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Lake Murray dam to the Broad River at Columbia. A cold southern tailwater: trout, plus summering stripers. The river tops out around 12 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The outline encloses 293 acres, worked by 21.6 miles of shoreline. That shoreline is heavily fingered (development index 9) — bays, points and pockets everywhere, which multiplies the fishable edge. There is no deep basin to speak of — the entire surface is under ~15 ft, prime weed water end to end. Tip to tip the water measures near 9.8 mi with a 0.8-mi widest point. It sits in Lexington County. If the bite dies, Congaree River is 16 mi to the southeast.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 1 to 12 ft. The depth story barely changes: 4 to 12 ft through summer, 2 to 12 ft in winter. The spot to know is Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dawn | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 3 to 12 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 3 to 12 ft, winter 2 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace: a dam tailrace around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Murray Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
In spring, striped bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 12 ft, and they winter in 4 to 12 ft. Spring striped bass concentrate at Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 10 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a flutter spoon (deep) or an umbrella rig (trolled) most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Bucktail jig + trailer, Walking topwater (dawn) |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Flutter spoon (deep), Umbrella rig (trolled) |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace (10 ft) | Topwater walker, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Murray Dam tailrace (10 ft) | Alabama rig (slow), Flutter spoon |
11 pieces of structure are mapped here — Murray Dam tailrace, around 10 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Saluda River (Lower) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official South Carolina fishing regulations →
Saluda River (Lower) is about 12 ft (4 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target brown trout, rainbow trout, striped bass on Saluda River (Lower).
Quail Hollow Lake Number One Dam D-4009 tailrace is the top-rated area: a dam tailrace in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for striped bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Saluda River (Lower) 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.
Congaree River 16 mi · Lake Murray 19 mi · Monticello Reservoir 24 mi · Lake Wateree 33 mi · Neal Shoals Reservoir 52 mi · Lake Greenwood 55 mi · Lake Marion 56 mi · Lake Robinson 63 mi · Stevens Creek Reservoir 63 mi, SC/GA · Clarks Hill Lake 75 mi, GA/SC · Lake Wylie 77 mi, NC/SC · Lake Moultrie 79 mi
See how Saluda River (Lower) stacks up: best striped bass lakes in South Carolina
Browse all South Carolina fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. 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.