Lake Murray water level — South Carolina
Lake Murray in South Carolina was last measured at 355.11 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 4:00 AM (UTC-04:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been falling (−0.2 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↓Falling
−0.2 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USGS site 02168500, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 2,420 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Murray
Lake Murray is held back by Saluda (also recorded as Lake Murray (Res);Lake Murray Dam) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 234 ft high and running 7,800 ft along its crest , built across Saluda in Lexington County , near Irmo . It was completed in 1930 , and is owned by South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (a public utility owner) , to a design credited to MURRAY & FLOOD, NEW YORK CITY.
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought .
It is founded on rock, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 299 ft wide. Its outlet works use tainter (radial)6.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in. Its most recent condition assessment was satisfactory — no deficiencies recognised for expected loading. That assessment is dated 08/25/2025.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 48,000 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 2,200,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 2,100,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 197,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record SC00224 , filed by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Lake Murray compares nearby
1 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also falling right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello Reservoir | SC | 423.06 ft | 29 km |
| Lake Greenwood | SC | 438.45 ft | 64 km |
| Neal Shoals Reservoir | SC | 332.68 ft | 71 km |
| Savannah River | SC | 186.17 ft | 94 km |
| Ninetynine Island Reservoir | SC | 509.45 ft | 112 km |
| Lake Marion | SC | 73.14 ft | 118 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Murray?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 4:00 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 355.11 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Murray full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USGS site 02168500, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in South Carolina
See every lake tracked in South Carolina, or read the methodology behind these figures.