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Cowles Mountain over Lake Murray in San Diego 2009.jpg
Bill Rand · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Lakes → South Carolina → Lake Murray

Lake Murray

South Carolina · Reservoir impounded 1930 · near Columbia

50,000 acres 200 ft deep 10 ft clarity Water C
Compare
6.1SCORE
Survey summary · South Carolina
50,000
Surface acres
200 ft
Max depth
649 mi
Shoreline
10 ft
Typical clarity
360 ft
Elevation
Cowles Mountain over Lake Murray in San Diego 2009.jpg Cowles Mountain.jpg FMIB 33141 La Mesa Dam.jpeg

Photographs of Lake Murray via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.

Lake Murray covers 50,000 acres in South Carolina and drops to 200 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1930 and managed by Dominion Energy. Short-term rental posture: Lexington/Newberry County. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Deep water — 200 ft max
  • Large open water, 50,000 acres
  • 649 miles of shoreline
  • Boating
  • Fishing

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 6.2
Recreation 7.2
Value 3.5
Access 7.3
Investment 6.1

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade
Water A
ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.
Water B
GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.
Water C
FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.
Water D
PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10
8.0+
ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.
7.0–7.9
StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.
6.0–6.9
SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.
5.0–5.9
MixedReal strengths and real compromises.
Under 5
CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

Striped bassLargemouth bassCrappieCatfish

On the water

BoatingFishingSailingPurple martins
Live from USGS gauge 02168504. These are direct sensor readings, not estimates.
14.90 deg C
Temperature
2026-08-04
3.63 ft
Gage height
2026-08-04

Gauge history

Daily values from USGS. Loading up to one year.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs winter low · Lake Murray
6 ft FULL POOL WINTER LOW

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 6 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

True shoreline from USGS NHD 197 km²

The outline is this lake's actual boundary from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset, not an approximation — 631 boundary points. Basemap is USGS topographic with contours and hydrography. Switch layers at the top right.

Depth profile

SURFACE 200 ft max avg 64 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 200 ft, average 64 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown6 ft Drawdown seasonWinter Trophic stateMesotrophic Typical clarity10 ft Water quality gradeC Elevation360 ft Managing authorityDominion Energy

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityDominion Energy Shoreline Wake / speed rulesNo-wake within 50ft
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with Dominion Energy Shoreline that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Lexington/Newberry County

Generally permitted, but rules change. Confirm the specific municipality and any HOA covenant.
Model rental income →
Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.
$585,000
Median waterfront
$6,463
Per shoreline foot
+0.3%
Year over year
91
Est. inventory
49
Avg days on market
$424
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy67% Booked nights / yr176 Gross revenue$84,836 Net operating income$39,873 Yield on median price6.82%
Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Lake Murray actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$4,897
All-in per month
$134,290
Cash to close + setup
$13,175
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$58,761 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $36,987 (65%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $6,435 (11%) Property taxes $6,142 (11%) Utilities $2,700 (5%) Hazard insurance $2,457 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (2%) Dock maintenance $900 (2%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (1%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$36,987
Property taxes$6,142
Hazard insurance$2,457
Flood insurance$650
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$6,435
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$58,761
Model your own numbers →

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