Guide To Popular Fishing Lakes In South Carolina
All about fishing in the Palmetto State
The state of South Carolina offers a wide variety of fishing opportunities. Here, you can fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, redeye bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, white catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, bluegill, flier sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, warmouth, white bass, white perch, yellow perch, stripers, bowfin, chain pickerel, muskie and sauger in local lakes, rivers, ponds and/or streams. Many of these lakes have marinas offering a wide variety of supplies, services and fishing boat rentals.
Major South Carolina Lakes & Species
Lake & Fish Chart
This chart shows the major angling destinations, cross referencing these waters with the major types of fishing found in each lake or impoundment.
For a detailed list of primary fish species in SC, plus state fish records, see the list below.
Fishing lake sizes and locations in the state.
Clarks Hill Lake, aka Lake J. Strom Thurmond is a 71,000-acre reservoir on the eastern border of SC, at Clarks Hill.
Fishing Creek Lake is a 3,100-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, 5 miles west of Springdale.
Lake Blalock is a 1,100-acre lake in northwest South Carolina, 10 miles north of Spartanburg. (45 mi Shore)
Lake Bowen is a 1,500-acre lake in the northwest part of the state, at Woodfin.
Lake Greenwood is an 11,000-acre lake in the west-central part of the state, at Greenwood.
Lake Hartwell is a 56,000-acre lake on the western border of the state, at Anderson.
Lake Jocassee is a 7,500-acre lake in the northwest corner of the state, at Jocassee.
Lake Keowee is an 18,000-acre lake in the northwest part of the state, at Seneca.
Lake Marion is a 110,000-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Santee.
Lake Monticello, aka Monticello Reservoir is a 7,000-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, at Monticello.
Lake Moultrie is a 60,000-acre lake in the southeast part of the state, at Moncks Corner.
Lake Murray is a 50,000-acre lake in the central part of the state, at Columbia.
Lake Robinson is an 800-acre lake in the northwest part of the state, 12 miles northeast of Greenville.
Lake Tugalo is a 600-acre lake in the northwest corner of the state, 15 miles northwest of Westminster.
Lake Wylie is a 12,000-acre lake on the northern border of the state, at Tega Cay SC.
Parr Reservoir or Parr Shoals Reservoir is a 4,400-acre lake in the north-central part of SC, at Jenkinsville.
Richard B Russell Lake, aka Lake Russell is a 26,650-acre reservoir located on the western border at Clarks Hill.
Wateree Lake is a 13,000-acre lake in the north-central part of the state, at Great Falls.
Fish Species & State Records in South Carolina
Bass
Largemouth bass
World record: 22 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 16 lbs 2 oz
Smallmouth bass
World record: 11 lbs 15 oz
State Record: 9 lbs 7 oz
Spotted bass
World record: 9 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 8 lbs 5 oz
Redeye bass
World record: 8 lbs 12 oz
State Record: 5 lbs 2.5 oz
Catfish
Channel catfish
World record: 58 lbs 0 oz*
State Record: 58 lbs 0 oz*
Flathead catfish
World record: 123 lbs 9 oz
State Record: 84 lbs 9.6 oz
Blue catfish
World record: 143 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 113 lbs 8 oz
White catfish
World record: 22 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 12 lbs 2.9 oz
Crappie
Black crappie
World record: 6 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 5 lbs 0 oz
White crappie
World record: 5 lbs 3 oz
State Record: 5 lbs 1 oz
Walleye
Walleye
World record: 25 lbs 0 oz
State Record: 10 lbs 0 oz
Sauger
World record: 17 lbs 7 oz
State Record: 4 lbs 7 oz
Trout
Rainbow trout
World record: 42 lbs 2 oz
State Record: 11 lbs 5 oz
Brook trout
World record: 14 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 4 lbs 10 oz
Brown trout
World record: 40 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 17 lbs 9.5 oz
Panfish
Bluegill
World record: 4 lbs 12 oz
State Record: 3 lbs 4 oz
Flier sunfish
World record: 1 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 1 lbs 4 oz
Pumpkinseed sunfish
World record: 2 lbs 4 oz
State Record: 2 lbs 4 oz
Redbreast sunfish
World record: 2 lbs 0 oz*
State Record: 2 lbs 0 oz*
Shellcracker sunfish
World record: 5.4 lbs
State Record: 5 lbs 7 oz
Warmouth
World record: 2.4 lbs
State Record: 2 lbs 2.5 oz
White Bass
World record: 6.8 lbs
State Record: 5 lbs 4.8 oz
White perch
World record: 4.6 lbs
State Record: 1 lbs 15 oz
Yellow perch
World record: 4 lbs 3 oz
State Record: 3 lbs 4 oz
Striped bass
Stripers
Inland world record: 64 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 63 lbs 0 oz
Hybrid Striper (Wiper)
World record: 27 lbs 5 oz
State Record: 20 lbs 6 oz
Other species
Bowfin
World record: 21 lbs 8 oz
State Record: 21 lbs 8 oz
Chain pickerel
World record: 9 lbs 6 oz
State Record: 6 lbs 4 oz
Muskie (Muskellunge)
World record: 69 lbs 9 oz
State Record: 22 lbs 8 oz
Click the images and links above for species details.
State of SC Fishing Information
South Carolina fishing information is also available at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources website.
Visit AA-Boats-Boating.com to find information about fishing boats in South Carolina.
Apply for a South Carolina Fishing License.
Fishing Guides In South Carolina
You can find a listing of SC fishing guides here. If you are a fishing guide in South Carolina or know of a good resource, please send us information for consideration.
Fish for big bass
Excellent largemouth bass, smallmouth, spotted and redeye bass fishing opportunities are available to anglers throughout the state.
Fishing in all states
SOUTH CAROLINA
