Angler's Headquarters
Learn more about Lake Wateree below
January 29
Lake Wateree is at 94.9% of full pool and the river run has some color to it. Morning surface water temperatures are in the lower 40s before this weekend’s predicted snow.
January 21
Lake Wateree is at 94.8% of full pool and the river run now has some color to it. Morning surface water temperatures are 48-50 degrees down the lake but cooler on the upper end.
January 8
Lake Wateree is at 94.8% of full pool and the whole lake is very clear for Wateree. Morning surface water temperatures are 48-50 degrees down the lake but cooler on the upper end.
December 23
Lake Wateree is at 95.1% of full pool and water clarity is slightly stained up the river from the last rain. Morning surface water temperatures are 48-49 degrees down the lake but about 5 degrees colder on the upper end.
December 17
Lake Wateree is down to 95.0% of full pool and water clarity is above average. Morning surface water temperatures are in the upper 40s.
December 3
Lake Wateree is at 95.7% of full pool and morning surface water temperatures have dropped to 52-53 degrees. Without significant rainfall the lake is very clear for Wateree.
Read more fishing reports from Lake Wateree and other popular places at the AHQ Report!
Located downriver from Lake Wylie, and just below the less well-known reservoir Stumpy Pond, Lake Wateree is the southernmost lake on the Catawba River chain. Below Lake Wateree the river is known as the Wateree River and joins with the Congaree to form the Santee Cooper lakes. Lake Wateree was created in 1920 with the construction of a 3,380-foot dam and the Wateree Hydroelectric Station, and it is still managed by Duke Energy for hydroelectric power generation. Slightly larger than Lake Wylie, the lake’s surface area is just less than 14,000 acres and it has around 242 miles of shoreline. At full pool the lake’s elevation is approximately 225.5 feet, and its deepest point is around 90 feet.
A very fertile lake with a healthy baitfish population and a relative lack of development compared to other, more urban lakes, Lake Wateree is known to anglers as one of the premiere all-around fisheries in South Carolina. The popular species targeted by fishermen on the lake include largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, bluegill, white perch, and catfish. Despite the presence of striper fishermen there is not a dominant population of blueback herring in Lake Wateree, and the main forage base is threadfin and gizzard shad.
Are you in the know? Sign up to get exclusive fishing reports and special offers delivered directly to your inbox.
