Buy Your South Carolina Fishing License

Purchasing your South Carolina Fishing License

If you plan of doing some freshwater fishing in the Palmetto State, you will need to obtain your South Carolina fishing license first. This will give you access to excellent fishing for some of the most popular (and some lesser-known) species.

This will give you the ability to legally fish bodies of water like Lake Moultrie, Lake Marion, Lake Jocassee, and Lake Strom Thurmond.

As of this writing, South Carolina is also home to three freshwater fishing world records!

What Species of Freshwater Fish are in South Carolina?

Throughout the state — and especially in South Carolina’s best fishing lakes — you can find some of the following species: striped bass, white bass, yellow perch, sauger, redfin pickerel, black crappie, white crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striped bass, redeye bass, rainbow trout, brown trout, walleye, and various species of sunfish (bluegill, redear, redbreast, warmouth, pumpkinseed).

Why should you purchase a valid fishing license?

For starters, it is illegal to fish public waters in the state of South Carolina without a fishing license. It goes without saying that you should always have your license on hand when fishing any state’s public lakes, streams, creeks, or rivers.

The purchase of a valid fishing license goes beyond simply skirting the law, though. Every license purchased help ensure that those fisheries are able to be stocked, monitored, and maintained to knowledgeable, educated, and committed South Carolina Department of Natural Resources staff.

Where can I purchase my South Carolina fishing license?

The majority of marinas, bait shops, and some big-box retailers will allow patrons to buy a license on-site.

If you are looking for a more convenient way to purchase your license, you can pick it up online at the official SCDNR website.