Best striped bass lakes in South Carolina
5 South Carolina waters hold striped bass, 3 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 nomad that follows shad and herring schools; loves current, points and cool depths.
- Lake Marion — 77 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Lake Moultrie — 75 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Stevens Creek Reservoir — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
- Congaree River — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass
- Saluda River (Lower) — 12 ft max · Rainbow Trout, Striped Bass, Brown Trout
When to fish striped bass in South Carolina
- Spring 5–20 ft — Fish push up creeks and rivers; chase the bait to moving water.
- Summer 25–60 ft — Stripers hold in the cool deep layer — live bait or trolling over the thermocline.
- Fall 10–35 ft — Fall blitz season — follow the birds and breaking fish.
- Winter 20–50 ft — Big schools stack on channel bends with bait; slow presentations.
Also in South Carolina: best largemouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best flathead catfish lakes
Striped Bass elsewhere: Arizona · Mississippi · Texas · Tennessee · Georgia · California