Freshwater Fishing in South Carolina’s Largest Reservoirs

From mountain streams and small ponds to state-owned lakes and huge reservoirs, South Carolina freshwater fishing offers a lot for resident and visiting freshwater anglers. The most accessible and most widely enjoyed opportunities for freshwater fishing in South Carolina exist in the state’s largest reservoirs. Here’s an overview of freshwater fishing in South Carolina’s largest impoundments. The primary freshwater fishing species have been listed for each.

Lake Wylie

• About: 13,433 acres, 227 miles of shoreline (in SC), four boat ramps
• Location: York County, on the NC/SC border
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie

Lake Wateree

• About: 13,025 acres, 620 miles of shoreline, nine boat ramps
• Location: Fairfield County, 30 miles northeast of Columbia
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, striped bass

Lake Marion

• About: 110,600 acres, 511 miles of shoreline, sixteen boat ramps
• Location: Berkeley County, central SC
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, bream, striped bass

Lake Moultrie

• About: 60,400 acres, 210 miles of shoreline, eight boat ramps
• Location: Berkeley County, central SC
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, bream, striped bass

Lake Murray

• About: 48,579 acres, 620 miles of shoreline, eleven boat ramps
• Location: Lexington County, central SC
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, bream, striped bass

Lake Russell

• About: 26,500 acres (nearly 10,000 in SC), 543 miles of shoreline (193 in SC), sixteen boat ramps (in SC)
• Location: Anderson County on the GA/SC border
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, bream, striped bass

Lake Thurmond

• About: 71,000 acres, 1,200 miles of shoreline, twenty-six boat ramps
• Location: McKormick County on the GA/SC border
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, bream, striped bass

Lake Hartwell

• About: 56,000 acres, 962 miles of shoreline, forty-five boat ramps
• Location: Anderson County on the GA/SC border
• Species: bass, crappie, bream, striped bass

Lake Greenwood

• About: 11,400 acres, 212 miles of shoreline, five boat ramps
• Location: Greenwood County, northwest SC
• Species: bass, crappie

Lake Monticello

• About: 6,700 acres, 54 miles of shoreline, three boat ramps. Used by an adjacent nuclear power station, this reservoir has special restrictions and boating/fishing advisories
• Location: Fairfield County on the GA/SC border
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, bream, white bass

Lake Jocassee

• About: 7,500 acres, 75 miles of shoreline, four boat ramps
• Location: Oconee County, northwest SC
• Species: four species of bass, two species of trout, several state records

Lake Keowee

• About: 18,500 acres, 387 miles of shoreline, nine boat ramps
• Location: Oconee County, northwest SC
• Species: four species of bass, two species of trout, crappie, bream

Lake Secession

• About: 1,425 acres, 52 miles of shoreline, one boat ramp
• Location: Abbeville County, western SC
• Species: bass, crappie, bream, catfish

Fishing Creek Reservoir

• About: 3,431 acres, 85 miles of shoreline, three boat ramps
• Location: Chester County, northcentral SC
• Species: bass, catfish, crappie, bream, striped bass

Explore South Carolina places to fish in our places to fish map! Remember that you’ll need a South Carolina fishing license to fish these and other bodies of water in the Palmetto State.