Lake Moultrie
Sunset at Lake Moultrie from the southeast shore
Lake Moultrie is located in South Carolina
Lake Moultrie
Lake Moultrie
LocationBerkeley County, South Carolina, United States
Coordinates33°18′N 80°3′W / 33.300°N 80.050°W / 33.300; -80.050
Typereservoir
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area60,000 acres (240 km2)
Average depth18.7 feet (5.7 m)[1]
Max. depth75.46 feet (23.00 m) [1]

Lake Moultrie is a large man-made lake in South Carolina. Created in the 1940s by a state utility project to provide electricity to rural SC by damming the Santee River, it covers more than 60,000 acres (240 km2). The third largest lake in the state, it provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities, including fishing.

Location

Lake Moultrie (bottom right) and Lake Marion (top) from space

Lake Moultrie is located in Berkeley County, South Carolina. It is fed by the Santee River through Lake Marion and a diversion canal.

Nearby towns include Moncks Corner, Bonneau Beach, Cross, and St. Stephen.

History

Lake Moultrie was created in the early 1940s by the South Carolina Public Service Authority. It was formed by construction of Pinopolis Dam as part of a flood control and hydroelectric power project. It didn't dam the Cooper River but a tributary created by the damming of the Santee River on Lake Marion. [2] It covers about 60,000 acres (240 km2). It was named for Governor William Moultrie.[3] The reservoir or lake offers extensive recreational opportunities as well.

Fishing

Lake Moultrie offers a varied fishing environment. It has areas of shallow swamps, black water ponds, thousands of tree stumps and live cypress trees, as well as large open areas of water. This lake does not form ice in the winter.[4] A world record channel catfish weighing 58 lb (26 kg) was caught from this lake. The lake also holds the state record for black crappie (5 lbs).[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Lakes and Waterways".
  2. ↑ AAA Map: "North and South Carolina"
  3. ↑ "Lake Moultrie, South Carolina". SCIway.net. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  4. ↑ "History of The Santee Cooper Lakes". American Publishing. 1997. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  5. ↑ "Freshwater Fish Records for South Carolina". South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.