CountiesLexington, Richland, Saluda and Newberry counties
South CarolinaReservoirLexington County
Lake Murray
Lake Murray covers about 50,000 acres west of Columbia, South Carolina, with roughly 650 miles of shoreline. It was impounded in the late 1920s to generate hydroelectric power, and Saluda Dam was the largest earthen dam in the world when it was completed in 1930. Public swimming is concentrated in county and utility-run parks on the eastern shore.
Water level today: 354.86 ft · see the full record
Nearest townColumbia, SC
Coordinates34.0658, -81.3290
Surface area50,000 acres
Max depth190 ft
Shoreline650 mi
RiverSaluda River
Completed1930
Managed byDominion Energy South Carolina
Swimming beaches on Lake Murray
No named swimming beach is mapped yet for this lake. Access is through agency day-use areas and boat ramps listed below. We add beach pages only when we can confirm a name, coordinates and an operating agency.
Lake Murray on the map
Lake center, swimming spots and access points.
Weather and water temperature
Air temperature and wind from Open-Meteo. Water temperature only when the lake has a public sensor.
Weather data by Open-Meteo
Water level today
Lake Murray is a hydroelectric reservoir, so the level responds to generation at Saluda Dam and rainfall in the Saluda basin. The U.S. Geological Survey gauge near Columbia reports the water surface elevation continuously. Over the last 120 days it has stayed within a band of about two feet, which is normal for a lake operated this way.
354.86 ft trend not available
Lake Murray at a glance
The Saluda River feeds the lake from the upstate, near the North Carolina line, and the dam holds it back just outside Columbia. The reservoir is named after the project's chief engineer, and it remains an operating hydroelectric plant rather than a purely recreational lake.
Access points cluster on the Columbia and Lexington side, where public parks provide sand beaches, ramps and picnic areas. Facilities and opening dates are set by the operators of each park, and swimming outside those parks is unsupervised. The shoreline elsewhere is largely private and residential.
The pool has held a narrow band recently: the U.S. Geological Survey gauge near Columbia has moved between 354.17 and 356.41 feet over the last 120 days, a swing of just over two feet. That stability keeps ramps and beaches usable through the summer season.
Swimming season runs from late spring into September, and the lake is also a well-known largemouth and striped bass fishery. Bird watchers come for the Purple Martin roost on Bomb Island, which draws large numbers of birds in mid-summer evenings.
Questions about Lake Murray
Can you swim in Lake Murray?
Yes, at the public parks on the Columbia and Lexington side of the lake. Most of the remaining shoreline is private, and swimming outside the parks is unsupervised.
How big is Lake Murray?
About 50,000 acres, with roughly 650 miles of shoreline.
When was Lake Murray built?
It was impounded in the late 1920s for hydroelectric power. Saluda Dam was finished in 1930 and was the largest earthen dam in the world at the time.
Lakes near Lake Murray
Other lakes in this guide, ordered by distance.
Lake Greenwood
Lake Greenwood is a reservoir of some 11,400 acres on the Saluda River, in South Carolina. You will find it in Laurens County.…
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Lake Wateree
Fed by the Wateree River, Lake Wateree holds roughly 13,864 acres of water in South Carolina. Its shoreline falls inside…
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J. Strom Thurmond Lake
J. Strom Thurmond Lake covers about 71,100 acres of the Savannah River in Georgia. The lake is in Lincoln County. It is managed…
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Lake Wylie
Lake Wylie is a 13,344-acre reservoir on the Catawba River in South Carolina. Duke Energy / Lake Wylie Marine Commission manages…
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Lake Russell
Lake Russell covers about 26,650 acres in South Carolina. The lake is in Elbert County. Management is in the hands of USACE…
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Lake Moultrie
Fed by the outflow =, Lake Moultrie holds roughly 60,000 acres of water in South Carolina. It lies in Berkeley County. It is…
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Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these public sources.