Major Lakes

• In South Carolina, there are twelve major lakes that range in size from 7,500 to 110,000 acres. The major lakes are J Strom Thurmond Lake (also known as Clarks Hill Lake), Lake Greenwood, Lake Hartwell, Lake Jocassee, Lake Keowee, Lake Marion/Santee Cooper Lake, Lake Monticello, Lake Moultrie/Santee Cooper Lake, Lake Murray, Lake Russell, Lake Wateree and Lake Wylie. The largest lake is Lake Marion/Santee Cooper Lake, which measures 110,000 acres, and the smallest lake, which measures 7,100 acres, is Lake Monticello. (see ref 1)
  
  

Managed Lakes

• The website SouthCarolinaLakes.net identifies 19 lakes that are managed by the SCDNR, or South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, which regulates the types of fish that can be caught and which boats can be used on each lake. Lakes managed by the SCDNR include Ashwood Lake, Bonneau Ferry WMA Lake, Cherokee Lake, Dorgan's Pond, Draper WMA Lake, Edgar Brown Lake, Edwin Johnson Lake, George Warren Lake, John D. Long Lake, Jonesville Lake, Lancaster Reservoir, Mountain Lake 1, Mountain Lake 2, Oliphant Lake, Paul Wallace Lake, Star Fort Pond, Sunrise Lake, Thicketty Lake and Webb Center Lake. (see ref 3)
  
  

Small Lakes

• Smaller lakes in South Carolina include any lake that is less than 2000 acres Small lakes in South Carolina, according to the website SouthCarolinaLakes.net, include Greenville County's 331 acre Saluda Lake and 18 acre Lake Oak Grove, Abbeville County's 1,400 acre Lake Secession, Anderson County's 300 acre Broadway Lake, Cherokee County's 100 acre Lake Thicketty, Laurens County's 540 acre Lake Rabon, Spartanburg County's 1,534 acre Lake Bowen, and Lake Tugalo, which is a mountain lake on South Carolina's northwestern Georgia border. (see ref 3)
  
  

Water Levels and Temperatures

• According to the website SouthCarlinaLakes.net, the water levels in South Carolina's twelve major lakes are at full pool elevation or within one to three feet of full pool elevation. Temperatures range from 67 to 70 degrees at the surface level. (see ref 1)
  
  

Fishing

• The 14 most common fish in South Carolina lakes, according to the website SouthCarolinaLakes.net, are the striped bass, hybrid bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, redeye bass, shellcracker, white crappie, black crappie, white catfish, channel catfish, rainbow trout and brown trout. (see ref 2) In order to fish in any of South Carolina's lakes, a South Carolina Fishing License must be purchased, which can be checked at any time by a game warden. If fishing in a lake that borders Georgia, a Georgia or South Carolina license can be shown. (see ref 3)