Lake Marion

Lake Marion is a reservoir spread across five counties in South Carolina, covering roughly 110,600 acres (44,800 hectares) with a shoreline of 315 miles (507 kilometers). Countless submerged cypress trees and stumps rise from the water or remain hidden beneath the surface.

The reservoir formed in 1941 as part of the Santee Cooper Project during the Great Depression, designed to create jobs and bring electricity to rural areas. Flooding transformed much of the landscape and joined several rivers into a single basin.

The reservoir takes its name from General Francis Marion, a fighter in the Revolutionary War whose plantation now rests beneath the surface. Anglers and boaters share the water today, and for many people in the region it has become part of weekend routines.

Several public boat ramps provide access to the water, and navigation markers help guide the way through the wide waterways. Santee State Park also offers access and serves as a starting point for trips across the reservoir.

The reservoir hosts a self-sustaining striped bass population that completes its entire life cycle in freshwater. This trait was discovered only after the dam closed and continues to interest researchers today.