Lake Murray Water Level
USGS gauge 02168500 · near Columbia, SC
Latest reading Oct 26, 3:45 PM · elevation
Lake Murray is 5.0 ft below full pool today (354.96 ft vs 360.00 ft) — about normal for late October. It has fallen 0.09 ft since yesterday and is down 0.59 ft over 7 days.
Water level chart
ft above sea levelFull pool (360.0 ft) is 5.0 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
Full pool (360.0 ft) is 5.0 ft above the latest reading, off this chart
ReadingNormal range for the date (25th–75th pct.)Median for the date
Lake Murray fishing report & conditions
updated Oct 26, 4:13 PM ETLake 5.0 ft below full pool and steady, light NE wind — good fall fishing day (7/10), best window 7:41 AM–8:41 AM (moonset near sunrise).
- Water temp—no water-temperature sensor on this water yet
- Air temphigh 71°F / low 46°FSunny
- WindLight NE4–9 mph 6 AM–6 PM, gusts to 15
- Level5.0 ft below full poolLevel steady (−0.09 ft in 24 h)
Main species
- Largemouth bass
- Striped bass
- Bluegill
- Redear sunfish
- Crappie
- Catfish
Source: South Carolina DNR — species named in the SCDNR lake description, as published on the SCDNR Lake Murray page.
Official South Carolina fishing info: South Carolina DNR — Fishing info
Best fishing times today
Today is a good fishing day (solunar + local conditions)
7/10
Full moon · 99% lit · New moon Mon, Nov 9 · Sunrise 7:39 AM · Sunset 6:37 PM
Major fishing times
- Moon overhead12:04 AM–2:04 AM
- Moon underfoot12:32 PM–2:32 PM
Minor fishing times
- Moonset7:41 AM–8:41 AMSunrise
- Moonrise6:15 PM–7:15 PMSunset
Fishing times for the next 7 days
| TodayOct 26 | 7/10Good | Major 12:04 AM–2:04 AM · 12:32 PM–2:32 PM Minor 7:41 AM–8:41 AM · 6:15 PM–7:15 PM Light wind 4–9 mph |
|---|---|---|
| TueOct 27 | 5/10Fair | Major 1:00 AM–3:00 AM · 1:30 PM–3:30 PM Minor 8:55 AM–9:55 AM · 7:00 PM–8:00 PM Light wind 2–6 mph |
| WedOct 28 | 3/10Poor | Major 2:01 AM–4:01 AM · 2:32 PM–4:32 PM Minor 10:08 AM–11:08 AM · 7:54 PM–8:54 PM Light wind 6–8 mph |
| ThuOct 29 | 5/10Fair | Major 3:05 AM–5:05 AM · 3:37 PM–5:37 PM Minor 11:17 AM–12:17 PM · 8:57 PM–9:57 PM Light wind 6–8 mph |
| FriOct 30 | 4/10Fair | Major 4:09 AM–6:09 AM · 4:41 PM–6:41 PM Minor 12:18 PM–1:18 PM · 10:07 PM–11:07 PM Light wind 5–6 mph |
| SatOct 31 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:11 AM–7:11 AM · 5:41 PM–7:41 PM Minor 1:09 PM–2:09 PM · 11:19 PM–12:19 AM Light wind 2–7 mph |
| SunNov 1 | 5/10Fair | Major 5:09 AM–7:09 AM · 5:36 PM–7:36 PM Minor 12:50 PM–1:50 PM · 11:29 PM–12:29 AM Light wind 5–6 mph |
How this rating works
Solunar theory says fish feed more when the moon is overhead or underfoot (major periods, about 2 hours) and around moonrise and moonset (minor periods, about 1 hour). On a lake or river there is no tide, so instead of tide changes we score the local conditions anglers watch: the barometric pressure trend, the wind, whether the lake level is steady, and the water temperature where it is measured.
