Destination Fishing

In December 1941 as a part of the New Deal, the Santee Cooper Lakes were created by damning the Santee and Cooper Rivers. The system consists of two lakes connected by a 6.5-mile diversion canal. These lakes, named after Revolutionary War heroes General Francis Marion and General William Moultrie, are home to endless past times from water sports to sightseeing along with some of the nation’s best fishing.

Lake Marion is the northernmost of the two lakes. Covering 110,000 acres and stretching across five different counties, it holds the title of the largest lake in South Carolina with acres of cypress-covered swamp land and open water to explore. Lake Moultrie is the southernmost lake, covering 60,000 acres. 

Because construction occurred during World War II, labor was scarce, and Lake Marion had only a partial clearing of trees before impoundment. The trees, stumps and other underbrush left beneath the surface provide much-desired cover for a wide variety of fish species.