Santee Cooper Lakes, SC

The Santee Cooper Lakes is comprised of Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie.Lake Marion is the largest lake in South Carolina, centrally located and with territory within five counties. The lake is referred to as South Carolina's inland sea. It has a 315-mile (507 km) shoreline and covers nearly 110,000 acres (450 square kilometers or 173.7 square miles) of rolling farmlands, former marshes, and river valley landscape. The Santee River was dammed in the 1940s to supply hydroelectric power, as part of the rural electrification efforts initiated under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal during the Great Depression. It is one of the fifty largest lakes in the United States, whether natural or man-made reservoirs, but covers only about a third of the area of the fifteenth largest in size.Lake Marion is known for its big fish and abundant wildlife. The state fishing record for Largemouth Bass (16.2 Ibs) was set at this lake. Other fish that abound are Striped bass, White Perch, White bass, Crappie, Channel catfish, Arkansas Blue Catfish, Shellcrackers, Bream and Chain (Jack).Lake Moultrie offers a varied fishing environment. There are 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 winter months.[3] 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).[4] For fisherman that prefer the bank, the catfish tend to move up to shallow water near dusk and bite well at night. Large catfish are known to bite well on bluegill(live) and perch(live) off the bottom of shallow sand/mud flats close to shore. The catfish move in the shallow water to feed on small clams and bait fish found in the mud and cracks on the lakes floor. It is not uncommon for fisherman at Lake Moultrie to catch catfish over 20 lb (9.1 kg). Trotlines are common at Lake Moultrie as well as trolling and even arching with a bow and arrow by spotlighting catfish in the shallows at night.