Reservoir · Lexington, South Carolina
Lake Murray near Columbia
Current Lake Rating
Unavailable
Current lake conditions cannot be rated because key water observations are missing.
Rating confidence: Low
Should I Go?
Not Enough Data
Fishing guidance for this destination based on available lake conditions, weather, and seasonal context. It is not a boating, swimming, ice, or access-safety rating.
Why
- Lake elevation is available, but current water-temperature information is unavailable.
- Without enough current observations, StrikeTracks cannot identify a reliable fishing window.
Current Readings
- Water level
- 354.94 ft
- Change over 24 hours
- -0.06 ft
- Trend
- Falling
- Last updated
- 21 min ago
Source: USGS · LAKE MURRAY NEAR COLUMBIA, SC · 02168500 · Elevation, lake/res, NAVD88
Better Nearby Options
Checking nearby StrikeTracks waters…
Weather Near Lake
Current Weather
Clear
Temperature
79°F
Feels like
86°F
Wind
6 mph SW
Wind gust
11 mph
Current precipitation
0.00 in
Updated
Sep 5, 2026, 3:45 AM
Recent Rainfall
Estimated precipitation near this lake
Last 6 hours
0.00 in
Last 24 hours
0.00 in
Last 48 hours
0.00 in
Little recent rainfall near this lake.
Next 24 Hours
Sat 4 AM
Clear
Temp 79°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 6 mph
Sat 8 AM
Clear
Temp 79°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 5 mph
Sat 12 PM
Clear
Temp 93°F
Chance 0%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 7 mph
Sat 4 PM
Clear
Temp 100°F
Chance 1%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 5 mph
Sat 8 PM
Overcast
Temp 93°F
Chance 13%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 4 mph
Sun 12 AM
Overcast
Temp 85°F
Chance 20%
Precip 0.00 in
Wind 5 mph
Four-Day Forecast
Sat, Sep 5
Overcast
High 100°F / Low 77°F
Chance 21%
Precip 0.00 in
Max gust 15 mph
Sun, Sep 6
Showers
High 98°F / Low 73°F
Chance 68%
Precip 0.14 in
Max gust 29 mph
Mon, Sep 7
Showers
High 90°F / Low 71°F
Chance 68%
Precip 0.12 in
Max gust 25 mph
Tue, Sep 8
Drizzle
High 86°F / Low 68°F
Chance 11%
Precip 0.01 in
Max gust 21 mph
Weather and rainfall are estimated for this lake's coordinates. Local conditions can vary, especially in mountainous terrain and during isolated storms.
Recent rainfall can influence lake level and access, but the timing and magnitude depend on watershed size, soil conditions, and reservoir operations where applicable.
Weather data: Open-Meteo
Reservoir Elevation History
Elevation is reported relative to the datum used by this USGS monitoring site. Elevations from different lakes or datums should not be directly compared.
Loading historical elevation…
Fishery Profile
Documented species you may encounter at Lake Murray.
Species images are AI-generated illustrations for visual reference and may simplify natural variation. Fishery records are based on the cited agency sources. About fish illustrations
Fishery overview
Lake Murray near Columbia is a major Saluda River reservoir bass, striped bass, crappie, and catfish fishery. StrikeTracks keeps this existing public identity and republishes complete static fishery with catalog-legal population types. USGS 02168500 reports live elevation; the last 00010 value is invalid and is not treated as current water temperature. Distinct from the Lower Saluda tailwater 02168504. Hatch Match is not applicable to this warmwater reservoir.
Target species
Largemouth Bass
Micropterus nigricans
- Expectation
- Primary
- Population
- Wild
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
SCDNR Lake Murray largemouth bass. USGS 02168500. Distinct from 02168504.
Black Crappie
Pomoxis nigromaculatus
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Wild
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
SCDNR Lake Murray crappie.
Striped bass
Morone saxatilis
- Expectation
- Common
- Population
- Stocked
- Native status
- introduced
- Confidence
- High confidence
SCDNR Lake Murray striped bass. Not a condition rating.
Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
- Expectation
- Present
- Population
- Wild
- Native status
- native
- Confidence
- High confidence
SCDNR Lake Murray channel catfish.
Fishery characteristics
- Composition
- Mixed wild and stocked
- Great Lakes tributary
- No
- Flow regime
- Natural flow
Saluda River reservoir at the dam near Columbia, Lexington County, distinct from the Lower Saluda trout tailwater.
Best seasons
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
Common techniques
- Boat fishing
- Shore fishing
- Spinning
- Trolling
Access and Public Fishing Rights
Public ramps and shore access are documented by SCDNR Lake Murray pages. Catalog coordinates are USGS 02168500.
Stocking information
SCDNR manages Lake Murray warmwater and striped bass fisheries. Confirm current official notices.
- Stocked
Striped bass
Stocked · South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Official sources
SCDNR inland lake and striped-bass rules change. Distinct from Saluda tailwater 02168504. Confirm current SCDNR regulations.
Location and Access
Cataloged lake location
Lexington, South Carolina
The map marker represents the cataloged waterbody or monitoring location and may not indicate legal parking or public access. Confirm access through the official information before visiting.
Lake Details
County
Lexington
Management Category
Piedmont reservoir
Regulation Scope
Lake Murray near Columbia
Regulation Summary
Lake Murray near Columbia: SCDNR inland reservoir rules. Confirm current official regulations.
Target Species
largemouth-bass, striped-bass, black-crappie, channel-catfish
Public Access
Public
Description
Lake Murray near Columbia, South Carolina. Existing public reservoir. Elevation-only USGS pin; stale 00010 is not current Monitoring-Backed. PATH B fishery populated. Distinct from Saluda tailwater 02168504.
