September 18

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.68 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.70 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures have dropped to 80 or 81. It’s been extremely windy and there is a lot of rainwater coming into the system, but the lakes are starting out pretty clear and so the lower lake will probably stay relatively clean while the upper end of Marion may get dirty. 

It was a brutal Carolinas Bass Challenge event last Saturday, and although it did appear that the patterns were not too far off from what was expected (offshore) weights were even lower than predicted.  Gary Michaud and Dustin Compton took the win with 21.89 pounds, but Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) points

September 10

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.42 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.27 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are down to around 83 degrees and clarity is very high in the lower lake. The upper lake is a bit dingier.  

With many of the state’s best bass fishermen headed to Santee Cooper for the Carolinas Bass Challenge event this weekend, for this week’s report we decided to check in with a Santee bass expert who will not be fishing on Saturday and doesn’t mind giving his frank appraisal. Captain Steve English (843-729-4044) acknowledges

August 26

Santee Cooper water levels are up to 76.09 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.55 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are have dropped to about 80-85, and so far clarity is still good even as dirty water moves towards the system. 

It’s August on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

July 29

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.60 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.47 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the upper 80s to lower 90s, and overall clarity is good. 

Even though bass fishing is seasonally tough on the Santee Cooper lakes, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

July 17

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.49 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.43 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are 88-90 degrees, and overall clarity is good. 

It’s not exactly the peak time for fishing – let alone bass fishing – on the Santee Cooper lakes, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

June 26

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.90 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.48 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures range from about the mid-70s to low 80s because of all the cool freshwater coming into the lakes, and overall clarity is good. 

Even though water temperatures are relatively mild on the Santee lakes, Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

June 9

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.38 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.20 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface water temperatures are in the mid-80s in the morning. The lower lake is clear while the upper lake has improved from muddy to just dingy. 

There have been some really good bass catches recently on Santee, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

June 2

Santee Cooper water levels are at 76.72 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.89 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Surface water temperatures are around 80.5 in the morning, and the upper lake is very muddy which is also coming to the lower lake.   

Even though it could come back on the next full moon the shad spawn seems done for right now, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

May 20

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.90 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.07 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are around 74 degrees in the morning and the lakes – which have been dingy to clear – are about to get very muddy. 

The bass are still shallow on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

May 12

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.79 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 74.75 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the upper 60s. The upper lake is muddy while the lower lake is just colored. 

The bass remain in a similar pattern on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports

April 30

Santee Cooper water levels are at 75.71 in Lake Marion (full pool is 76.8) and 75.26 in Lake Moultrie (full pool is 75.5). Water temperatures are in the upper 60s and both lakes are dingy with so much wind and some recent rain. The canal is muddy. 

The bass fishing remains strong on Santee Cooper, and Captain Brett Mitchell (803-379-7029) reports