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90,000-acre reservoir near Santee. The lake tops out around 77 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 80,314 acres of water rimmed by 296.8 miles of bank, with 107 islands in the mix. With a shoreline index of 7.5, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 62% of the surface — that's where the groceries are. The basin spans about 30.7 mi end to end and 14.3 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Clarendon County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Lake Moultrie, 22 mi southeast of here.
Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (4 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (35 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Early season striped bass use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is a 25 to 60 ft game here, winter a 20 to 50 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 36 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (36 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (19 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. Winter crappie concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 36 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (14 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 10 to 25 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | Tiny spoon |
Spring puts channel catfish in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 25 ft; cold water stacks them in 20 to 40 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 36 ft, rated prime for winter channel catfish. Plan around after dark and the evening in the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (10 ft) | |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | night & dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Fall | 10 to 30 ft | dusk | Shallow feeding flat (20 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) |
When the water first warms, blue catfish slide up into 5 to 25 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 40 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 36 ft that scores prime in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | Sharp break (14 ft) | |
| Summer | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (36 ft) | |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | dusk | Deep basin (36 ft) | |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | midday | Deep basin (36 ft) |
Lake Marion also holds flathead catfish (8 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 31 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 36 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for South Carolina waters are set by the South Carolina DNR — and special regulations can apply to Lake Marion specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Carolina fishing regulations →
Lake Marion is about 77 ft (23 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, flathead catfish on Lake Marion.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Lake Marion is regulated by the South Carolina DNR. Check the official South Carolina regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Moultrie 22 mi · Congaree River 40 mi · Cooper River 48 mi · Saluda River (Lower) 56 mi · Bulls Bay 60 mi · Lake Robinson 64 mi · Great Pee Dee River 66 mi, SC/NC · Lake Wateree 69 mi · Lake Murray 74 mi · Monticello Reservoir 78 mi · Stevens Creek Reservoir 102 mi, SC/GA · Neal Shoals Reservoir 104 mi
See how Lake Marion stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in South Carolina · best crappie lakes in South Carolina · best bluegill lakes in South Carolina · best channel catfish lakes in South Carolina
Browse all South Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.