Redbreast Sunfish in South Carolina
Default row, named waters and SCDNR landings for redbreast sunfish.
- 15 a daylimit
- 2 lbstate record
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Where Redbreast Sunfish stand under South Carolina rules
Start from this line for redbreast sunfish: any length on length and 15 on the daily count.
55 built water pages carry it on an SCDNR landing list, starting with Lake Thurmond, Lake Wateree and Parr Shoals Reservoir. It sits inside the guide's game fish definition. It holds 1 state record entry on the SCDNR books.
2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Guide, valid August 14, 2026 to August 14, 2027 (online guide; PDF page 28), read November 9, 2026.
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The guide measures fresh water fish by total length and caps the day at 40 game fish overall.
| Water as printed | Size | Daily |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | Any length | 15 |
2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting & Fishing Guide, valid August 14, 2026 to August 14, 2027 (online guide; PDF page 28), read November 9, 2026.
Biggest redbreast sunfish on the SCDNR lists
| SCDNR listing | Weight | Water or place | Year | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redbreast Sunfish | 2 lb | Lumber River | 1975 | freshwater |
Copied weights, pound-ounce as SCDNR lists them; no names shown.
South Carolina state record fish as listed by SCDNR (record list), read November 9, 2026.
South Carolina water SCDNR lists for redbreast sunfish
SCDNR access records carry species fields, and the waters below include this fish there; it is a site note, not a survey.
Carolina lakes for redbreast sunfish
- Lake Thurmond71,100 acres
- Lake Wateree13,025 acres
- Parr Shoals Reservoirabout 3,116 acres of mapped outline
- Lake Edgar Brown100 acres
- Lake Ashwood75 acres
- Lancaster Reservoir60 acres
- Lake JuniperChesterfield County
- Lick Fork LakeEdgefield County
- Wee Tee LakeWilliamsburg County
Carolina rivers for redbreast sunfish
- Broad RiverBeaufort County and 8 other counties
- Little Pee Dee RiverDillon County and 2 other counties
- Edisto RiverBamberg County and 3 other counties
- Great Pee Dee RiverChesterfield County and 7 other counties
- Lynches RiverFlorence and Lee counties
- Saluda RiverAnderson County and 6 other counties
- Savannah RiverAiken County and 5 other counties
- Waccamaw RiverGeorgetown and Horry counties
- Ashley RiverCharleston and Dorchester counties
- Catawba RiverChester County and 2 other counties
- Black RiverGeorgetown and Williamsburg counties
- North Fork Edisto RiverOrangeburg County
- South Fork Edisto RiverAiken County and 2 other counties
- Wateree RiverKershaw and Richland counties
- Cooper RiverBerkeley and Charleston counties
- Santee RiverBerkeley County and 2 other counties
- Combahee RiverBeaufort County and 2 other counties
- Cedar CreekLancaster County and 2 other counties
SCDNR South Carolina Public Water Access layer (ArcGIS service, the data behind the SCDNR fishing access map), read November 9, 2026.
Agency notes on redbreast sunfish
SCDNR describes the fish on its species page.
Photo of Redbreast Sunfish: Bclegg77, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ahead of a redbreast sunfish trip in South Carolina
How many redbreast sunfish go home per day in South Carolina?
The guide row reads: size any length, daily 15.
Is the redbreast sunfish rule the same on every South Carolina water?
No water row names it, so its general line holds everywhere.
Where was the record redbreast sunfish caught in South Carolina?
SCDNR lists 2 lb from Lumber River (1975).
Which South Carolina lakes should I try first for redbreast sunfish?
55 waters, led by Lake Thurmond, Lake Wateree and Parr Shoals Reservoir.
Does South Carolina count redbreast sunfish as a game fish?
Yes. The guide lists it.
Does an out-of-state angler after redbreast sunfish need a South Carolina license?
Anglers 16 and older need a South Carolina freshwater fishing license; SCDNR prints $10 for a resident annual license and $35 for a nonresident annual license.
Why does the redbreast sunfish record read like 5-4.8?
It is pounds, a dash, then ounces, copied as SCDNR prints it.
How do Carolina rules treat redbreast sunfish already in the freezer?
The guide states daily limits and, in fresh water, a 40 game fish daily total; no possession multiple was printed in what was read, so none is given here.
Choose Carolina water for redbreast sunfish
Every water linked above shows its landings and limits.