Santee Cooper striped bass season reopens Oct. 1 on Marion and Moultrie

Striped bass season is back Oct. 1 on Lakes Marion and Moultrie. Tommy Braswell, writing in the Post and Courier on Sept. 27, noted the fishery closes June 15 each year to protect the fish, then reopens in October.

The keep rule he reported is three stripers between 23 and 25 inches, with one fish allowed over 26 inches. Confirm that on dnr.sc.gov before you keep a fish.

Santee Cooper became a landlocked striper fishery after the dams went in during the 1940s, and SCDNR pioneered spawning the fish there. Captains in the story said October through December is when cooling water and bird schools put the bite on.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: The Post and Courier — Striped bass fishing begins in October on Santee Cooper lakes (Tommy Braswell, Sept. 27, 2026). Regulations: South Carolina DNR.