Lake Jocassee is a man-made lake covering 7,500 acres built by Duke Energy for the generation of electricity. It was built in 1973 along with Lake Keowee, its sister lake, as part of the Keowee-Toxaway project. The dam on Lake Jocassee, which is 385 feet high, impounds four rivers, and the discharge becomes the Keowee River arm of Lake Keowee.
Duke Energy (owns and operates Lake Keowee, Lake Greenwood, Lake Wylie, and Lake Wateree) owns and operates this lake for generation electricity. Jocassee is a beautiful mountain lake that is surrounded by pristine undeveloped and government protected land. The water is crystal clear and cold even in the summer time. Wildlife is abundant around the lake, and you may even see a black bear or possibly an American Bald Eagle.
There is only one public park on Lake Jocassee and that is Devils Fork State Park located just off of SC Highway 11. This park provides about anything you can think of for a great lake trip. There are several boat ramps, campgrounds, and hiking trails.
If you visit Lake Jocassee, you should definitely stop by Hoyetts store on the way. It is located on the same road as the state park. They know all about the lake and where to go for camping, hiking, and fishing. Also, Hoyetts offers boat tours, boat rentals, fishing guides, and a ferry service for hikers and campers.
Lake Jocassee is the deepest lake in South Carolina — roughly 350 feet at its lowest point, with a mean depth around 154 feet. It was filled by Duke Energy in 1973, drowning the old Jocassee Valley and the rivers that ran through it. Because the lake is fed by cold mountain streams pouring off the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the water stays cool and astonishingly clear all year, which is what makes Jocassee both a trout lake and a diving destination unlike anywhere else in the state.
Waterfalls you can only reach by boat
What sets Jocassee apart is that much of its scenery is hidden from the road. Four wild rivers — the Whitewater, Thompson, Horsepasture and Toxaway — tumble into the lake, and several waterfalls spill straight into the water where only a boat or kayak can reach them. The best known is the roughly 80-foot Laurel Fork Falls, with Wright Creek and Mill Creek falls among the others. In summer you can nose a boat right up to some of them and swim in the spray. National Geographic once named the Jocassee Gorges one of the world’s “Last Great Places,” and a day on the water makes it obvious why.
Fishing on Lake Jocassee
Jocassee is the only lake in South Carolina where you can chase trophy trout and smallmouth bass in the same trip. The deep, cold water holds stocked brown and rainbow trout that grow to impressive size, and the lake has produced state records for brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth, spotted and redeye bass. In spring the bass move shallow and the trout feed near the surface; through the heat of summer, anglers go deep or work the cool mouths of the Horsepasture and Toxaway, the most scenic of the feeder streams. It is a downrigger-and-light-line fishery, demanding but rewarding.
Scuba diving in Lake Jocassee
Few people expect world-class freshwater diving in the Carolina mountains, but Jocassee delivers it. Visibility commonly runs 15 feet or more near the surface and opens up far beyond that at depth, over water cold enough to demand a wetsuit even in July. Divers explore submerged walls, a sunken boat, and the eerie remains of the old Attakulla Lodge, a hotel that still stands beneath some 300 feet of water in the flooded valley. Popular sites — Big Wall, South Wall, Jenny’s Drift, Windless Point — are reached by boat from Devils Fork.
Devils Fork State Park: camping and access
The only way in for the public is Devils Fork State Park. The park has four boat ramps, a visitor center and camp store, and a real range of places to stay: 20 modern lakeside villas with two or three bedrooms, 59 standard campsites, 25 walk-in tent sites, and — the local favorite — boat-in campsites scattered along the remote shoreline that you can only reach by water. Shoreside rentals cover kayaks, canoes, pontoons and paddleboards, so you do not need your own boat to get out on the lake.
Boat tours and things to do
If you would rather be shown around, several outfitters run guided trips out of the Salem area — waterfall cruises, sunset tours, snorkeling and kayak adventures among them. Beyond the water, the surrounding Jocassee Gorges and the Foothills Trail offer some of the best hiking in the Southeast, spectacular in spring when the rhododendron and mountain laurel bloom. Note that Jocassee has almost no private development: nearly all of the shoreline is protected wilderness, which is exactly why it has stayed so wild and clean.
Explore more South Carolina lakes
Lake Keowee — Jocassee’s larger sister lake just downstream, fed by this clear water
Lake Oolenoy & Table Rock State Park — more Blue Ridge scenery nearby
BEED4J Lake Jocassee Devil’s Fork State Park South Carolina
Lake Jocassee FAQ
How deep is Lake Jocassee?
About 350 feet at its deepest, with a mean depth near 154 feet — the deepest lake in South Carolina.
How do you get to Lake Jocassee?
The only public access is through Devils Fork State Park near Salem in Oconee County. Most of the shoreline is protected wilderness with no roads.
What fish are in Lake Jocassee?
Brown and rainbow trout, smallmouth, spotted and redeye bass. Jocassee holds South Carolina state records for several of these species.
Can you see waterfalls at Lake Jocassee?
Yes — several waterfalls, including the roughly 80-foot Laurel Fork Falls, spill directly into the lake and can only be reached by boat or kayak.
Can you scuba dive in Lake Jocassee?
Yes. Its cold, clear water makes it a top freshwater dive site, with submerged walls, a sunken boat and the old Attakulla Lodge standing under about 300 feet of water.
Can you camp at Lake Jocassee?
Devils Fork State Park offers lakeside villas, standard and walk-in campsites, and remote boat-in sites reachable only by water.
Is the water at Lake Jocassee clear enough to swim?
Very — Jocassee is one of the clearest lakes in the Southeast, with cool, blue-green water and sandy coves popular for swimming in summer.
It’s been a long time but I’ve fished on most of the lakes in s.c. and I still have plans to go some more but when a man gets old and all stove up plans are subject to change pretty often. I enjoy the pictures posted here and it helps when looking back and reminiscing. Thanks for posting them.
It’s been a long time but I’ve fished on most of the lakes in s.c. and I still have plans to go some more but when a man gets old and all stove up plans are subject to change pretty often. I enjoy the pictures posted here and it helps when looking back and reminiscing. Thanks for posting them.