Come visit Lake Murray. Recreate and enjoy the restaurants or just sit on the porch and watch the amazing sunsets.
Fishing
Known locally as the ”Jewel of South Carolina,” Lake Murray is one of the Southeast’s premier freshwater fishing destinations. The 48,000-acre reservoir has approximately 650 miles of shoreline and sits just northwest of Columbia, spanning Richland, Lexington, Saluda, and Newberry counties.
The lake was created to generate hydroelectric power and is now owned and operated by Dominion Energy South Carolina. At its deepest point, near the intake towers, the lake is approximately 190 feet deep.
What You Can Catch
Lake Murray holds a strong mix of gamefish. Anglers regularly target striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, bream, and perch. The lake is often ranked among the best bass fishing destinations in the country by outlets like Bassmaster and Field & Stream. Smallmouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, redear sunfish, and black crappie round out the most commonly caught species.
For more information, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources offers a helpful Pocket Guide to SC Freshwater Fish. They also offer records of the biggest fish caught in the state.
Because striped bass can’t reproduce naturally in Lake Murray, the population is maintained through stocking by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The lake is restocked each spring with approximately 1 million striped bass fingerlings. It takes about three years for the fingerlings to reach the 21-inch harvest size.
The lake’s forage species are primarily shad and blueback herring. These are the natural baits used to target the large predator fish. They can also be caught on various artificial lures.
Licenses and Regulation
South Carolina requires all anglers 16 and over to have a license. They are available online or through local vendors. Please review the regulations and catch limits before heading out.
Fishing Guides
Using a guide is a great way to learn how and where to fish Lake Murray. The guide services operate year round, provide the boat, bait and tackle. The local bait and tackle shops are a good place to get a recommendation for a guide. The Lake Murray Country website has a few guides listed. Others can be found with an internet search.
Before contracting with a guide, make sure they have a US Coast Guard license. That doesn’t guarantee that you’ll catch fish but you will be safe on the water.
Another source of information are the various fishing groups on Facebook and the Midlands Striper Club. The Facebook groups include many guides. They talk about current locations and fishing techniques that are working. A popular one is Lake Murray Fishing.
Recreational Activities
There are plenty of activities around Lake Murray. Rent a boat, jet ski or kayak. Go to a public park to swim, fish and grill. The Lake Murray dam has a 1.5 mile walkway.
Great sources for things to do:
Purple Martins
One unique experience at Lake Murray is seeing the Purple Martins. Near the middle of the lake is Bomb Island. It’s the largest Purple Martin roosting site in North America. People travel from around the globe to see them.
It’s estimated that 800,000 – 1.1 million birds begin arriving in mid-summer to make the island their summer stopover before migrating back to South America. While they are here they help control the bug population and travel many miles a day to feed.
At daybreak the Purple Martins exit the island in a large wave, large enough to be seen on radar. In the late afternoon they begin to return to the island. Large flocks swirl upward like a hurricane as they fly around the island before landing in the trees, only to take off again, repeating this many times before settling in for the night.
There are various tour operators that provide daily tours to Bomb Island or you can go on your own boat. The area will be busy with boats and having the skill to operate a boat at night is required.
The Purple Martin Sanctuary Project
Bomb Island has been eroding for many years. The Lake Murray Association started a project in 2026 called the Purple Martin Sanctuary Project (PMSP). The goal is to identify a suitable method to stop, and hopefully reverse, the erosion and protect the island as a site for the Purple Martins for decades to come.
The PMSP has just begun. You’ll see more about this project as it progresses.