the managing agency rather than by this list.
What a South Carolina fishing license costs
A resident annual license for South Carolina is $10.00, and the non-resident annual license is $35.00 — a difference of $25.00. The non-resident rate is roughly 3.5 times the resident rate — meaning the license is usually the smallest expense in the trip budget.
Short-term options as published: Resident 14-day freshwater $5.00; nonresident 14-day freshwater $11.00; resident 14-day saltwater $10.00; nonresident 7-day saltwater $35.00, 1-day $10.00.
At the published short-term prices, a resident annual license breaks even at about 1 single days, 1 seven-day passes. Below that trip count the short-term pass is cheaper; above it the annual license is. (Break-even arithmetic from the published fees — confirm current products with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).)
Saltwater: Saltwater annual $15.00 resident / $75.00 nonresident (14-day $10.00 resident; 7-day $35.00 / 1-day $10.00 nonresident); required for shore/boat/dock saltwater; exempt on licensed charter boat or public fishing pier..
Senior and reduced-rate options: Residents 64+ Senior Lifetime License $9.00 (free if born before July 1, 1940)..
Source: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) — Resident & Nonresident License Pricing, 2026. https://dnr.sc.gov/licenses/pricingResident.html and https://dnr.sc.gov/licenses/pricingNonresident.html
Stocking in South Carolina
A statewide annual stocking total for South Carolina is pending verification in this dataset, so this tool shows no number rather than an estimate. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) publishes stocking by water, county, and species.
Stocking totals for South Carolina are pending verification. State fish agencies publish annual stocking lists by water, county, and species; consult South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) for current figures before relying on any number.
Source: verify locally — see South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) stocking reports.
Why stocking matters to planning: put-and-take fisheries are the most catch-rate-sensitive to plant timing, so a water that fishes poorly in April can fish well in May once the trucks arrive. Check the current-year plant list before writing off a water, and check it again before assuming a hot bite will last.
Size and bag limits tracked for South Carolina
South Carolina has 9 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Bluegill, Crappie, Flounder, Largemouth Bass, Red Drum (Redfish), Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Tarpon, among 9 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Bluegill: bag 30 (bream); season Year-round; Redbreast sunfish has a separate 15-fish limit.. Citation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources — 2026-2027 Freshwater Fish Size & Possession Limits (eRegulations).
Crappie: minimum length 8 in; bag 20; season Year-round. Citation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources — 2026-2027 Freshwater Fish Size & Possession Limits (eRegulations).
Flounder: minimum length 16 in; bag 5 per person (max 10 per boat); season Year-round. Citation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources — 2026-2027 Finfish Size & Catch Limits (eRegulations).
Largemouth Bass: bag 5 (combined smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass); season Year-round; Statewide default any length 5 combined; many lakes have 12-14 in mins or different aggregates (Lakes Hartwell/Keowee/Russell 12 in / 10 combined; several lakes 14 in / 5).. Citation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources — 2026-2027 Freshwater Fish Size & Possession Limits (eRegulations).
Red Drum (Redfish): protected slot 18–25 in (release fish in the slot); bag 1 per person (max 2 per boat); season Year-round; State waters only; possession prohibited in federal waters; no gig Dec 1-Feb 28. Changed from 15-23 in / 2 per person.. Citation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources — 2026-2027 Finfish Size & Catch Limits (eRegulations); Red Drum changes effective July 1, 2026 (Act No. 231).
Smallmouth Bass: minimum length 12 in; bag No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass; season Year-round; Statewide default 12 in; Lakes Hartwell/Keowee/Russell/Thurmond etc. 10 combined.. Citation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources — 2026-2027 Freshwater Fish Size & Possession Limits (eRegulations).
These are statewide general rules only. Slot limits, special-regulation waters, catch-and-release stretches, and zone-by-zone seasons override them — and a general rule that is absent from this list is not the same as no restriction. Confirm the rule for the exact water you are fishing with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) before keeping a fish.
Free fishing days in South Carolina
Reported license-free dates for 2026: May 25 & July 4, 2026. Most states waive the license only, not the rules — size and bag limits, gear restrictions, seasons, and any required report card still apply, and some states still require a free or zero-cost license to be issued before you fish.
Reported for 2026 by public aggregators and may not match the official state schedule. Always confirm the current year’s dates and any species/stamp exceptions with the agency before planning.
Source: Compiled from 2026 public Free-Fishing-Day roundups (modefreefinds.com, heyitsfree.net, fishkillflea.com). Not an official source — verify with the state agency. (compiled 2026-08-29).
State agency & contact
Licenses, regulations, and stocking are set by the agency below. When FishFig can’t verify a figure, contact them directly.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR)
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). Verify every figure with the agency before purchasing a license, keeping fish, or relying on stocking data.