Regulations - Species Limits, Possession, Size
Blueback herring
Regulations effective July 1, 2012
Possession Limit: 1 US bushel per person per day.
Size limit: No statewide length limits
Exceptions to the limits above:
- Santee River 20 per person per day
Other Restrictions:
- Herring fishing is prohibited within one hundred feet of the fish lift exit channel at St. Stephens Powerhouse. Herring fishery closed in the Savannah River seaward of the Augusta Diversion Dam and in all rivers in the Winyah Bay River System except for the Great Pee Dee River.
- It is unlawful to take American shad and herring using the following nongame fishing devices: archery equipment, crayfish trap, eel pot, elver fyke net, gig, hand grabbing, hoop net, jug fishing device, minnow seine, minnow trap, pump net, seine, set hook, spear, trap or trotline.
- Recreational (unlawful to sell catch)
- To take herring for recreational purposes by hook and line, cast net (for bait), or skim bow net in freshwaters a person MUST have a recreational freshwater fishing license.
- To take herring for recreational purposes using a herring gill net, a person MUST have a recreational fishing license, gear license, and related permits.
- Only one herring gill net may be fished by occupants of a boat, and if drifted, it must be attended at all times when deployed. Additional boats in tow may not be used to increase the number of authorized nets. Must adhere to legal commercial fishing areas and the recreational limit.
- Commercial (selling one's catch)
- MUST use a herring gill net; not to be confused with the nongame gill nets.
- Herring Gill Net: A gill net used for taking or attempting to take herring in the salt waters of this State must have a mesh size of two and one-half inches stretched and a length no greater than nine hundred feet. A gill net used for taking or attempting to take herring in freshwaters must have a stretched mesh of two and one-half inches stretched and a length no greater than six hundred feet.
- To take herring for commercial purposes using a herring gill net, a person MUST have a commercial fishing license, gear license, and related permits.
- To use a cast net to take herring for commercial purposes, a person MUST have a commercial license, a gear license, and related permits.
- MUST use a herring gill net; not to be confused with the nongame gill nets.
- License Type Requirements
- If fishing in the freshwaters of the state, a person needs either a recreational or commercial freshwater fishing license. If fishing in the saltwaters of the state, a person needs a either a recreational or a commercial saltwater fishing license. If fishing in both fresh and saltwaters, a person MUST have both freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses—either recreational or commercial.