Last checked: August 2026.
Published guidance indicates that South Carolina is the only US state that specifically prohibits magnet fishing. In the other 49, no state statute addresses magnets directly.
That is the short version, and for most people it is the whole answer. The longer version matters if you plan to fish anywhere notable, because "not specifically prohibited" and "unrestricted" are different things. What governs you in practice is two other things entirely.
The two rules that actually apply
1. Who manages the water. Every waterway in the US is controlled by somebody — a state parks department, a county, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Park Service, a municipal authority, or a private landowner. Their rules apply regardless of what state law says. A state can be entirely permissive while the specific lake in front of you prohibits removing anything from the bottom.
2. Antiquities and heritage law. This is the one that catches people out. Most states protect submerged archaeological material, typically anything over 50 or 100 years old depending on the state. Modern scrap generally falls outside that. A Civil War rifle does not, and in several states such an object is treated as state property from the moment it is recovered.
Federal land adds a third layer. The Archaeological Resources Protection Act applies on federal property, and National Park Service units generally prohibit removing objects of any kind.
South Carolina: the one specific prohibition
South Carolina restricts magnet fishing under its Underwater Antiquities Act. The state treats recovering material from state waters using surface-deployed equipment — magnets, rakes, scoops — as unlicensed artefact harvesting. The South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, which issues hobby licences for other recovery activities, states that it does not issue them for magnet fishing.
There is no permit route under the current framework.
This may change. A bill to permit magnet fishing under a licensing system was introduced in the South Carolina legislature in 2025. As of mid-2026 it remained in committee and had not been enacted. If you are reading this later, check the current status of that bill before relying on either position.
State-by-state summary
Rather than list fifty near-identical entries, here is what varies and where to look. In states not named below, published guidance indicates the general position: no magnet-specific statute, permission needed from whoever controls the water, and heritage finds reportable.
| State | Reported position | Authority to check |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | Specifically prohibited | SC Institute of Archaeology & Anthropology. Underwater Antiquities Act. Repeal bill pending as of mid-2026. |
| Florida | Permitted, with restrictions | Florida Division of Historical Resources — submerged cultural resource permitting. |
| Texas | Permitted, with restrictions | Texas Historical Commission — jurisdiction over submerged cultural resources. |
| Michigan | Permitted except where posted | State DNR. Artefacts over 100 years reported as protected. |
| Ohio | Permitted except where posted | State DNR and historic preservation office. |
| Oregon | Permitted in most public water | State parks and historic preservation office. |
| All other states | No magnet-specific statute reported | The managing authority for your spot, plus your state's antiquities law. |
These entries summarise publicly available guidance and are not a substitute for checking the current rule with the relevant authority. Rules change, and the body managing a specific stretch of water is always the final word on it.
How to check your own spot
- Identify who manages the water. State park, county, city, Army Corps, National Park Service, or private. This single question answers most of it.
- Check that body's rules directly. Search their name plus "magnet fishing", or read their posted regulations. National Park Service units are generally restrictive.
- Look up your state's antiquities threshold. Usually 50 or 100 years. Find it before you recover something old rather than after.
- Ask in writing where it is unclear. An emailed reply from a parks department is worth keeping.
- Avoid anywhere with posted restrictions, protected status, or restricted access, whatever the general state position appears to be.
If you recover something dangerous
Firearms and ammunition come out of American waterways regularly. Do not move it, do not put it in your vehicle, do not take it home. Move away and call local law enforcement. A recovered firearm may be evidence in an open case, and handling it creates problems both for the investigation and for you.
If you recover something historic
Report it to your state historic preservation office. In many states such an object is treated as state property regardless of who recovered it, and reporting is what turns a find into a recorded piece of history rather than a legal problem.
This article is general information about published rules, not legal advice, and it is not a statement of what will or will not happen to you. Magnet fishing rules vary by state, county and individual waterway, and they change. Always confirm the current position with the authority responsible for the water you plan to fish, and seek qualified legal advice if anything material turns on it.
