Fishing For Chain Pickerel & Muskie In South Carolina

Guide to catching chain pickerel and musky in local lakes

Last updated on January 26, 2026.

Best lakes, lures and bait

Chain Pickerel

Fishing For Chain Pickerel

Chain pickerel are aggressive, ambush-oriented predators, commonly found in slow-moving rivers and lakes with abundant vegetation. Recognizable by their green, chain-like markings and duckbill snout, pickerel are members of the pike family and are known for explosive strikes, sharp teeth, and a willingness to hit lures year-round. Though often overshadowed by northern pike and muskellunge, chain pickerel provide excellent sport, especially in waters where they are the dominant predator.

Pickerel favor shallow, weedy environments with access to deeper water nearby. They position themselves along weed edges, fallen timber, lily pads, and submerged grass, waiting to attack passing prey such as small fish, frogs, and insects.

In cold water, chain pickerel slow down but remain catchable. They often hold near deep weed edges (8–15 feet), creek channels, or submerged timber adjacent to shallow flats. In waters that freeze over, pickerel are a popular target through the ice, using tip-ups baited with live minnows set just above vegetation. Pickerel spawn early in Spring in shallow, flooded vegetation when water temperatures reach the 40s–50s°F, typically in 1–5 feet of water. As water warms in Summer, pickerel remain shallow but become more cover-oriented. They relate heavily to weed beds, lily pads, and shaded structure, often in 3–10 feet of water, with quick access to deeper water. Early morning and late evening are often the best fishing times. Topwater frogs, weedless spoons, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics rigged weedless shine in summer. As Fall brings cooler water, pickerel prepare for winter by feeding heavily along weed lines, points, and channel edges, often in 5–15 feet of water.

Muskie

Fishing For Muskie

Muskie—are the largest and most elusive members of the pike family and are widely regarded as North America’s premier freshwater gamefish. Muskies are ferocious predators known for their size, intelligence, and rarity. Often called “the fish of ten thousand casts,” muskie demand patience, precision, and persistence from anglers. They prefer large lakes and river systems with a mix of structure, vegetation, and deep water. They use the cover of weed edges, rock bars, points, submerged timber, and breaks to attack prey. Muskies feed primarily on large forage such as sunfish, perch, frogs and even waterfowl. They are solitary fish with large territories, which contributes to the difficulty of locating and catching them.

In cold water muskie hold near deep basins, channel edges, and remaining green weeds, in 15 to 40 feet of water. Ice anglers occasionally target muskies with large live suckers on tip-ups, but success is limited and regulations vary. Come Spring, muskies spawn when water temperatures reach 48–55°F, in shallow, marshy bays and flooded vegetation, typically 1 to 5 feet deep. After spawning, fish remain shallow to recover and feed. Slow-moving lures such as glide baits, twitch baits, soft plastics, and shallow crankbaits are effective. Summer offers some of the most consistent muskie fishing. As water temperatures stabilize, muskies establish predictable patterns around weed lines, deep edges, rock reefs, and points in 10–30 feet of water. Early morning, late evening, and cloudy days—are prime times. Bucktail spinners, topwater baits, large crankbaits, and rubber swimbaits are staples. Boat-side figure-eight maneuvers are critical, as many muskies strike at the last second. Fall is peak trophy season. As water cools, muskies feed heavily to prepare for winter, often targeting large prey, typically in 15 to 40 feet of water.

Popular Fishing Lakes

Morning fishing in the fog Larger lakes across the state which may include chain pickerel or muskie populations, include Clarks Hill Lake, Lake Blalock, Lake Bowen, Lake Greenwood, Lake Hartwell, Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, Lake Marion, Lake Monticello, Lake Moultrie, Lake Murray, Lake Wylie, Parr Reservoir, Lake Russell and Wateree Lake.