South Carolina § 50-13-230 - Striped and hybrid bass limits.

§ 50-13-230. Striped and hybrid bass limits.

(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; Edisto River; Horseshoe Creek; Lumber River; Lynches River; Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers; Pocotaligo River in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton Counties; Salkehatchie and Little Salkehatchie Rivers; Sampit River; Santee River system except the lower reach of the Saluda River; Tulifinny River; Thoroughfare Creek; Intracoastal Waterway (Horry County); and Waccamaw River from June sixteenth through September thirtieth, it is unlawful to take, attempt to take, or to possess striped and hybrid bass. Striped and hybrid bass taken must be returned immediately to the waters from where it came.

(B) On the lower reach of the Saluda River from June sixteenth through September thirtieth, it is unlawful to take or possess striped and hybrid bass. Striped and hybrid bass taken must be returned immediately to the waters from where it came. When fishing with live or dead bait fish or bait fish parts in the Lower Saluda River between June sixteenth and September thirtieth, hook gap, the distance from hook to point to shank, must not exceed three eighths of an inch (nominally #6 hook) for all hook types except inline, nonstainless steel circle hooks. All sizes of inline, nonoffset, nonstainless steel circle hooks are allowed.

(C) 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; Edisto River; Horseshoe Creek; Lumber River; Lynches River; Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers; Pocotaligo River in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton Counties; Salkehatchie and Little Salkehatchie Rivers; Sampit River; Santee River system; Tulifinny River; Thoroughfare Creek; Intracoastal Waterway (Horry County); and Waccamaw River from October first through June fifteenth, it is unlawful to take or possess more than three striped bass or hybrid bass or a combination of those a day.

(D) 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; Edisto River; Horseshoe Creek; Lumber River; Lynches River; Great Pee Dee and Little Pee Dee Rivers; Pocotaligo River in Beaufort, Jasper, and Hampton Counties; Salkehatchie and Little Salkehatchie Rivers; Sampit River; Tulifinny River; Thoroughfare Creek; Intracoastal Waterway (Horry County); and Waccamaw River from October first through June fifteenth, it is unlawful to take or possess a striped or hybrid bass less than twenty-six inches in total length.

(E) In the Santee River system from October first through June fifteenth, it is unlawful to take or possess a striped or hybrid bass less than twenty-three inches or greater than twenty-five inches, provided that one striped or hybrid bass taken or possessed may be greater than twenty-six inches.

(F) On Lake Murray and the middle reach of the Saluda River it is unlawful to possess more than five striped bass or hybrid bass or a combination of those a day. From June first through September thirtieth, it is unlawful to take, attempt to take, or possess more than five striped bass or hybrid bass or a combination of those a day.

(G) On Lake Murray and the middle reach of the Saluda River from October first through May thirty-first, it is unlawful to possess a striped or hybrid bass less than twenty-one inches in total length. From June first to September thirtieth there is no minimum length.

(H) On Lakes Hartwell and Thurmond it is unlawful to possess more than ten striped bass or hybrid bass or a combination of those a day and only three may be over twenty-six inches in total length.

(I) On Lake Richard B. Russell and the Lake Hartwell tailwater it is unlawful to possess more than two striped bass or hybrid bass or a combination of those a day, and only one may be over thirty-four inches in total length.

(J) On the lower reach of the Savannah River it is unlawful to possess more than two striped bass, hybrid bass, white bass, or a combination of these. Any of these fish taken from the lower reach of the Savannah River must be at least twenty-seven inches in total length.

(K) It is unlawful to land striped or hybrid bass unless the head and tail fin are intact.

(L) The department shall establish the daily possession and size limits for striped bass on all other waters of this State, provided, limits must not be set by emergency regulation.

HISTORY: 2008 Act No. 237, SECTION 2, eff May 21, 2008; 2010 Act No. 193, SECTION 2, eff May 28, 2010; 1976 Code 50-13-221; 2012 Act No. 113, SECTION 2, eff July 1, 2012; 2018 Act No. 164 (H.3698), SECTION 3, eff May 3, 2018; 2024 Act No. 143 (H.4387), SECTION 1, eff May 13, 2024; 2024 Act No. 154 (H.5007), SECTION 1, eff May 13, 2024.

Code Commissioner's Note

At the direction of the Code Commissioner, the amendments to (B) made by 2024 Act No. 143 and 2024 Act No. 154 were read together.

Editor's Note

Prior Laws: Former SECTION 50-13-230, was entitled "Authority to change daily creel limits on striped bass or rockfish" and was derived from 1962 Code SECTION 28-593; 1961 (52) 152; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 1263; repealed by 2008 Act No. 237, SECTION 5.

Effect of Amendment

The 2012 amendment renumbered and rewrote this section.

2018 Act No. 164, SECTION 3, in (A), in the first sentence, inserted "Intracoastal Waterway (Horry County);" following "Thoroughfare Creek;", and substituted "June sixteenth through" for "June first to"; in (B), in the first sentence, substituted "June sixteenth through" for "June first to"; in (C) and (D), inserted "Intracoastal Waterway (Horry County);" following "Thoroughfare Creek;", and substituted "June fifteenth" for "May thirty-first"; inserted (E), and redesignated (E) to (L) as (F) to (M); in (M), substituted "January 2022" for "January, 2015"; and made a nonsubstantive change.

2024 Act No. 143, SECTION 1, in (A) and (B), in the first and second sentences, inserted "and hybrid" following "striped"; in (C), substituted "striped bass or hybrid bass or a combination of those a day" for "striped bass a day"; in (D), inserted "or hybrid" following "striped"; in (E), inserted "or hybrid" following "striped" in two places; in (F), in the first and second sentences, substituted "striped bass or hybrid bass or a combination of those a day" for "striped bass a day"; in (G), in the first sentence, inserted "or hybrid" following "striped"; in (K), inserted "or hybrid" following "striped"; deleted (M), which required the department to make a study of the striped bass fishery on the Santee and Cooper River systems; and made a nonsubstantive change.

2024 Act No. 154, SECTION 1, in (B), added the third and fourth sentences.