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

September 11

Lake Murray water levels are down to 357.05 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped into the lower 80s. Clarity is a little below normal after recent rains.

The offshore suspended/ cane pile bite is just getting started on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament angler Stan Gunter of Saluda reports

August 26

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.69 (full pool is 360.00) and water temperatures have dropped slightly into the mid-80s. Clarity is pretty typical although recent rains have dirtied some areas, including creeks and up the river.

Water temperatures started to fall a little earlier than is typical this late summer, and perhaps as a result Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

July 29

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.45 (full pool is 360.00). While the main lake is clear some creeks are a little stained, and water temperatures range from the upper 80s to lower 90s. 

While there certainly are some striper being caught 70+ feet down, and they are mostly good ones, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

July 17

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.50 (full pool is 360.00). Clarity is normal and water temperatures are in the 80s. 

Lake Murray striped bass are doing what they usually do in the heat of summer, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

June 26

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.78 (full pool is 360.00). Clarity has normalized and morning surface water temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s. 

Lake Murray striped bass are getting into a pretty typical summer pattern, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

June 9

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.54 (full pool is 360.00). The water is still a little stained and morning surface temperatures range from the upper 70s to low 80s. 

While his boat is not messing with them too much because of the mix of sizes, Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

June 2

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.49 (full pool is 360.00). The water is stained with recent rains and surface temperatures are in the upper 70s to low 80s. 

It’s been an impressive few days for striped bass fishing on Lake Murray, and Captain Brad Taylor (803-331-1354) reports

May 20

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.04 (full pool is 360.00). Before the heavy rains began water temperatures had reached the upper 70s in many places, but they have fallen at least five degrees. Clarity was very good at the beginning of the weak, but creeks are becoming stained with a mud line coming. 

Weird spring weather continues, and veteran tournament bass angler Captain Doug Lown reports

May 12

Lake Murray water levels are at 358.03 (full pool is 360.00) and visibility is stained mid-lake and clearing down the lake. Morning surface temperatures remains in the upper 60s.

Water temperatures have continued to hold steady or even drop, and as a result Lake Murray bass fishing patterns have not changed very much. The fish have, however, been a little finicky.  Veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports

April 29

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.62 (full pool is 360.00) and visibility continues to improve. Up the lake there is about 2 feet of visibility, increasing as you get closer to the dam. Overall the lake is starting to look more green and less brown. Morning surface temperatures are generally in the upper 60s.

Relatively cool weather basically has Lake Murray bass in a holding pattern, and veteran tournament angler Captain Doug Lown reports

April 15

Lake Murray water levels are at 357.43 (full pool is 360.00) and most of the lake is stained but not muddy. Up the lake there is about 1 ½ feet of visibility, increasing as you get closer to the dam. Even though the Sunday/ Monday rains muddied the water it was clearing before that, and so visibility is barely worse than a week ago. Morning surface temperatures have dipped overnight and are in the mid- to upper 60s.

The herring spawn continues to progress on Lake Murray, and veteran tournament bass angler Captain Doug Lown reports