Richard B. Russell Lake, man-made lake created by the construction of Richard B. Russell Dam in South Carolina

Richard B. Russell Lake is a reservoir in the northwestern corner of South Carolina, near the Georgia border. It sits among forested hills and has a deeply indented shoreline with many coves and inlets.

The lake was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the Richard B. Russell Dam on the Savannah River, on the Georgia–South Carolina line. Filling began in October 1983 and was completed in December 1984 at a full pool elevation of 475 feet. Before flooding, archaeologists excavated sites including Millwood Plantation, Fort Independence and a Native American village and mound; the Georgia-Carolina Memorial Bridge remains intact beneath the water.

The reservoir is named for Richard Brevard Russell Jr., a U.S. senator from Georgia, not a South Carolina governor. Before the lake filled, archaeologists excavated Millwood Plantation, Fort Independence and a Native American village and mound; the historic Georgia-Carolina Memorial Bridge was left standing intact beneath the water.

Access to the shore is possible at several points, though conditions vary depending on the season and water level. It is worth checking which areas allow fishing, swimming, or boating before arriving.

The lake buried the historic Georgia-Carolina Memorial Bridge without demolishing it; the span still stands intact underwater. Before filling began in October 1983, archaeologists excavated Millwood Plantation, Fort Independence and a Native American village and mound in the valley. The Corps of Engineers owns a 300-foot buffer around all 540 miles of shoreline, so the shore stays almost entirely undeveloped.