Lake Murray

Overview

Lake Murray sits in the middle of South Carolina just west of Columbia, spread across Lexington, Newberry, Richland and Saluda counties. It covers about 48,000 acres with roughly 620 miles of shoreline, averages about 41 feet deep and reaches around 200 feet at its deepest. The lake was built in the late 1920s to make hydroelectric power, and at completion its 1.6 mile earthen dam was the biggest of its kind anywhere. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources manages the fishery, which is best known for largemouth bass and striped bass. Bluegill, redear sunfish, crappie and catfish are popular too. SCDNR lists 11 boat ramps, 24 fish attractors, eight fishing access sites and a loaner tackle site around the lake. A state park about 30 miles from Columbia covers three islands with about 12 miles of lake shoreline, has three boat ramps and is a common launch site for fishing tournaments.

Regulations

Lake Murray and the middle Saluda River have special striped bass rules, including a daily limit and a seasonal minimum length, and a largemouth bass minimum length limit applies. See the South Carolina rules for Lake Murray: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/lakes/murray/regs.html

Nearby waters

• Monticello Reservoir · 29.7 km (SC)