Lake Hartwell stretches 56,000 acres along the South Carolina and Georgia border, and Clemson sits right on its eastern shore. The lake is massive, and on a calm morning you can paddle into coves that feel miles from civilization.
The best paddling is in the coves and creek arms rather than the main body. The Twelve Mile Creek and Eighteen Mile Creek arms near Clemson offer sheltered water with forested shoreline. South Cove County Park has a kayak-friendly launch and is a good starting point for exploring the upper portions of the lake.
SUP works well in the calm coves, especially on weekday mornings before the powerboat traffic picks up. Weekends in summer bring significant boat traffic on the main lake, so paddlers should stick to protected water. The lake holds excellent bass, catfish, and striper fishing.