2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 50 - Fish, Game and Watercraft › Chapter 5 - Marine Resources Act › Section 50-5-1506. Zones, seasons, times catch limits, size limits, methods, and equipment for taking shad.

In addition to other provisions of law, the following provisions govern seasons, times, methods, equipment, size limits, and take limits in commercial fishing for shad in the waters of this State specified below:
(a) Black River, Great Pee Dee River, Little Pee Dee River, Lynches River, Waccamaw River from Big Bull Creek to Winyah Bay, Winyah Bay, and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(i) Pee Dee River and tributaries above U.S. Highway 701 and Black River:
(1) Season: January 15 through April 15;
(2) Times: noon Monday through noon Saturday;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(ii) Remainder of Winyah Bay system including all of Big Bull Creek and Waccamaw River with tributaries below the entrance of Big Bull Creek:
(1) Season: January 15 through April 1;
(2) Times: Monday noon to Saturday noon, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: No restriction provided drift nets of not more than nine hundred feet in length are allowed in Waccamaw River between Butler Island and U.S. Highway 17 during lawful times;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(b) Santee River below Wilson Dam including the Rediversion Canal below St. Stephen Dam, North Santee River and Bay, South Santee River, and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(i) Rediversion Canal from St. Stephen Dam seaward to the seaward terminus of the northern dike of the Rediversion Canal:
Season: No open season;
(ii) Rediversion Canal from the seaward terminus of the northern dike of the Rediversion Canal seaward to Santee River:
(1) Season: January 15 through April 15;
(2) Times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Tuesday and Thursday;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(iii) Wilson Dam seaward to U.S. Highway 52 bridge:
Season: No open season.
(iv) U.S. Highway 52 bridge seaward to S.C. Highway 41 bridge:
(1) Season: January 15 through April 15;
(2) Times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Tuesday and Thursday;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(v) S.C. Highway 41 bridge seaward:
(1) Season: January 15 through March 15;
(2) Times: Monday noon to Saturday noon, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(c) Wando River and Cooper River seaward to the U.S. Highway 17 bridges, Charleston Harbor, Ashley River, and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(i) Tailrace Canal from Wadboo Creek to the Jefferies Power Plant:
Season: No open season.
(ii) Cooper River from Wadboo Creek to U.S. Highway 17:
Season: No open season.
(iii) Ashley River seaward to its confluence with Popper Dam Creek:
(1) Season: No open season;
(2) Reserved
(3) Reserved
(4) Reserved
(iv) Remainder of the Charleston Harbor system:
(1) Season: No open season;
(2) Reserved
(3) Reserved
(4) Reserved
(d) Edisto River Estuary, Edisto River, North and South Branches (Forks) of the Edisto River, and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(i) Above U.S. Highway 15 bridge:
(1) Season: February 1 through March 30;
(2) Times: Tuesday noon to Saturday noon, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(ii) Seaward of U.S. Highway 15 bridge and above U.S. Highway 17 bridge:
(1) Season: February 1 through March 30;
(2) Times: Tuesday noon to Saturday noon, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(iii) Seaward of U.S. Highway 17 bridge:
(1) Season: February 1 through March 30;
(2) Times: Wednesday noon to Friday midnight, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(e) Ashepoo River and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(1) Season: No open season;
(2) Reserved
(3) Reserved
(4) Reserved
(f) Combahee River and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(i) Tributaries and distributaries, except main stems of Salkehatchie Rivers:
Season: No open season.
(ii) Main river including main stems of Salkehatchie Rivers:
(1) Season: February 1 through March 15;
(2) Times: For anchored nets, Tuesday noon to Friday noon, local time; for driftnets, Monday noon to Saturday noon, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(g) Coosawhatchie River and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
Season: No open season.
(h) South Carolina portions of Savannah River and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(i) Main river below U. S. Highway 301 and above U. S. Interstate Highway 95:
(1) Season: January 1 through April 15;
(2) Times: 7:00 a.m. Wednesday to 7:00 p.m. Saturday, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(ii) Tributaries and distributaries above U.S. Interstate Highway 95 bridge:
Season: No open season.
(iii) Seaward of U.S. Interstate Highway 95 bridge.
(1) Season: January 1 through March 31. Taking or attempting to take shad with anchored nets is prohibited at all times in the Savannah River's Little Back River, Back River and the north channel of the Savannah River downstream from the New Savannah Cut;
(2) Times: 7:00 a.m. Tuesday to 7:00 p.m. Friday, local time;
(3) Methods and equipment: Any lawful method and equipment;
(4) Size and take limits: No limits.
(i) Atlantic Ocean territorial sea as follows:
(1) Season: No open season;
(2) Reserved
(3) Reserved
(4) Reserved
(j) Lake Moultrie, Lake Marion, Diversion Canal, Intake Canal of Rediversion Canal, and all tributaries and distributaries thereto as follows:
(1) Season: No closed season;
(2) Times: No restrictions;
(3) Methods and equipment: Cast net and lift net for bait;
(4) Size and take limits: Two hundred fifty pounds per boat per day combined catch of herring and shad.
HISTORY: 2002 Act No. 342, Section 33; 2004 Act No. 252, Section 1; 2012 Act No. 249, Section 4, eff June 18, 2012.
Effect of Amendment
The 2012 amendment rewrote the section.