The Mountain Lakes are a pair of managed state fishing lakes a couple of miles southwest of Chester — one of 42 acres and a smaller one of 7 acres — fertilized and stocked for quiet, productive fishing.
| Surface area | 42 acres + 7 acres (two lakes) |
| County | Chester (off SC 17/9) |
| Fish | largemouth bass, bluegill, shellcracker, channel catfish |
| Boating | paddle or electric only |
Both lakes hold largemouth bass, bluegill, shellcracker and channel catfish. The larger lake has a boat ramp and the smaller one an accessible fishing pier. Fishing is rod-and-reel only, minnows are not allowed as bait, and boats are limited to paddle or electric trolling motors. They are open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, sunrise to sunset; a South Carolina license is required.
Two lakes of about 42 and 7 acres, southwest of Chester.
Largemouth bass, bluegill, shellcracker and channel catfish.
Paddle or electric trolling motors only, rod-and-reel fishing, and no minnows for bait.
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…
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…
Largemouth bass, a top catch at Lake Paul Wallace (illustration: USFWS, public domain). Lake Paul…