South Carolina Fishing Regulations: Bag Limits, Size Limits and Seasons
These are the statewide daily bag limits and length limits South Carolina anglers work under, taken from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) guide for Aug 15, 2026 to Aug 14, 2027. Statewide means the default: most states, South Carolina included, override these on specific lakes, rivers and coastal zones, so treat this page as the baseline and the official guide as the rule for the water you are standing on.
Freshwater fishing is open year-round, with one statewide cap worth remembering: no more than 40 game fish of any kind in a day. Coastal striped bass in the listed rivers is closed June 16 through September 30. Cobia only opens May 1-31 in state waters south of Jeremy Inlet, and red drum and spotted seatrout cannot be gigged from December 1 to the end of February. You will still need the South Carolina fishing license, which runs $10 for residents and $35 for non-residents; the South Carolina fishing license page covers short-term options, exemptions and where to buy.
Limits last verified 2026-09-16.
South Carolina freshwater bag and length limits
| Species | Daily bag | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, redeye and hybrids)The Savannah drainage lakes (Hartwell, Keowee, Russell, Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah) allow 10 combined. Lakes Murray, Marion, Moultrie, Wateree and others set a 14 in. largemouth minimum. | 5 combined | None statewide; smallmouth 12 in. minimum |
| Spotted bass | 15 | None |
| Striped bass and hybridsCoastal rivers drop to 3 at 26 in. minimum and close June 16 to September 30. Lake Murray and the middle Saluda run 5 at a 21 in. minimum from October to May. | 10 combined | None statewide |
| White bassSavannah River has its own rule. | 10 | None |
| Crappie | 20 | 8 in. minimum |
| Bream (bluegill, redear, warmouth and others) | 30 combined | None |
| Redbreast sunfish | 15 | None |
| Yellow perch | 30 | None |
| Chain and redfin pickerel | 30 each | None |
| Walleye and sauger | 8 combined | None |
| Trout (brook, brown, rainbow)Several mountain streams are catch-and-release November 1 to May 14 and restrict tackle to single-hook artificials. | 5 | None statewide |
| Blue catfishRaised from 25 effective May 15, 2026. Still 25 on Lakes Marion and Moultrie, the upper Santee and part of the Pee Dee, with no more than 2 over 32 inches there. | 150 | None |
| American eel | 25 | 9 in. minimum |
| American and hickory shad20 on the Santee River and Rediversion Canal. | 10 | None |
South Carolina saltwater limits
| Species | Daily bag | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Red drum (redfish)Cut from 2 per person and the old 15-23 in. slot on July 1, 2026. No harvest in federal waters. | 1 per person, 2 per boat | 18-25 in. slot |
| Spotted seatroutNo gigging December 1 through February 28. | 10 | 14 in. minimum |
| Flounder (southern, summer and Gulf) | 5 per person, 10 per boat | 16 in. minimum |
| Black drum | 5 | 14-27 in. slot |
| Sheepshead | 10 per person, 30 per boat | 14 in. minimum |
| Spanish mackerel | 15 | 12 in. fork length minimum |
| CobiaState waters south of Jeremy Inlet open May 1-31 only. | 1 per person, 3 per boat | See guide |
Saltwater source: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources saltwater regulations.
How to read a bag limit
A daily bag limit is the number of that species one angler may keep in a day, and in most states also the number you may have in possession on the water. Where a row says "combined", the number is shared across every species named in it. A minimum length is measured from the tip of the closed mouth to the tip of the tail with the tail pinched; a slot means fish inside the range must go back. When a lake has its own rule in the official guide, that rule replaces the statewide one for that water only.
Related: the South Carolina fishing license page for the fee and where to buy, non-resident fishing license fees across states, and fishing regulations for every state.