April 2

Lake Murray water levels have dropped several inches in the last 24 hours to 357.99 (full pool is 360.00). The lower lake is clear while the mid-lake has a healthy stain. Water temperatures have dropped abruptly in the last 24 hours and they were 57 at Dreher Island this morning.  At the dam they have held about 58 all day. 

At blast-off this morning in the benefit bass tournament for the Little Mountain Fire Department veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

March 25

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.86 (full pool is 360.00). Up the lake the water has a little color to it but the lower end is clear. Morning surface water temperatures are in the process of shooting up from the upper 50s to 60s. 

It’s a time of year and a week where things are changing really fast, and out on the water right now veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

March 19

Lake Murray water levels are up to 358.04 (full pool is 360.00). The water is stained and there is lots of debris floating after recent rains. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 53 at the dam to 60 in creeks on the north side. 

Things have changed quickly on Lake Murray, and tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports

March 9

Lake Murray water levels are up to 357.74 (full pool is 360.00). The water is stained but not muddy, with good color for spring fishing. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 52 to 55 degrees but are rising fast.  

This weekend two of our regular bass correspondents placed well in tournaments on Lake Murray, and on Saturday Guide Brad Fowler and his tournament partner Brock Taylor finished

March 4

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.55 (full pool is 360.00). The Little Saluda is muddy, the Big Saluda is clear, and the water has fairly normal clarity as you move down the lake. Morning surface water temperatures range from about 51-55 degrees.

It’s the time of year when you can catch bass from deep to shallow, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

February 24

Lake Murray water levels are up to 357.37 (full pool is 360.00) and, while the water is muddy up the lake and there is some color in the mid-lake, as water temperatures rise it is settling fast. Water temperatures range from about 50-52 degrees. 

There have been some big bass sacks headlining recent tournaments on Lake Murray, and

Tournament results will be posted here as they become available. ALSO - if you know of a future fishing tournament taking place in South Carolina that should be included on our tournament calendar, please emailjay@usfishingreport.com and we will add it.

February 20

Tournament results will be posted here as they become available. ALSO - if you know of a future fishing tournament taking place in South Carolina that should be included on our tournament calendar, please emailjay@usfishingreport.com and we will add it.

February 20 

February 18

Lake Murray water levels are up to 356.94 (full pool is 360.00) and the upper end of the lake and the backs of many creeks have gotten very muddy, with the mud line expected to reach down towards Dreher Island by the weekend.  Water temperatures have dipped into the 40s.  

Saturday veteran tournament bass angler Chris Epting of Chapin fished

Tournament results will be posted here as they become available. 

February 13

American Bass Anglers Open Series SC Division 9 Tournament on Lake Keowee from South Cove

BFL South Carolina Division Tournament (bass) on Lake Murray from Dreher Island State Park

Little Mountain Fire-Rescue is hosting its first annual benefit Bass tournament on April 2, 2021 on Lake Murray out of Dreher Island State Park in Prosperity. Payout for first place is $5,000, first big fish $500 and second big fish $250. The tournament will pay 1 place per 10 boats after 1st place. Entry fee is $150 per team. 

More information attached. 

February 4

Lake Murray water levels are at 354.46 (full pool is 360.00).  Most of the lake is fairly clear and conditions are even decent up the rivers, where it is not muddy but the water has some color. Water temperatures range from the mid-40s up the rivers to 50 near the dam. 

Water temperatures are about the same from the top to the bottom of the water column, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

January 20

Lake Murray water levels are at 354.40 (full pool is 360.00). While much of the lake is fairly clear, portions of the Little Saluda are stained (while the Big Saluda is good) and there is some colored water from where the rivers come together to about Rocky Creek. Water temperatures range from the 40s up the rivers to the low 50s near the dam. 

Over the last few days Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

January 13

Lake Murray water levels are at 354.53 (full pool is 360.00). Even though the river is starting to clear there is essentially a mud line that runs down to about Buffalo Creek. Water temperatures range from the upper 40s to lower 50s. 

The river is a little clearer than last week, and as a result Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

January 5

Lake Murray water levels rose after the rains but have now started to drop again to 354.84 (full pool is 360.00). Up the rivers the water is orange muddy but it gets clearer as you go down the lake. Surface water temperatures range from the mid-50s in the lower lake to the high 40s up the river.   

Tournament angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports

December 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 354.51 (full pool is 360.00) and surface water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s.  Clarity is pretty good.  

It’s still a tale of deep and shallow on Lake Murray, and B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports

November 24

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.17 (full pool is 360.00) and morning surface water temperatures range from the low to mid-60s, hitting 67 or 68 on sunny afternoons.  The river is no very dirty and the lake is generally getting fairly clear again. 

Fresh off a first place finish in the TBF winter trail tournament Saturday out of Shull Island with his father Steve, B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports

November 12

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.26 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 70 degrees. Before the rains clarity was normal but a two-day monsoon is changing that.

The bass bite has been pretty good on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

October 21

Lake Murray water levels are at 356.26 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 73-75 degrees. The water is dingy but not too bad.  

The timing is a mystery to anyone who was trying and usually failing to catch bass on Lake Murray a couple of weeks ago, but the suspended schooling bite seems to be getting good several weeks later than usual. B.A.S.S. angler Andy Wicker of Pomaria reports

October 9

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.05 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures are around 73-75 degrees. The creeks are pretty stained, probably from the fall turnover.  

There’s no way around the fact that the bass fishing on Lake Murray is brutally tough right now, and reportedly one national touring pro who came down here to shoot a video for his sponsors this week did not get a bite. A lot of the anglers who fished the Big Bass Tour event last weekend would say that sounds about right.  

Veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda concurs

September 25

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.06 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped into the mid-70s. Up the lake is pretty muddy and there is a lot of current.

A week ago it looked like the offshore suspended/ cane pile bass bite was about to peak, but after the recent rains and lots of moving water veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

September 18

Lake Murray water levels are down to 356.19 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped to around 80 in the big water. Clarity dropped with yesterday’s rain. 

It’s hard to know how long this pattern will last, but right now Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports