Freshwater Fish Size & Possession Limits

Name: eRegulations
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Nongame Fish Size & Possession Limits
Water Body	Fish	Size Limit	Possession Limit per person per day
Statewide	American Eel	9 inches min	25
Statewide	Blue Catfish	Only 2 fish larger than 32 inches per person may be taken	25

Game Fish Size & Possession Limits Bream, redbreast sunfish, crappie, yellow perch, pickerel, walleye & sauger
• A total of 40 game fish may be kept in any one day. This total shall not exceed more than the limits or exceptions listed below. Any game fish or species with a size limit listed must be landed with head and tail fin intact. All freshwater fish species in the state of South Carolina are measured using total length. Special limits and regulations apply to SCDNR managed lakes. • Check with state parks, city reservoirs or county parks for special limits and regulations that apply to those areas.
Water Body	Fish	Size Limit	Possession Limit per person per day
Statewide	Bream (includes bluegill, flier, warmouth, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, redear (shellcracker) and spotted sunfish)	Any length	30
Statewide	Redbreast Sunfish	Any length	15
Statewide	Crappie	8 inches min	20
Statewide	Walleye & Sauger	Any length	No more than 8 combined total of walleye or sauger
Statewide	Chain Pickerel	Any length	30
Statewide	Redfin Pickerel	Any length	30
Statewide	Yellow Perch	Any length	30

State Fishing Records

Explore the latest South Carolina state record freshwater fish catches by visiting the SCDNR State Fishing Records page.

Report potential record breaking catches at your nearest regional SCDNR office.

Game Fish Size & Possession Limits Black Bass: Largemouth, Smallmouth, Redeye, Spotted Bass & Genus Micropterus
• A total of 40 game fish may be kept in any one day. This total shall not exceed more than the limits or exceptions listed below. Any game fish or species with a size limit listed must be landed with head and tail fin intact. All freshwater fish species in the state of South Carolina are measured using total length. Special limits and regulations apply to SCDNR managed lakes. • Check with state parks, city reservoirs or county parks for special limits and regulations that apply to those areas.
Water Body	Fish	Size Limit	Possession Limit per person per day
Statewide except the water bodies listed below:	Smallmouth Bass	12 inches min	No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass or their hybrids
Lakes Hartwell, Russell (including the Lake Hartwell tailwater), Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah; Stevens Creek Reservoir; the Chattooga and Savannah Rivers	Smallmouth Bass	Any length	No more than 10 combined total of black bass
Lake Keowee	Smallmouth Bass	12 inches min	No more than 10 combined total of black bass
Statewide except the water bodies listed below:	Redeye (Bartrams) Bass	Any length	No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass or their hybrids
Lakes Hartwell, Keowee, Russell (including the Lake Hartwell tailwater), Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah; Stevens Creek Reservoir; the Chattooga and Savannah Rivers	Redeye (Bartrams) Bass	Any length	No more than 10 combined total of black bass
Statewide except the water bodies listed below:	Largemouth Bass	Any length	No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass or their hybrids
Lakes Blalock, Greenwood, Jocassee, Marion, Monticello, Moultrie, Murray, Secession, Wateree, Wylie and the middle reach of the Saluda River and the upper reach of the Santee River	Largemouth Bass	14 inches min	No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass or their hybrids
Lakes Hartwell, Keowee, Russell (including the Lake Hartwell tailwater), Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah; Stevens Creek Reservoir; the Chattooga and Savannah Rivers	Largemouth Bass	12 inches min	No more than 10 combined total of black bass
Lake Robinson (Greenville County)	Largemouth Bass	12 inches min	No more than 5 combined total of smallmouth, largemouth, redeye bass or their hybrids
Statewide except the water bodies listed below:	Spotted Bass	Any length	15
Lakes Hartwell, Keowee, Russell (including the Lake Hartwell tailwater), Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah; Stevens Creek Reservoir; the Chattooga and Savannah Rivers	Spotted Bass	Any length	No more than 10 combined total of black bass
Slade’s Lake	Black Bass	12 inches min	No more than 2 bass per person per day

Game Fish Size & Possession Limits Striped, white & hybrid bass
• A total of 40 game fish may be kept in any one day. This total shall not exceed more than the limits or exceptions listed below. Any game fish or species with a size limit listed must be landed with head and tail fin intact. All freshwater fish species in the state of South Carolina are measured using total length. Special limits and regulations apply to SCDNR managed lakes. • Check with state parks, city reservoirs or county parks for special limits and regulations that apply to those areas.
Water Body	Fish	Size Limit	Possession Limit per person per day
Statewide except the Savannah River	White Bass	Any length	10
Statewide except the water bodies list below:	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Any length	10
Ashepoo River; Ashley River; Back River in Jasper County and the Back River in Berkeley County; Black River; Black Mingo Creek; Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek; Combahee River; Cooper River system (see map below); Coosawhatchie River; Cuckholds Creek; Edisto River; Horseshoe Creek; Intracoastal Waterway (Horry County); Lumber River; Lynches River; Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers; Pocotaligo in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton Counties; Salkehatchie and Little Salkehatchie Rivers; Sampit River; Tulifinny River; Thoroughfare Creek; and Waccamaw River	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Oct. 1 - June 15: 26 inches min	3
	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	June 16 - Sept. 30 closed
Santee River system (see map below); includes Saluda River (Lower Reach)	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Oct. 1 - June 15 striped bass between 23 and 25 inches may be harvested except that one fish may be greater than 26 inches	3
	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	June 16 - Sept. 30 closed except for Lower Reach Saluda River where catch and release is allowed but when fishing with live or dead fish or bait fish parts hook gap (point to shank) must not exceed 3/8 of an inch except all sizes of inline, non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks are allowed.
Lake Murray	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Oct. 1 - May 31: 21 inches min	5
Lake Murray	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	June 1 - Sept. 30: any length	Unlawful to take, attempt to take, or possess more than 5
Saluda River (Middle Reach) All waters of Saluda River from backwaters of Lake Murray at SC Hwy 395 upstream to Lake Greenwood Dam	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Oct. 1 - May 31: 21 inches	5
	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	June 1 - Sept. 30: any length	Unlawful to take, attempt to take, or possess more than 5
Lake Russell	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Only 1 fish larger than 34 inches	2
Lake Hartwell Tailwater	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Only 1 fish over 34 inches	2
Savannah River (Lower) All waters of Savannah River from its confluence with the Atlantic Ocean upstream to the Lake J. Strom Thurmond Dam	Striped, Hybrid or White Bass or a combination	27 inches min	2
Lake Hartwell & Lake Thurmond	Striped or Hybrid Bass or a combination	Only 3 fish over 26 inches	10

Map of the Santee River System in South Carolina showing Lake Murray Dam, Canal Dam, and Wateree Dam, with major rivers, lakes, and the freshwater-to-saltwater dividing line highlighted. — Map of South Carolina’s Santee River System, including Lake Murray, Lake Marion, and Lake Moultrie, with dams and freshwater/saltwater dividing lines marked for fishing and boating reference.

Measuring a Fish

Diagram showing how to measure a fish’s total length from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail fin using a flat surface for accuracy. — Illustration showing the correct way to measure a fish’s total length—from the snout to the tip of the tail fin—to ensure accurate reporting and compliance with South Carolina fishing regulations.

How to Properly Measure a Freshwater Fish

TL = total length measure; Tip of snout with mouth closed to tip of tail. Tail should be pinched. All freshwater fish species in the state of South Carolina are measured using total length. Some saltwater species are measured with fork length.