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PiscaMapsUnited States South Carolina Chester County Great Falls Reservoir

Fishing at Great Falls Reservoir

South Carolina · Chester County and Lancaster County · 213 acres
State
South Carolina
Country
USA
Licence
State-issued
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South Carolina Lake 213 acres Open access — public water 🌙 Night fishing

About Fishing at Great Falls Reservoir

Great Falls Reservoir is a public lake in Chester County and Lancaster County, South Carolina, managed by South Carolina DNR. It is public water managed for fishing by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Public access confirmed via SCDNR public water.

A Piedmont / Midlands power reservoir (Wateree / Wylie / Greenwood / Monticello) — largemouth bass, a strong white-perch and crappie fishery, trophy blue and flathead catfish, and stocked hybrid or striped bass. Warm discharge keeps the winter bite going on several.

Great Falls Reservoir covers about 213 acres in the Midlands region. Anglers here mostly fish for largemouth bass, white perch, black crappie, blue catfish; flathead catfish, channel catfish, bluegill, striped bass are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Cedar Creek Reservoir and Fishing Creek Reservoir.

County
Chester, Lancaster
Region
Midlands
Surface area
213 acres
Public access
Open access — public water
Managed by
South Carolina DNR
Night fishing
Permitted
Boats
Generally unrestricted

Fish Species at Great Falls Reservoir

Species from SCDNR public-access and species data.

Access & Rules at Great Falls Reservoir

Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in South Carolina. Trotlines, jugs and set hooks are legal on most fresh water with a licence and gear tags. A few state lakes and reservoirs have posted hours; the Lower Saluda trout water and some WMA lakes close at night.

Boats: The big reservoirs (Marion, Moultrie, Murray, Hartwell, Wateree, Wylie) have no horsepower limit; idle-speed / no-wake zones are marked near ramps, marinas, bridges and dams. SCDNR State Lakes and Upstate water-supply reservoirs are often electric-motor-only or small-outboard only. A South Carolina boater-education card is required for operators under 16 running 15 hp or more.

Bank & bivvy camping: Camp at South Carolina state parks (SouthCarolinaParks.com), Santee Cooper's campgrounds, and Corps of Engineers lakeside sites on the Savannah lakes. The blackwater canoe trails (Edisto, Little Pee Dee, Lynches, Black) have a strong sandbar-camping tradition on the exposed bars. WMA camping is limited to designated areas.

Tackle: Statewide largemouth-bass daily limit is 5 (many lakes have a 14-inch minimum; some have a slot); black crappie 20 on most reservoirs; blue and flathead catfish have trophy-protection limits on Santee Cooper and the Savannah lakes (only 1 over 36 inches). Striped/hybrid bass limits vary by lake and season. Check the current SCDNR regulations for this water.

Facilities Near Great Falls Reservoir

Boat ramps: 1 mapped — Put-in.

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fishing Licence for Great Falls Reservoir

Anyone 16+ needs a South Carolina fishing licence — resident annual is about $10, non-resident annual about $35, and non-resident 1-day (~$11) and 7-day (~$16) licences are sold. The freshwater licence covers trout — there is no separate trout stamp — but a Wildlife Management Area permit is needed on WMA trout waters and other WMA lakes and streams. South Carolina residents 64+ can get a free Gratis licence. Buy from SCDNR. A South Carolina fishing licence covers this water. The Savannah lakes (Hartwell, Russell, Clarks Hill) are fished lake-wide on a licence from either Carolina or Georgia; Lake Wylie is fished lake-wide on a SC or NC licence.

WMA permit & border waters

SCDNR State Lakes, the Upstate trout streams on Wildlife Management Areas, and many small public lakes need a WMA permit in addition to the fishing licence (it's bundled with most annual packages) The freshwater licence covers trout — no separate trout stamp The Savannah lakes (Hartwell, Russell, Clarks Hill) are fished lake-wide on a licence from either Carolina or Georgia; Lake Wylie on a SC or NC licence

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