Lake Keowee
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for Lake Keowee, as the state words them
Oconee County · Lake · SC
Today's rule hereParsed
- Season
- No closed freshwater game fish season except in the following areasStatewide
- Gear
- Game fish may be caught with only hook and line, pole, artificial pole, or rod and reel.Statewide
- Bait
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
- Poles
- Not more than 4 of these devices may be used by any fishermen at the same time, except when fishing in a boat.Statewide
| Species | Daily limit | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
American Shad | 10 shad per person per day except in Santee River and Rediversion Canal (20 per person per day) | - | Statewide |
Herring | 1 US bushel of herring per person per day | - | Statewide |
Striped Bass | Possession prohibited: June 16 - Sept. 30; 3 fish per person per day: Oct. 1 - June 15 | min. 26 inch TL | Statewide |
bream | lawful creel limit of bream | - | Statewide |
blue catfish | 2 per person per day, possession limit of 25 per person per day | min. over 32 inches | Statewide |
American shad and herring | 10 shad per person per day or 1 US bushel of herring per person per day, except in the Santee River and Rediversion Canal (which is 20 shad per person per day) | - | Statewide |
crayfish | A commercial fisherman may fish up to fifty crayfish traps. A recreational fisherman may fish up to five crayfish traps. | - | Statewide |
minnow | A minnow trap may be fished with a recreational license only, with a limit of 5 for each person, and must not be fished for commercial purposes. | - | Statewide |
Shad | Ten per person per day | - | Statewide |
Smallmouth Bass | No more than 10 combined total of black bass | min. 12 inches min | This water |
The official text, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from SC's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- Smallmouth BassDaily limit No more than 10 combined total of black bassSize 12 inches min
- All fishNon-game devices are not allowed in waters within game zone 1 (upstream of SC Hwy 130)
- All fishDaily limit 2Gear Traps
- All fishDaily limit 1 line with 50 hooks maximumGear Trotlines
- All fishDaily limit 5Gear Traps
- All fishDaily limit 150 hooks maximum no more than 3 linesGear Trotlines
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide lake rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this rule applies
This water is not yet drawn on the map. Its rules are captured and receipted; the geometry ledger records exactly why it is not drawn (an ambiguous name match or a gap in the source data), and it will never ship as a guess. Each rule above describes in the state's own words where it applies, and those written descriptions are the authoritative boundaries.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Lake Keowee's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
You also need (South Carolina)
- Georgia reciprocal border waters. A Georgia OR a South Carolina freshwater license is valid on the shared Savannah River system, so you do not need both. It covers all channels of the Savannah River from its mouth up to where the Tugaloo and Seneca meet, the Chattooga River to the Georgia/North Carolina line, and the impoundments Thurmond, Russell, Hartwell, Yonah, Tugaloo, Stevens Creek and New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam. It does NOT cover tributary streams to those impoundments or to the Savannah, Tugaloo and Chattooga rivers - on a tributary you need the license of the state you are in. Size and catch limits still follow the state whose rules apply, so check Georgia's separately.
Checked against South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) - SC Recreational Fishing and Hunting License on Aug. 4, 2026.
Receipts
Local services near Lake Keowee
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Lake Keowee? Get listed.