Title 50, Fish, Game and Watercraft

It shall be the duty of the governing body of the county to designate the fish sluices on the several rivers so as to leave one or more passages for fish up such rivers. Such sluices shall be sixty feet wide or, where there are two or more such sluices, they shall be, together, s…

The governing bodies of the several counties shall designate and lay out the fish sluices but once a year and shall execute this duty on or before the first day of October whenever they shall determine to change them in any year.

Nothing herein contained shall be construed to give authority to the governing bodies of the several counties to designate any fish sluice through any dam erected by public authority for the improvement of the navigation of any of the rivers or to designate any fish sluice throug…

It shall be unlawful for any person to throw, run, drain or deposit any dyestuffs, coal tar, oil, sawdust, poison or other deleterious substance in any of the waters, either fresh or salt, which are frequented by game fish within the territorial jurisdiction of this State in quan…

No person shall possess, sell, offer for sale, import, bring, or cause to be brought or imported into this State, or release or place into any waters of this State any of the following plants: (1) Water Hyacinth (2) Hydrilla Provided, however, that the department may issue specia…

It is unlawful to poison the streams or waters of the State in any manner whatsoever for the purpose of taking fish or to introduce, produce or set up electrical currents or physical shocks, pressures or disturbances therein for the purpose of taking fish. The muddying of streams…

Should any person cause to flow into or be cast into any of the creeks, streams or inland waters of this State any impurities that are poisonous to fish or destructive to their spawn, such person shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished with a fine of not less than five hundre…

It shall be unlawful for any person to use dynamite, gun powder, lime or any other explosive in or about any of the streams or waters in this State to take or secure fish, to cause or to procure the same to be done, to aid, assist or abet anyone in so doing or to have in his poss…

A person convicted of violating any of the provisions of Section 50-13-1440 is prohibited from hunting or fishing within the State for five years, and both his hunting and fishing license, if either has been issued to him, must be immediately revoked upon his conviction. A person…

A person who sees another person violating the provisions of Section 50-13-1440 and fails, within two weeks, to report the violation to an enforcement officer, sheriff, or some other law enforcement officer within the county in which the violation occurred is guilty of a misdemea…

Any person who shall swear out a warrant, give information or testify as a witness against anyone for violating Section 50-13-1440 shall not be subject to a criminal prosecution for slander or malicious prosecution, neither shall he be subject to a civil action for damages in any…

It is unlawful to sell, offer for sale, barter, traffic in, or purchase any fish classified as a game fish under the provisions of this title taken from the freshwaters of this State except as allowed by this title. A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, …

A person selling, offering for sale, or possessing for sale freshwater nongame fish must have in possession dated invoices, bills of sale, or other documentation verifying the origin of the fish and from whom procured.

(A) A person may not possess, sell, offer for sale, import, bring, cause to be brought or imported into this State, or release in this State the following species at any stage of its life cycle: (1) carnero or candiru catfish (Vandellia cirrhosa); (2) freshwater electric eel (Ele…

(A) Except bait lost incidental to fishing or fish released into the waters from which they were taken, it is unlawful to intentionally release any aquatic species, regardless of the stage of its life cycle, into the waters of this State without a permit from the department. (B) …

This State hereby assents to the provisions of the act of Congress entitled "An Act to Provide that the United States Shall Aid the States in Fish Restoration and Management Projects, and for Other Purposes," approved August 9, 1950 (Public Law No. 681, 81st Congress), and the de…

The department may acquire a sufficient number of acres of land in close proximity to any dam, artificial lake, impounded water, or stream for the purpose of establishing fish hatcheries or fish nurseries. The board may exercise the power of eminent domain if necessary to accompl…

The department shall charge a fee for stocking fish in private water bodies and nonnavigable waters sufficient to cover all costs of producing and stocking the fish.

If the federal government ceases to operate the Walhalla Fish Hatchery, the department may accept and maintain operations of the facility by charging a fee that is sufficient to cover the cost of operating the facility.

(A) The department may grant permits to collect freshwater fish for scientific purposes during any time of the year and on any area including sanctuaries without further review. The application must be accompanied by the requisite fee. The department shall investigate the applica…

The department, without cost to this State, shall designate and establish sanctuaries where fish may breed unmolested, in the manner and subject to the provisions in this article.