| Base | every day starts at 1 | 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise / sunset | a period overlaps sunrise or sunset ±1 h: major +2, minor +1 (max 3) (Moonset × sunrise +1; Moonrise × sunset +1) | 2 |
| Moon phase | within 2 days of a new or full moon +2, within 4 days +1 (today: 0.5 days) | 2 |
| Local conditions | pressure 6 AM→6 PM: falling +2, steady or slowly rising +1, rising fast 0 · daytime wind 4–15 mph +1, over 20 mph (or gusts over 30) −1 · level within ±0.25 ft in 24 h +1 · water 55–75°F +1, below 45°F or above 85°F −1 (0 to 4 in total)
| 2 |
| Today | 7, rounded | 7/10 |
1–3 poor · 4–5 fair · 6–7 good · 8–10 excellent. Pressure and wind are the NOAA National Weather Service hourly forecast for this spot; the level/flow trend is the latest 24 hours of readings on this page. Days 2–7 score sun, moon, forecast pressure and forecast wind only (level and water temperature aren’t forecast). Solunar times are a rule of thumb, not a guarantee.
Solunar periods calculated for 34.05, -81.22 (moon times from astronomical equations, Lake Murray local time).
Weather & wind at Lake Murray
air temperature, not water3-day forecast
- This Afternoon71° / 46°SunnyWind NE 6 mphRain 0%
- Tuesday74° / 50°SunnyWind NE 2 to 6 mphRain 0%
- Wednesday73° / 58°Mostly SunnyWind NE 8 mphRain 0%
NOAA National Weather Service forecast for 34.052, -81.221 (grid CAE), issued Oct 26, 2:21 PM local time. High / low are air temperatures; water temperature is in the fishing section above. The “Air temp & weather” tile at the top refreshes live.
October 26 in history
36 years of level records- Today354.96 ft
- Same date last year355.73 ft2025
- Median354.37 ft
- Normal range352.72 ft – 356.02 ft25th–75th percentile
- Highest since 1991357.25 ft2025
- Lowest since 1991344.93 ft1997
Last 10 days
| Date | Level (ft) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Mon Oct 26 (today) | 355.03 | −0.05 |
| Sun Oct 25 | 355.08 | −0.08 |
| Sat Oct 24 | 355.16 | −0.10 |
| Fri Oct 23 | 355.26 | −0.07 |
| Thu Oct 22 | 355.33 | −0.08 |
| Wed Oct 21 | 355.41 | −0.09 |
| Tue Oct 20 | 355.50 | −0.09 |
| Mon Oct 19 | 355.59 | −0.08 |
| Sun Oct 18 | 355.67 | −0.11 |
| Sat Oct 17 | 355.78 | −0.06 |
Daily mean of all readings that day; today is the average so far.
Nearby lakes & rivers
- Broad River near Columbia8 mi · River1,050 cfs50% of normal
- Congaree River at Columbia11 mi · River3,440 cfs87% of normal
- Broad River at Alston14 mi · River1,340 cfs64% of normal
- Broad River near Jenkinsville16 mi · River221.11 ftstage 221.11 ft
- Parr Shoals Reservoir16 mi · Lake · Parr260.89 ft−0.39 ft vs normal
- Monticello Reservoir18 mi · Lake · Jenkinsville423.87 ft24h −0.29 ft
Guides
All guides →About this data
- Gauge
- USGS 02168500 — Lake Murray Near Columbia, Sc
- Location
- 34.0521, -81.2207 · South Carolina
- Measures
- Reservoir water-surface elevation above datum
- Daily statistics
- 1991–2026 (approved daily values)
- Latest reading
- Oct 26, 3:45 PM local time (provisional)
- Page built
- Oct 26, 2026 4:13 PM ET
- Full pool
- 360.00 ft — Dominion Energy South Carolina
- Flood stages
- NWS gauge IRMS1 — National Water Prediction Service
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Water Data for the Nation (USGS monitoring location page). Readings every 15–60 minutes; the newest values are provisional. Percentiles compare today’s reading with every past year’s daily mean for the same calendar date. Weather: NOAA National Weather Service.