Lake Marion is once again making waves on the national fishing stage.
The 110,600-acre reservoir, together with neighboring Lake Moultrie as the Santee Cooper Lakes system, has been ranked the No. 1 bass lake in the Southeast and the No. 4 bass lake in the nation in Bassmaster Magazine's 2026 Best Bass Lakes rankings, released July 1 as part of the publication's America250 celebration.
For anglers in Clarendon County, the recognition comes after a spring of remarkable tournament results on Lake Marion, where Bassmaster said a resurgence of eelgrass and hydrilla has helped create some of the best largemouth bass fishing in the country.
The magazine pointed to a Feb. 21 Carolina Anglers Team Trail tournament that required an eye-popping 41.92 pounds to win, including three bass weighing more than 9 pounds. Just one week later, a weather-shortened Major League Fishing Pro Circuit event produced eight limits weighing more than 30 pounds, while a 10-pound, 5-ounce largemouth earned big bass honors.
The momentum continued throughout the spring. Five 30-pound bags topped the Strike King Bassmaster College Series standings in April, and in May, Bassmaster Elite Series champion Chris Johnston weighed two 30-pound-plus limits on his way to a four-day winning total of 113 pounds, 12 ounces. Bassmaster noted that outside of California, Texas and Florida, few lakes can consistently produce largemouth bass of that caliber.
Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie together form the Santee Cooper Lakes, which span more than 171,000 acres and have long been recognized as one of the country's premier destinations for trophy largemouth bass. This year's ranking marks the lake system as the top bass lake in the Southeast, surpassing renowned bass lakes across Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.
Another South Carolina lake also landed near the top of the list.
Lake Murray ranked No. 5 in the Southeast after another impressive tournament season. Bassmaster highlighted multiple spring events that required between 26 and nearly 30 pounds to win, including Carolina Anglers Team Trail tournaments and the Carolinas Bass Challenge. During the Bassmaster Elite tournament in May, 29 anglers weighed limits exceeding 20 pounds on the opening day.
While Bassmaster noted Lake Murray may not offer the same opportunity for a personal-best largemouth as the Santee Cooper Lakes, the magazine said anglers can consistently expect exceptional fishing on the Midlands reservoir.
The annual rankings are compiled using tournament results, state fisheries data and input from fisheries biologists, B.A.S.S. Nation leaders, local experts and anglers from across the country as Bassmaster identifies the nation's top bass lakes.
