Potato Creek Hatchery — Manning, South Carolina

Potato Creek Hatchery off Lake Marion in Clarendon County is a South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Category II Waterfowl Management Area. The state manages two types of waterfowl areas, known as Category I and Category II. Category I areas are intensively managed, high-quality habitat, and permission to hunt in these places is granted solely through a computer draw. Category II sites, such as Potato Creek Hatchery, are less-intensively maintained and are of a lower quality habitat. People may hunt here during the regular waterfowl season on a first-come, first-served basis on designated days.

Potato Creek Hatchery is one of the state’s top three Category II producers in terms of duck harvest numbers, though the manpower to report harvests accurately is not as readily available as it is for Category I harvests. Wood ducks account for 45 to 50 percent of all duck harvests in South Carolina, with mallards coming in second at around 16 percent. Other harvested waterfowl species include ringnecks, blue-winged and green-winged teal, gadwalls, American widgeon, black ducks, pintails, mottled ducks, and mergansers.

Potato Creek Hatchery Map

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