Fishing in Congaree National Park

Congaree National Park sits in the South Carolina Midlands just southeast of Columbia, protecting more than 26,000 acres of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest. The water here is floodplain water — slow, tannic, and connected.

The Congaree River forms the park's southern boundary, Cedar Creek winds through the interior, and a network of oxbow lakes fills in between. This is not tailwater or reservoir fishing.

It is swamp and river fishing, shaped by seasonal floods and the rhythms of a functioning bottomland ecosystem. Cedar Creek is the park's most distinctive fishery.

It runs slow enough to paddle against, and the only way in is by canoe or kayak — no motorized boats are permitted anywhere in the park. The creek holds largemouth bass, panfish, bowfin, gar, and more.

The forest closes in overhead, and the water moves on its own schedule. It fishes like the backcountry it is. The Congaree River, along the park's edge, draws anglers after striped bass, catfish, crappie, and bream.

The oxbow lakes connected to the river system also hold crappie and catfish and are worth exploring by paddle. Across the park's waters, bream, bass, and catfish are the most consistently encountered species.

No NPS permit is required to fish here, but a valid South Carolina fishing license is mandatory, and all South Carolina regulations apply — check with SCDNR for current size and bag limits.

The park prohibits fishing from or within 25 feet of any man-made structure, including the boardwalk and bridges. Live minnows, amphibians, and fish eggs are not allowed as bait, a rule aimed at keeping non-native species out of the system.

Catch and release is encouraged. The mosquitoes in the warmer months are serious. Come prepared, or fish early.