SlotGaugeCheck a catchWreckfish regulations in South Carolina
· Saltwater · 2026 season
Wreckfish size limit, season and daily limit
| Where | Season | Size limit | Daily limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC state waters (to 3 mi) | Open year-round | No minimum size | 1 per vessel per day |
| Federal waters (3–200 mi) | July 1 – August 31 | No minimum size | 1 per vessel per day |
Notes
- State waters (0–3 mi) have no closed season; federal closures from SAFMC apply beyond 3 mi and can change mid-year when catch limits are met — check safmc.net before an offshore trip.
Exact South Carolina Department of Natural Resources wording
- Season
- Open year-round in state waters
- Size
- None
- Limit
- 1 per vessel per day
- statewide — as printed
- “Wreckfish | Federal waters open Jul 1 – Aug 31 only | 1 per vessel per day | None”
Source: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, captured 2026-10-01 (2026 season).
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About the wreckfish
Species of fish
The Atlantic wreckfish, also known as the stone bass or bass groper, is a marine, bathydemersal, and oceanodromous ray-finned fish in the family Polyprionidae. It has a worldwide, if disjunct, distribution in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Read more about Atlantic wreckfish on Wikipedia →
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Regulations on this page come from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, not Wikipedia.
All 106 South Carolina species A–Z →
Frequently asked
What is the size limit for Wreckfish in South Carolina?
No minimum size in South Carolina state waters.
How many Wreckfish can you keep per day in South Carolina?
1 per vessel per day.
When is Wreckfish season in South Carolina?
Open year-round.
Is my Wreckfish a keeper today?
Wreckfish has no size limit today, with a daily limit of 1.