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  4. Drum fishing in South Carolina

Drum fishing in South Carolina

South Carolina is home to excellent drum inshore fishing in coastal waters, bays, and nearshore areas where this species is commonly found.

Types of Drum in South Carolina

Best baits and lures for Drum in South Carolina

According to catch data from over 20 million anglers on Fishbrain, these are the best baits used to catch Drum.

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Biggest Drum catches

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Latest Drum fishing reports in South Carolina

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Black drum

Big Bay Creek

length · weight

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Red drum

Savannah River

39 in · 23 lb

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Black drum

Charleston County Coast

length · weight

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Red drum

Calibogue Sound

36 in · 16 lb

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Red drum

Big Bay Creek

length · weight

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Red drum

Colleton County Coast

length · weight

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Black drum

Kiawah River

length · weight

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Red drum

Ashley River

32 in · 16 lb

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Red drum

Clubhouse Creek

length · weight

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Red drum

Cooper River

length · weight

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Regulations for Drum in South Carolina

Disclaimer: Always check local fishing regulations, water access rights and land ownership before fishing, regardless of any catches logged in that area by the Fishbrain community. Fishbrain has mapped millions of acres of government-owned land across the USA to help you identify potential fishing access, but you are responsible for ensuring compliance with all legal requirements.

Fishing regulations in South Carolina can change throughout the year. Make sure to check this page before fishing for the most up to date rules and regulations for the current season. Local regulations govern when you can fish, the max size of the fish you can keep, how many fish you can keep, and more.

Below you will see fishing regulations for catching Red drum as of May 17th, 2026. To view regulations for a different fish species, please click on your preferred species in the drop-down.

Red drum

Seasons

Open

Bag limit

2

Vessel limit

6

Min size

15"

Max size

23"

Measurement

Total Length
May only be taken by rod and reel and gig.
Cannot be harvested by gig in January, February, or December.
May not be harvested from federal waters.
Very Good

Channel Bass, Redfish, Sciaenops ocellatus, Spottail Bass

Regulations for

33°36′12.2″N 80°55′33.6″W
Regulations in the map
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FAQ

Anglers in South Carolina commonly catch several Drum species, including Red drum and Black drum, according to reports from Fishbrain members.

These species can be found in many lakes, coastal waters, rivers and streams throughout the area. If you are targeting a specific species, you can use the to filter catches by species and see where anglers are catching them and which baits they are using.
Drum are caught in lakes, coastal waters, rivers and streams throughout South Carolina. Popular fishing waters reported by Fishbrain members include Lake Hartwell, Lake Murray, and J. Strom Thurmond Reservoir (SC).

The allows anglers to see exact catch locations shared by other members, helping you discover productive fishing spots where Drum have recently been caught.