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Best blue catfish lakes in South Carolina

6 South Carolina waters hold blue catfish, 2 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Open-water giant of big rivers and reservoirs; follows shad schools and feeds in current year-round.

1. Lake Marion — 77 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
2. Lake Moultrie — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
3. Lake Murray — 200 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
4. Lake Wateree — 90 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass
5. Lake Wylie — 60 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
6. Congaree River — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass

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When to fish blue catfish in South Carolina

• Spring 5–25 ft — High water is your friend — fish current seams and flooded flats.
• Summer 10–40 ft — Drift cut bait across channel edges and deep flats.
• Fall 15–45 ft — Blues shadow massive shad schools — find bait on the graph first.
• Winter 20–50 ft — The trophy season: anchor on deep holes packed with wintering shad.

Also in South Carolina: best largemouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best striped bass lakes · best flathead catfish lakes

Blue Catfish elsewhere: Indiana · Texas · Ohio · Missouri · Oklahoma · Illinois · Kentucky · Mississippi · Tennessee · Georgia · Kansas · Virginia · North Carolina