Bonneau, SC Fishing: Excellent Entry to the Productive Freshwater Fishing in Santee Cooper Country

Bonneau is a tiny and quaint community in Berkeley County. It is located north of the county seat Moncks Corner and is surrounded by Lake Moultrie and the Francis Marion National Forest. The town is a part of the popular Santee-Cooper Country tourist district in South Carolina. Officially, it is included in the Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Bonneau is a small residential area, with less than a thousand permanent residents as of 2020. Over the years, it has gained more prominence as a suburban-rural community with a cozy and friendly atmosphere, great access to nature and outdoor recreation, and a central location, with US Route 52 passing through it.

Bonneau is just one of the many beautiful stops in the Santee Cooper Country tourist region, a five-county district formed in the 60s to help revitalize the tourism and creation industry in this part of South Carolina. This tourist district is known primarily for its world-class fishing, mainly owing to the two lakes in the region, Lake Moultrie and Lake Marion. 

While Bonneau may not be a traditional stop for visitors, it is an excellent alternative to the district's more popular and touristy spots, especially if you're looking for a less crowded area with a more relaxed atmosphere. 

Bonneau Fishing

Bonneau is a quaint little gateway that opens visitors up to the many fishing hotspots in the Santee Cooper Country. Santee Cooper is home to two of the largest lakes in the state, boasting over 400 miles of shoreline from which anglers can fish.

Bonneau itself is on Lake Moultrie's east shore. Lake Moultrie is considered the third-largest lake in the state, created to dam the Cooper River in the 1940s. Since its creation, it has become a favorite recreational spot for locals. It is 60,000 acres wide and can be accessed from Moncks Corner, Cross, St. Stephen, and Bonneau.

What makes Lake Moultrie a world-class fishing hotspot is its varied natural environment. It is a huge lake with many areas distinct from one another, offering unique fishing experiences all in one lake. It has thousands of tree stumps and is surrounded by many cypress trees, shallow swamps, deep open water areas, and black water ponds. Its rich habitats are conducive to trophies. It produced a world record channel catfish that weighed 58 pounds and a state record black crappie at 5 pounds. Both species still abound in the productive lake, flathead catfish, blue catfish, striped bass, largemouth bass, bream or bluegill, chain pickerel, and many more. One of the best ways to fish the lake is to seek the tailrace canal below the lake's Pinopolis Dam and Lock, where you will find American shad - and if you're fortunate, you might find a big catfish on their tails.

Lake Marion is the second lake comprising the Santee Cooper Reservoir. It is the largest lake in the state and is considered South Carolina's "Inland Sea." Like Lake Moultrie, Lake Marion was built in the 1940s as a hydroelectric dam to power rural South Carolina and had thousands of tree stumps and trunks that weren't cleared out after the closing of the dam. These structures make the lake a thriving habitat for a great number of fish species, including crappie, redear sunfish or shellcracker, bream, and catfish. The aquatic vegetation around the shorelines makes them attractive to largemouth bass and chain pickerel.

Santee Cooper has many public boat ramps and access points from which anglers can fish Lake Marion. The nearby town of Summerton is an excellent place to start, with its easy access to the lake's shores. Santee State Park offers equally great fishing access to the lake's swampy bottoms and backwater, where you can find big catfish and bass. The park is home to two boat ramps and a handicapped-accessible fishing pier. Aside from these convenient fishing facilities, the park has cabin accommodations on the lakeshore. 

Anglers inshore fishing on boats are urged to navigate the shallow waters of both lakes with caution because of the many stumps submerged on their shorelines. The stumps decrease in number the further you get into the open water. 

These two lakes on the Santee Cooper Reservoir System are connected by the 6.5-mile-long Diversion Canal. This area is often overlooked as a fishing spot, but it can be quite productive with big fish, especially in summer. The lower end of the canal as you head towards Lake Moultrie from Lake Marion can easily be considered an extension of Moultrie. The canal's edge has rich vegetation, with plenty of cypress trees providing excellent cover. These make the area particularly attractive to bass in the 2- to 4-pound range. The canal offers a safer fishing spot during windy days as it is weather-protected. 

Top 10 Fish Species in Bonneau, SC

The top 10 fish species in Bonneau, SC, are striped bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish, American shad, chain pickerel, crappie, and redear sunfish.

Seasonal Fishing

Fishing is fantastic in Bonneau and the rest of Santee Cooper Country for most of the year. The district is a wonderland for catfish all year round, but summer is your best bet if you’re looking for trophies. Winter can also be surprisingly good when fishing for catfish as the lakes in the area do not freeze. Crappie begin gathering in stream mouths in early spring, and as the season advances, they migrate from the mugs to shallow water inlets, finally swimming towards the depths beginning in mid-May. Bluegill are best targeted during Mayfly hatches in April and May.

Striped bass were once the target catch of choice in the lake when the species, normally saltwater, entered the lake from the ocean and became landlocked. The lake system’s water proved conducive to stripers, who took to spawning in the lakes ever since. However, the lakes were soon over-fished because they proved to be in such high demand among anglers. Efforts are being made to safeguard this one-of-a-kind fishery, so while you can still catch striped bass during their spring and fall runs, they are closed for fishing from June 16 to September 30. The best spots to seek stripers during spring are along the deep holes in the rivers and Lake Marion. This fish species will start schooling by fall while chasing after gizzard shad. Anglers can usually tell where they are by watching the seagulls feeding on the same shad. 

Experience Nature in Various Ways in Bonneau

Bonneau and surrounding Santee Cooper Country are fascinating tourist districts with plenty of sights and activities to offer visitors of all ages.

1. Book a Fishing Guide

Ensure a safe and comfortable fishing experience on your first fishing trip to Santee Cooper Country. The two primary fishing lakes in the district are quite tricky to navigate because of the submerged stumps and trunks, so having a local guide by your side is highly advised.

2. Immerse in Nature

Enjoy a wide range of outdoor recreational activities in the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. These lush forest grounds boast a highly diverse terrain and perfect venues for different outdoor activities. Choose from paddling in the Lowcountry swamp, hiking the trails, riding your ATV, or joining fishing rodeos. Want something a little more relaxed? The forest grounds also have camping and picnic areas.

3. Experience Halloween on the Swamp

Visit Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner for a unique Halloween experience. Halloween on the Swamp includes campfires, music performances, and other fun activities for the whole family. Those who want a little more excitement can join the Haunted Swamp Experience, where participants will join a haunted boat ride through the swamps before going on an eerie walking trail through the woodlands.