See every public fishing venue in South Carolina on the map, with boat ramps, camping, parking and full rules for each one.
Richard B Russell Lake is a public lake in Abbeville County and Anderson 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 marquee water.
A Savannah-River Army Corps reservoir (Hartwell / Russell / Thurmond) shared with Georgia — largemouth and spotted bass over blueback-herring forage, a big hybrid and striped-bass programme, plus crappie, bream and blue catfish. A South Carolina or Georgia licence fishes the whole lake.
Richard B Russell Lake covers about 24,607 acres in the Midlands region. Anglers here mostly fish for largemouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, hybrid striped bass; black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish are also on record. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Coldwater Creek and Pickens Creek.
Species from SCDNR public-access and species data.
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.
Boat ramps: 20 mapped — Shuck Pen Boat Ramp, Hesters Marina Ramp (Abandoned), Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp, Boat ramp and others nearby.
Camping: 3 sites mapped nearby — Campground #2, Rustic Tent Camping, Campground #1.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
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.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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