| Lake Marion | ≈ 110,000 acres · 315 mi shoreline · avg 13 ft, max ~77 ft |
| Lake Moultrie | ≈ 60,000 acres · avg ~19 ft, max ~75 ft · SC’s 3rd-largest lake |
| Combined | 170,000+ acres, joined by a 6.5-mile diversion canal |
| Built | 1939–1942 by Santee Cooper (SC Public Service Authority) |
| Dams | Santee Dam (Marion) & Pinopolis Dam (Moultrie) |
| Counties | Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Sumter |
The Santee Cooper lakes are South Carolina’s “Great Lakes,” and they are first and foremost about fish. When the Santee River was dammed in the early 1940s to bring hydroelectric power to the rural Lowcountry, ocean-run striped bass that had swum up to spawn found themselves trapped — and to everyone’s surprise, they not only survived but thrived. That accident gave the world its first landlocked striped bass fishery, and biologists from Santee Cooper went on to teach other states how to do the same. The lakes held the world striped bass record for decades.
Then there are the catfish. Lake Moultrie produced a 58-pound channel catfish that still stands as a world record, and in 2017 the system gave up a blue catfish topping 113 pounds. Add state-record black crappie, a 16-pound-class largemouth and a former world-record shellcracker, and you understand why anglers drive in from all over the Southeast.
These are shallow, sprawling lowland lakes, not deep mountain reservoirs. Lake Marion averages only about 13 feet, with deeper old-channel holes reaching the mid-70s near the dam; Lake Moultrie is a bit deeper on average at around 19 feet. That shallow, stump-filled, cypress-studded water is exactly what makes the fishing so rich — and why local knowledge of where the channels and brush lie pays off.
Catfish are the headline: trophy blue cats and eating-size channels are caught year-round, drift-fishing cut bait over the flats or anchoring on the river channels. Striped bass remain a signature catch, schooling in open water and stacking below the dams and in the diversion canal. Largemouth bass relate to the endless cypress, grass and brush; crappie swarm the standing timber and brush piles in spring; and bream and shellcracker fill out a stringer on a summer afternoon. Many visitors hire one of the area’s veteran guides or base out of a legendary fish camp like Black’s Camp on the canal — well worth it on water this big.
Santee Cooper, the state utility, manages both lakes and publishes lake-level data for Marion and Moultrie. The system is run for power and navigation, and the towering Pinopolis Dam includes one of the highest single-lift navigation locks in the country, still used by boats moving between the lakes and the Cooper River toward Charleston.
Upper Lake Marion is a flooded cypress-tupelo forest, one of the most atmospheric places in South Carolina. Pontoon swamp tours run out of Santee State Park’s marina, gliding among the moss-draped trees where ospreys, great blue herons, painted buntings and bald eagles nest — and where alligators sun on the shallow banks. The lakes also border the Santee National Wildlife Refuge and the Santee Cooper Wildlife Management Area, prime ground for birdwatching and waterfowl.
The recreational heart of the lakes is Santee State Park on Lake Marion. Its claim to fame is a row of rondette cabins built out over the water on piers — a Santee tradition for generations — plus three campgrounds: Lakeshore right at the water’s edge, Cypress View tucked into the trees, and Parkside near the amenities. The park has a marina, tackle, bike and hike trails, and the swamp-tour dock. Beyond the park, private campgrounds, fish camps and marinas ring both lakes.
The town of Santee, right off Interstate 95, is the visitor hub, with golf, restaurants and easy lake access; Manning, Summerton, Eutawville and Moncks Corner round out the shoreline communities. Real estate ranges from modest lake cottages and fish-camp lots to comfortable waterfront homes, generally far more affordable than the Upstate’s luxury lakes — a big draw for retirees and anglers wanting a place on big water. If you have a Santee Cooper home or rental to list here, reach out through our contact form.
South Carolina Vacation Rentals, Lodging, and Timeshares
The Santee Cooper Lakes are a terrific place to spend a vacation. If you’re planning to visit Lake Marion or Lake Moultrie for your next family getaway, you’ll find many great lakeside campgrounds and lodges as well as vacation rentals and timeshare rentals, which can be quite convenient for families since they often have full kitchens and additional living space.
Lake Marion together with Lake Moultrie form what is known as the Santee Cooper Lakes. These lakes are connected by a canal called the Diversion Canal. Lake Marion is the larger of the two lakes covering 110,000 acres, and Lake Moultrie covers 60,000 acres. Both lakes are located in the lower part of the state near Charleston South Carolina.
