The many fishing opportunities in our SC State Parks provide all sorts of fun and all sorts of fish! We have a state park located on every reservoir lake in this state. State parks are sprinkled along rivers too, and if we have neither of those, you can guarantee yourself just about every park has its own man-made lake chocked full of fish…..and did we mention the Atlantic Ocean? It’s swimming with countless fish and other species.
Take a moment to read about some of our fun fishing programs, events and more, and make sure you cast-away next time you’re in a state park.
You're at a park, you want to fish, but you forgot your gear? No problem. Thanks to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' Fishing Tackle Loaner Program, we have equipment you can use at no charge at all of our parks where fishing is available.
You must be 18 or have a parent check out the equipment, but the program is free. Check out the park of your choice and look under things to do to see if the park participates in the tackle loaner program.
This annual event in May is a kids’ fishing tournament for ages 6–15, hosted in partnership with the Friends of Croft and with support from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Whether it’s a child’s first time holding a rod or they’ve already learned the ropes, all are welcome! Participants receive rods and reels, bait, t-shirts and raffle tickets—with two exciting raffles held during the event. It’s a great day to get outside, learn a new skill and enjoy a family-friendly competition.
You get a line, and I’ll get a pole, and we’ll head down to the fishing hole at Lake Warren State Park for the annual Little Buddies Fishing Program held each May. For more information, contact Lake Warren State Park at 803-943-5051.
The weather is hot in August at Santee State Park, and so are the fish! The Big Daddy Fishing Event is a long-standing tradition, offering a day of fishing fun for children ages 3–12. Each participant must be accompanied by an adult.
Awards are given in the categories of Most Outstanding Catch, Big Fish, 1st Place Overall and 2nd Place Overall. Held on the first Saturday in August each year, this event has been growing for more than 45 years. For more information, contact Santee State Park at 803-854-2408.
It’s a different sort of fishing, especially when the Atlantic Ocean is involved! You never know what you might pull up from that salty abyss. Two of our beach parks, Myrtle Beach and Hunting Island, provide fishing piers so that you may try your hand at saltwater pier fishing. Visit our Programs & Events page for upcoming events.
For more information on fishing throughout our parks, visit our fishing page. For other programs related to fishing, visit our programs and events page and search by park or date.