Always remember to please renew or purchase a South Carolina Fishing License when fishing in the lakes of South Carolina. The game wardens do check licenses.
South Carolina has a reciprocal agreement with the state of Georgia so that fishing on the border lakes between states is allowed with a fishing license from either state. The following lakes are covered by this agreement: Lake Hartwell, Lake Russell, Lake Thurmond (Clark’s Hill Reservoir), and Lake Tugaloo. Largemouth bass caught in these border lakes must be a minimum of 12 inches or longer on the Georgia side of the lake.
Please Note: South Carolina has NO reciprocal agreements with North Carolina. So to fish on a South Carolina – North Carolina lake, a fisherman should have a license from both states. This rule applies to Lake Wylie located on the northeastern border of South Carolina.
SCDNR Freshwater Fishing Information
SCDNR Fishing License Information
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources manages 19 small lakes in South Carolina. These lakes have specific rules that may be different on each lakes regarding the amount of fish you can keep and the type of boats that are allowed. Be sure to read about each lake before you visit. Click the link below to go to the SCDNR website for these lakes.
* Lake Greenwood 11,400 acres *Lake Hartwell 56,000 acres * Lake Jocassee 7, 565 acres
* Lake Keowee 18,500 acres *Lake Marion – Santee Cooper Lake 110,000 acres
* Lake Monticello 7,100 acres * Lake Murray 50,000 acres
* Lake Moultrie – Santee Cooper Lake 60,000 *Lake Russell 26,650 acres
* Lake Thurmond (Clarks Hill) 70,000 acres *Lake Wateree 13,700 *Lake Wylie 12,455
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Channel catfish, common at the Draper WMA lakes (illustration, public domain). The Draper WMA lakes are three small managed fishing…
Largemouth bass at Lake John D. Long (illustration: USFWS, public domain). Lake John D. Long is an 80-acre public fishing…
Largemouth bass, a top catch at Sunrise Lake (illustration: USFWS, public domain). Sunrise Lake is a 25-acre state fishing lake…
Channel catfish, common at Jonesville Reservoir (illustration, public domain). Jonesville Reservoir is a 25-acre managed state fishing lake off SC-18…
Bluegill, a popular panfish at Lake Edgar Brown (public-domain illustration). Lake Edgar Brown is a 100-acre fishing lake right in…
Largemouth bass, a top catch at Lake Paul Wallace (illustration: USFWS, public domain). Lake Paul Wallace is the recreation lake…
Bluegill, a popular panfish at Star Fort Pond (public-domain illustration). Star Fort Pond is a small managed fishing lake of…
Channel catfish, common at Lancaster Reservoir (illustration, public domain). Lancaster Reservoir is a 60-acre fertilized fishing lake off Highway 521…
Bluegill, a popular panfish at the Bonneau Ferry lakes (public-domain illustration). Bonneau Ferry Wildlife Management Area, in Berkeley County between…
Channel catfish, common at the Webb Center Lakes (illustration, public domain). The Webb Center Lakes are two small managed fishing…