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One of the east coast’s most popular vacation destinations, hundreds of thousands of Americans visit coastal destinations like Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston every year. Understandably, some excellent salt water fishing takes place off South Carolina’s coast.
When looking at freshwater fishing, however, there are a handful of popular lakes that anglers visit. Among the most popular are Lake Jocasee, Lake Murray, Lake Moultrie, Lake Marion, and Lake Strom Thurmond.
Related: Check out of suggestions for the Top 8 fishing lakes in South Carolina.
South Carolina currently holds the impressive distinction of holding three current world records (as of this writing): Channel catfish, redbreast sunfish, and mudfish (bowfin).
The oldest state fishing records in South Carolina — the largemouth bass and white crappie — were caught in 1949.
List of Every South Carolina State Fishing Record
| Species | Weight | Location | Year | Angler's Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Striped Bass | 63 lbs | Lake Russell | 2009 | Terry McConnell |
| White Bass | 5 lbs 4.8 oz | Lake Murray | 2006 | Davis P. Jefferies, Jr. |
| Hybrid Bass | 20 lbs 6 oz | Savannah River | 1978 | Danny Wood |
| White Perch (tie) | 1 lb 15.2 oz | Lake Wylie | 2007 | Rodger W. Taylor |
| (Allison Creek) | ||||
| White Perch (tie) | 1 lb 15.84 oz | Lake Marion | 2016 | Frank Drose, Sr. |
| Largemouth Bass (tie) | 16 lbs 2 oz | Lake Marion | 1949 | P.H. Flanagan |
| Largemouth Bass (tie) | 16 lbs 2 oz | Aiken Co. Pond | 1993 | Mason Cummings |
| Spotted Bass | Lake Jocassee | 2001 | David Preston | |
| Smallmouth Bass | 9 lbs 7 oz | Lake Jocassee | 2001 | Terry Dodson |
| Redeye Bass | 5 lbs 2.5 oz | Lake Jocassee | 2001 | Randy Dickson |
| Bluegill (Bream) | 3 lbs 4 oz | Lancaster Co. | 1973 | J.P. Hegler |
| Shellcracker | 5 lbs 7.5 oz | Diversion Canal | 1998 | Amos Gay |
| Redbreast* | 2 lbs | Lumber River | 1975 | D. R. Turner |
| Warmouth | 2 lbs 2.5 oz | Clarendon Co. | 1973 | W. Singletary |
| Flier | 1 lb 4 oz | Hemingway | 1977 | Steve Bryant |
| Pumpkinseed | 2 lbs 4 oz | North Saluda River | 1997 | Scott Hart |
| White Crappie | 5 lbs 1 oz | Lake Murray | 1949 | Mrs. H.P. Owens |
| Black Crappie | 5 lbs | Lake Moultrie | 1957 | P.E. Foust |
| Brook | 2020-04-10 00:00:00 | Chattooga below Burrell’s Ford | 2010 | Wes Coker |
| Brown | 17 lbs 9.5 oz | Lake Jocassee | 1987 | Larry Edwards |
| Rainbow | 11 lbs 5 oz | Lake Jocassee | 1993 | Scott Coggins |
| Sauger | 4 lbs 7 oz | Lake Thurmond | 1985 | Broadus Moody |
| Yellow | 3 lbs 4 oz | Lake Keowee | 1979 | Danny Scarborough |
| Walleye | 10 lbs | Lake Russell | 1994 | Robert Huskins |
| Chain (Jack) | 6 lbs 4 oz | Chessey Creek | 1981 | Randall Spell |
| Redfin Pike | 1 lb 8.8 oz | Bluff Lake | 1983 | Albert Johnson |
| Muskellunge | 22 lbs 8 oz | Broad River | 2004 | Zavier Jefferies |
| Blue | 113.8 lbs | Lake Moultrie | 2017 | Paula D. Haney |
| Bullhead | 6 lbs 6.3 oz | Broad River | 2009 | George Eleazer |
| Channel* | 58 lbs | Lake Moultrie | 1964 | W.H. Whaley |
| Flathead | 84 lbs 9.6 oz | Cooper River | 2018 | Paul Daniels |
| White | 12 lbs 2.9 oz | Lake Murray | 2014 | Charles Earp |
| Mudfish (Bowfin)* | 21 lbs 8 oz | Forest Lake | 1980 | Robert Harmon |
| American Shad | 7 lbs | Santee River | 1985 | Sylvester Casselman |
Know of any South Carolina fishing state records that need updated? Help us out by letting us know in the comments below.
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