Now until 8 pmCrappie
The bite peaks at 88. Water is 68°, close to the 65° crappie like best, and a solunar period lands on the window.
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
Right now · best window
Crappie range 50–80°
From the north
Sunset 5:24 pm
No rain expected
NWS hourly forecast
Measured, last 3 hours
Waning crescent
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are South Carolina regulations for these waters.
Right in crappie's ideal range. Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Holds 3–20 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. South Carolina statewide: 8" minimum, 20 crappie a day, within the 40-fish daily game fish total.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · South Carolina
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Oct–May, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on crappie
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside largemouth bass's active range. Holds 3–25 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. No largemouth under 14"; 5 black bass a day combined.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Lakes Marion, Moultrie, Murray and Wylie
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on largemouth bass
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside blue catfish's active range. Holds 10–60 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. 25 blue catfish a day, no more than 2 of them over 32".
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Lakes Marion and Moultrie
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Year-round, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on blue catfish
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside channel catfish's active range. Holds 5–30 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. South Carolina sets no daily or length limit for channel catfish; the state nongame limits cover only blue catfish and American eel.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · South Carolina
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Feb–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on channel catfish
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside striped bass's active range. Holds 5–35 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Oct 1–Jun 15: 3 striped or hybrid bass a day, only fish from 23 to 25" may be kept, except one may be over 26". Jun 16–Sep 30: closed.
Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Santee River system (Lakes Marion and Moultrie)
Last checked 15 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Mar–May, Oct–Dec, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on striped bass
Fish feed actively ahead of a pressure drop. Inside common carp's active range. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Open. Keep fish within the limits. South Carolina's nongame size and possession table does not include common carp, so no limit applies. Grass carp are protected; SCDNR: "It is unlawful to take, harm or kill grass carp in public waters."
Verified Oct 18, 2026 · South Carolina
Last checked 20 days ago. Rules may have changed.
Season here: Mar–Nov, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on common carp
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
Names blue catfish, crappie, striped bass, which people fish for here. It covers the whole state, so it may not describe these waters.
Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories
The larger of the two Santee Cooper lakes — world-famous for trophy blue and channel catfish, with strong largemouth, crappie, and a landlocked striped-bass fishery (where stripers were first found to reproduce in fresh water).
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Lake Marion you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
Lake Marion is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Striped Bass, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Lake Marion against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
Lake Marion has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.
state agency regulations apply at Lake Marion. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
No. Lake Marion is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