The Santee-Cooper Lakes cover land in 5 different counties including: Berkeley, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, and Sumter. Clarendon County covers the most miles of shoreline of Lake Marion, and Berkeley County covers all of the shoreline of Lake Moultrie.
These legendary lakes were created during the early 1940’s and have become a recreational paradise. People come from all over the United States to visit these lakes. The Cypress trees combined with the swampy wilderness add a scenic beauty to these lakes that set them apart from all the other lakes in the state.
The Santee Cooper Lakes make a great vacation get away. There are numerous campgrounds, boat ramps, marinas, fishing guides, and many other lake businesses located here probably the most of any of the major lakes in South Carolina.
The Kingfisher Lake Map shown above and sold on this website provides the location and phone numbers of most of the lake side businesses on Marion and Moultrie. The Santee Cooper map also shows the all the boat ramps and highways around the lake.
Lake Marion on google maps
Lake Moultrie is the smaller of these two legendary Santee Cooper lakes covering a land area of 60,000 acres. This lake is more oval shapped than Lake Marion and in some places the distance between the shorelines is up to 14 miles. Therefore, you can gaze out over the lake and not see any land across the water . This lake view is very much like the scene you see at the beach when you are looking at the ocean. In addition, this vast area of open water on Lake Moultrie can help to produce large waves when high wind speeds occurr. The local television stations will usually broadcast wind advisories for boaters on Lake Moultrie.
The fishing in Lake Moultrie is exceptional with large populations of largemounth bass, blue channel catfish, crappie, and striped basss. Consequently, there is a fish hatchery located on Lake Moutrie. The state record Largemouth Bass was caught here. Also, Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie have numerous fishing guides just waiting for clients who want to catch stripers, largemouth, and catfish.
Lake Moultrie is located near the town of Moncks Corner. This town has everything you need for a great time at Lake Moultrie. You can find a Wal Mart, restaurants, and hotels here.
All the major campgrounds have boat ramps. Also, there are a few public access boat ramp areas on the lake. All the boat ramps are listed on the Kingfisher Lake Map sold on this website.
Lake Moultrie on google maps
Lake Marion covers about 110,000 acres and Lake Moultrie about 60,000 acres — more than 170,000 acres combined, joined by a 6.5-mile diversion canal.
They are shallow lowland lakes. Marion averages about 13 feet (up to ~77 ft near the dam) and Moultrie about 19 feet (up to ~75 ft).
Trophy blue and channel catfish, striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie, bream and shellcracker. The lakes hold a world-record channel catfish and once held the world striped bass record.
When the Santee River was dammed in the early 1940s, ocean striped bass were trapped and adapted to fresh water, creating the first landlocked striped bass fishery in the country.
Between 1939 and 1942, by the South Carolina Public Service Authority (Santee Cooper), for hydroelectric power and rural electrification.
Yes. Santee State Park on Lake Marion offers over-the-water rondette cabins and three campgrounds, plus a marina and swamp tours; private campgrounds ring both lakes.
Yes — the shallow, swampy cypress areas of Lake Marion are home to American alligators, along with eagles, ospreys and herons.
Channel catfish, common at the Draper WMA lakes (illustration, public domain). The Draper WMA lakes…
Bluegill, a popular panfish at the Bonneau Ferry lakes (public-domain illustration). Bonneau Ferry Wildlife Management…
Channel catfish, common at the Webb Center Lakes (illustration, public domain). The Webb Center Lakes…
Largemouth bass, a top catch at the Mountain Lakes (illustration: USFWS, public domain). The Mountain…
Bluegill, a popular panfish at Star Fort Pond (public-domain illustration). Star Fort Pond is a…
Channel catfish, common at Lancaster Reservoir (illustration, public domain). Lancaster Reservoir is a 60-acre fertilized…
View Comments
I am looking to plan a family fishing vacation and thinking Santee Cooper but have been hearing about how hazardous it is to run around on. Are there boat lanes or buoys that is safe to stay in?
Thinking of coming in mid March is that a good time?
I live just off the canal that connects the lakes. March is a good time for fishing but water Temps still to cold to swim, one of my family's favorite activities. The canal is up to 30ft deep and is a favorite for cat fishing. Once on the lakes make sure you have a depth finder. If you are out of the marked channels the depth can change very quickly and you can run aground and or hit tree stumps or rocks. I live on the lake and still have done this a few times. The lakes are great, don't swim in grassy areas. We do have gators but attacks are extremely rare.