Lake Moultrie Fishing Guides
The lower, rounder and more open of the Santee Cooper pair, connected to Marion by the Diversion Canal and holding the deepest water in the system.
Guides on the Lake Moultrie
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
Order on this page: premium and outfitter plans first (labelled Premium placement), then claimed free profiles, then unclaimed — one published price, no bidding for position. How placement works
About the Lake Moultrie
Moultrie is the lower half of the Santee Cooper system, a rounder and more open lake than Marion, connected to it by the Diversion Canal and drained through the hydroelectric plant at Pinopolis. Where Marion is swamp and timber, Moultrie is big open water with a defined old river channel, humps and drops, and far less standing cover.
That difference shapes the fishing. Moultrie is where the drift fishermen work, covering the open flats and channel edges for blue and channel catfish, and it is where the striped bass fishery is at its most conventional: open-water fish following bait, caught on live bait and on artificials when they school. The tailrace below the Pinopolis lock and powerhouse concentrates fish whenever water is moving and is one of the better-known spots in the state.
Largemouth fishing is good along the shoreline grass and around the canal, and crappie fishing over brush in the cold months is dependable. Because Moultrie has less timber than Marion, it is the easier of the two lakes to fish for anyone new to the system, and the safer one to run at speed.
The reading below gives pool elevation. The two lakes are operated together, so Moultrie tends to follow Marion, but the generation schedule at Pinopolis creates current in the canal and the tailrace that matters far more to the fishing on a given morning than a few inches of level. Moving water there is the single best predictor of a good day.
One practical note for visitors: the lock at Pinopolis will pass small boats between the two lakes, which means a trip can legitimately start on one lake and finish on the other. Most people fish one or the other, but the option is there, and it is the reason local anglers talk about Santee Cooper as a single fishery rather than as two lakes.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not Lake Moultrie.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
Add a photo of this water
Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Pool right now
- 24 hours+0.07 ft → steady
Reading taken 1h ago at USGS 02172000, LAKE MOULTRIE NEAR PINOPOLIS, SC. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
Fished this water? Add a photo
Reviewed by hand before it appears. Pick the water, not the spot — we never publish exact locations.
Access
Pinopolis and the tailrace: bank and boat access below the powerhouse and lock.
Bonneau Beach and Black Bottom: public ramps on the north shore.
Hatchery and Spillway landings: access on the western side toward the Diversion Canal.
Diversion Canal landings: the connection to Lake Marion, fishable in its own right.
Moncks Corner area ramps: southern access with services nearby.
Open-water humps and the old river channel: the drift-fishing water.
Note: the lake is large and round, with little shelter. Watch the wind forecast.
Seasons
Winter: big blue catfish on the deep flats, and stripers concentrated near moving water.
Spring: stripers in the canal and tailrace, bass on the shoreline grass.
Summer: drift fishing for catfish over open water, and early-morning schooling stripers.
Fall: bait moves and the striper schooling improves through the autumn.
From the water
No logged trips yet. Be the first to put this water on your map.
Log this water
Fished it or cleaned it? Log in or create a free account to log a trip with photos and earn the waterway badge.
Questions
What species can you catch on the Lake Moultrie?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Blue Catfish, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass on the Lake Moultrie in South Carolina.
Are there fishing guides on the Lake Moultrie?
GuidedFloats lists 2 guides and outfitters on the Lake Moultrie. Claimed profiles accept booking requests; unclaimed profiles are built from public records and link to the business.
Where can you access the Lake Moultrie?
Pinopolis and the tailrace: bank and boat access below the powerhouse and lock. Bonneau Beach and Black Bottom: public ramps on the north shore. Hatchery and Spillway landings: access on the western side toward the Diversion Canal. Diversion Canal landings: the connection to Lake Marion, fishable in its own right. Moncks Corner area ramps: southern access with services nearby. Open-water humps and the old river channel: the drift-fishing water. Note: the lake is large and round, with little shelter. Watch the wind forecast.
When is the best time to fish the Lake Moultrie?
Winter: big blue catfish on the deep flats, and stripers concentrated near moving water. Spring: stripers in the canal and tailrace, bass on the shoreline grass. Summer: drift fishing for catfish over open water, and early-morning schooling stripers. Fall: bait moves and the striper schooling improves through the autumn.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lake Moultrie?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the South Carolina agency site: https://www.dnr.sc.gov/regs/fishing.html