GeorgiaReservoir, 71,100 acres, Columbia County, Lincoln County, McDuffie County, Wilkes County
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69°F
Cool for swimming
Sailing
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Power boating
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Fishing
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Outlook. Monday: NE wind 4 to 8 kt, gusts to 16 kt, high near 72°F. Tuesday: NE wind 4 to 5 kt, gusts to 12 kt, high near 75°F.
7-day wind forecastLoads when you scroll here
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Last hour of NOAA MRMS radar, 1 km resolution. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenMapTiles, OpenFreeMap.
318.84ft above sea level
-0.56 ft in 7 days6.29 ft below the October normal
Reading from Oct 26, 2026. Shaded band: range of October averages on record; dashed line is the typical level.
J. Strom Thurmond Lake was at 318.84 ft on October 26, falling 0.56 ft over the past week. That is below normal for October: the typical October level is 325.13 ft, so the lake is 6.29 ft below its usual mark. The gauge also reports a water temperature of 69°F.
Background reading: J. Strom Thurmond Lake on Wikipedia
Set in Columbia County, Lincoln County, McDuffie County, Wilkes County, Georgia, J. Strom Thurmond Lake is a 71,100-acre reservoir. The reservoir dates to 1954. The water surface sits about 328 ft above sea level.
We read the level from USGS gauge 02193900, listed as Thurmond Lake near Plum Branch, SC. Wind and weather come from the National Weather Service grid cell over the lake, so the numbers describe open water rather than the nearest airport.
On a lake this size the wind has miles of open water to work with, so a 15 kt breeze can stack up a steep chop in the main basin while sheltered coves stay flat. Reservoir levels move with releases and inflow, so ramps and beaches can change week to week. The water level page tracks that day by day.
The go or no-go calls above are a starting point, not a guarantee. Read how we score conditions, and always check local rules and posted warnings before you launch.
The National Weather Service forecast for the lake from October 26: Monday: NE wind 4 to 8 kt, gusts to 16 kt, high near 72°F. The panel at the top of this page refreshes the current wind, gusts and direction when you open it and turns them into a call for sailing, paddling, power boating and fishing.
J. Strom Thurmond Lake was at 318.84 ft on October 26, falling 0.56 ft over the past week. That is below normal for October: the typical October level is 325.13 ft, so the lake is 6.29 ft below its usual mark. The gauge also reports a water temperature of 69°F.
J. Strom Thurmond Lake covers about 71,100 acres (111 square miles) of surface water.
The dam that forms J. Strom Thurmond Lake was completed in 1954.
If J. Strom Thurmond is blown out, these are the closest alternatives. Tap through for their conditions.