The department may select any place upon any river or stream within this State as a fish sanctuary. Upon making this selection, the board, upon approval in writing of a majority of the members of the county legislative delegation from the county in which this proposed fish sanctu…

A person fishing or trespassing upon any property or waters so established as a sanctuary by the department is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not exceeding two hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days. In cases where magistrates have co…

The department may permit the federal government to conduct fish culture and scientific investigations in the waters of this State in connection with hatchery operations or management of those species under federal jurisdiction.

This chapter governs the freshwaters of this State.

It is unlawful to take freshwater game fish except by game fish devices. A fisherman only may use four game fishing devices. A fisherman fishing from a boat may use an unlimited number of game fishing devices if all persons in the boat sixteen years and older have valid fishing l…

(A) A fish sanctuary is established in the St. Stephen Rediversion Canal between the Corps of Engineers' powerhouse and the Atlantic Coastline Railroad Bridge. It is unlawful for a person to fish in the sanctuary except as provided in this section. (B) From March first to May fir…

Herring fishing is prohibited within one hundred feet of the fish lift exit channel at St. Stephens Powerhouse.

(A) Except as otherwise provided, the daily possession limit for game fish is an aggregate of forty of which: (1) not more than five may be largemouth, redeye (coosae), Bartram's bass, or smallmouth bass or their hybrids or any combination; (2) not more than fifteen may be spotte…

It is unlawful to possess crappie less than eight inches in total length.

(A) In the following freshwater bodies: the Ashepoo River; Ashley River; Back River in Jasper County and the Back River in Berkeley County; Black River; Black Mingo Creek; Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek; Combahee River; Cooper River system; Coosawhatchie River; Cuckholds Creek;…

(A) It is unlawful to possess largemouth bass on Lakes Blalock, Greenwood, Jocassee, Marion, Monticello, Moultrie, Murray, Secession, Wateree, Wylie, and the middle reach of the Saluda River and the upper reach of the Santee River less than fourteen inches in total length. (B) It…

It is unlawful to possess smallmouth bass less than twelve inches in total length, except on Lakes Hartwell, Russell (including the Lake Hartwell tail water), Thurmond, Tugaloo, Yonah, the Chattooga, and Savannah Rivers, and Steven Creek Reservoir where there is no length limit o…

(A) In order to establish a "catch and release" fishery for trout it is unlawful to possess, take, and retain trout from November first of each year through May fourteenth of the following year inclusive on the following waters: (1) that portion of the Chattooga River beginning a…

(A) From November first through May fourteenth inclusive, it is unlawful to use or possess any lure or bait except single hook artificial lures in the following waters; (1) that portion of the Chattooga River beginning at S.C. State Highway 28 upstream to its confluence with Reed…

On Lake Jocassee it is unlawful to possess more than three trout. It is unlawful to possess trout less than fifteen inches in total length or possess more than one trout greater than twenty inches in total length. Provided, from June first through September thirtieth, there is no…

The department may promulgate regulations for the protection and management of the trout fishery.

Unless otherwise provided, a person convicted of a violation of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for up to thirty days, or both. The magistrates court ret…

A game fish taken by net or other nongame fishing device, except for landing nets (dip nets), must be returned immediately to the water from whence it came. A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less t…

(A) A trap must not be: (1) placed within six hundred feet of a public boat launching area; (2) set so as to leave any part of the trap exposed at low water; (3) unattended for more than three days. (B) The department may inspect traps for compliance with this section at anytime.…

(A) A trap or eel pot may be suspended above the bottom of the body of water in which they are used at a depth that does not create a hazard to watercraft. (B) There is no restriction on the type of bait permissible in a trap or eel pot, except that game fish or any part of a gam…

(A) The season for taking nongame fish other than American shad and herring in the freshwaters of this State with a gill net is from November first to March first inclusive. A gill net may be used or possessed in the freshwaters in which their use is authorized on Wednesdays, Thu…

A hoop net may be used or possessed in the freshwaters where its use is authorized by this chapter. A hoop net must rest on the bottom of the body of water in which it is used and must not be suspended above the bottom. A hoop net must not be used within one hundred feet of the m…

A pump net may be fished from the bank or a shore based structure only and only for recreation. A skimbow net may be fished from a boat but only for recreation. These devices may be used only in those waters where authorized in this chapter.

It is unlawful to use or have in possession a minnow seine in the freshwaters of this State from ten o'clock p.m. to official sunrise.

Fishing in the freshwaters constitutes consent to inspection of creels at any time by a law enforcement officer.