2026 regulation year
Cooper River 2026 — South Carolina Fishing Regulations
South Carolina statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Cooper River carries 2 special-regulation overlays on top of South Carolina's 2026 fishing rules — covering Channel catfish. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
Striped bass spawning closures in spring on listed tributaries; 26 in min striped bass, 3 / day on connecting Santee Cooper waters (closed June 16 – Sept 30); tidal saltwater licence required below Mark Clark Expressway bridge
Per-species rules on Cooper River
No statewide limit; tidal channel-cat fishery below Pinopolis Dam
Official source
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources publishes the authoritative 2026 South Carolina fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official South Carolina fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any South Carolina trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in South Carolina
- ACE Basin (Ashepoo + Combahee + Edisto Rivers)
- Atlantic coast (Little River Inlet to Hilton Head)
- Beaufort + Port Royal Sound
- Bonneau Ferry WMA Lake (SCDNR State Lake, Berkeley County)
- Charleston Harbor + Cooper / Wando / Ashley Rivers (tidal)
- Chattooga River (SC/GA Wild & Scenic River corridor)
- Congaree + Wateree rivers
- Dargan's Pond (SCDNR State Lake, Darlington County)
- Draper WMA Lakes (SCDNR State Lakes, York County)
- Eastatoee Creek (Eastatoee Creek Heritage Preserve)
- Edisto River
- Hilton Head + Calibogue Sound
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Cooper River?
- Cooper River carries 2 special-regulation overlays that override South Carolina's statewide 2026 rules, covering Channel catfish. One of them reads: "Striped bass spawning closures in spring on listed tributaries; 26 in min striped bass, 3 / day on connecting Santee Cooper waters (closed June 16 – Sept 30); tidal saltwater licence required below Mark Clark Expressway bridge." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Cooper River?
- Yes. Cooper River is in South Carolina, so a valid South Carolina fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Cooper River; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide South Carolina rules.
- Do Cooper River's special rules replace South Carolina's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. South Carolina's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Cooper River by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Cooper River?
- Channel catfish has a water-body-specific rule on Cooper River, each linking to its full South Carolina regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide South Carolina limits.