Verified September 26, 2026 against SC State Parks, Santee Cooper, Recreation.gov, and SCDNR.
Here’s a fun fact to spring on your friends: South Carolina has no big natural lakes. Every one of our major lakes was built by damming a river. Here’s a less fun fact: that doesn’t matter one bit when you’re floating on a noodle with a cold drink and a great blue heron fishing next to you.
Our lakes are where a huge share of this state actually plays every summer weekend. Mountain lakes so clear you can see the old roads on the bottom. Midlands lakes built for pontoon days. And the Santee Cooper lakes, so big you’ll lose sight of the far shore. Here’s how to find your lake.
Lake Jocassee. The showstopper. A largely undeveloped reservoir of about 7,500 acres deep in the Blue Ridge, fed by four mountain streams and several waterfalls. That makes it cooler than other lakes and a great trout lake. It’s the only lake in South Carolina with both trophy trout and smallmouth bass. Devils Fork State Park is the only public access. Paddle to the falls with our Lake Jocassee Kayak and Waterfall Tour.
Lake Hartwell. Nearly 56,000 acres and 962 miles of shoreline on the Georgia line, managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It’s one of the most popular Corps lakes in the country, with big campgrounds, swim beaches, and boat ramps right off I-85. Try our Lake Hartwell Kayak trip or camp at Sadlers Creek State Park.
Lake Thurmond. Further down the Savannah, and the largest Corps of Engineers lake east of the Mississippi. The Corps runs 10 Class A campgrounds here. Great striper and largemouth bass fishing.
Just west of Columbia, Lake Murray stretches 41 miles long and 14 miles wide at its widest. It’s the Midlands’ big playground for pontoon days, sailing, and summer sandbar hangouts. Camp and fish at Dreher Island, a state park set on islands in the lake.
Lake Marion is South Carolina’s largest lake, and Lake Moultrie is the third largest. Together they cover about 160,000 acres, built in one of the largest earth-moving projects in history. Flooded cypress, record-breaking fish, and the Santee National Wildlife Refuge right on the shore. Camp at Santee State Park, look for wildlife on the Santee NWR Wildlife Drive, and bring binoculars for Santee NWR Birding.
Boater education. If you were born after July 1, 2007, South Carolina requires you to pass an approved boater education course before operating a boat, personal watercraft, or specialty propcraft with a motor of 10 horsepower or more. There are exceptions, including renters with a temporary rental safety certificate and operators accompanied by a qualified adult 18 or older.
Launch fees. Some lakes charge to launch. At Devils Fork, for example, boaters pay the daily park admission to launch.
Keep the lakes healthy. Don’t release your bait bucket or move fish from one lake to another. Pack out your trash and fish scraps. Aquatic hitchhikers are real, and nobody wants them in their favorite cove.
Swim smart. Deep, cold lakes like Jocassee can be dangerous even on hot days. Wear a life jacket when you’re paddling or swimming far from shore, and never swim alone.
Not a boat person? Paved lakeside paths, fishing piers, and swim beaches make these lakes easy to enjoy from the shore. Check our Accessibility Guide for lakes with easier access, and see our Waterfront Camping list to wake up with a lake view.
Every lake has its bait shop, its burger stand, and its marina store that’s been there longer than the paved road. Stop in, buy the ice, and ask where the fish are biting. That’s how you get the real lake report.
More lake guides are on the way, including boat ramps, where to swim at Jocassee, a pontoon day on Lake Murray, and fishing Santee Cooper. Now go outside and play. Preferably on a float.