IRMO, S.C. — Irmo SC fishing on Lake Murray is happening on a shrinking lake this week. The water surface read 354.32 feet early Wednesday, which leaves the reservoir 5.68 feet short of its 360-foot full pool.
The slide has been steady rather than sudden. The level dropped 0.55 feet across the past week and 1.01 feet across the past month, and it still has room to fall. Dominion Energy, which runs the Dreher Shoals Dam, set out in September to take the lake down to roughly 350 feet by December, a little more than four feet below today’s reading.
The plan calls for the lake to sit at that lower mark until January. The utility is doing the drawdown together with the state Department of Natural Resources, and the goal is to knock back aquatic vegetation and keep the water quality healthy.
For anyone heading out with a rod or a boat, the change that matters most is depth. Many coves and inlets are shallower than usual right now, and Dominion has asked boaters to use extra caution until the water comes back up.
Dry weather is not helping the refill picture. Roughly 68% of the surrounding county falls into official drought categories, and severe drought is the most common category on the U.S. Drought Monitor map dated Oct. 27. Streamflows feeding the area are running lower as well.
This is not a yearly event. The last time the lake was pulled down to 350 feet was January 2023. Dominion expects Lake Murray to climb back to its usual summer elevation of 358 feet by late spring, with the timing tied to rainfall and river flow.
The lake and the dam, finished in 1930, are the main geographic feature of the Irmo area. Lake Murray ranks among the top bass reservoirs in South Carolina, and Irmo anglers can reach striped bass, largemouth bass and catfish just minutes from home all year. Anglers 16 and older need a South Carolina freshwater fishing license.
Track lake levels and catch conditions in the latest Irmo SC fishing report as the drawdown continues through the winter.
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