Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis water level

Name: Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis water level (U.S. Geological Survey)
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Lake, Lake Moultrie, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

72.76ft Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM EDT (45 min ago)

History

What this means

Water is short at Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis: the latest reading of 72.76 ft is far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 74.46 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 1.70 ft below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 75.10 ft, a difference of −2.34 ft.

It is on the way up, by 0.12 ft over the past 24 hours. The 30-day range is 72.09 ft – 73.05 ft.

Lakes and reservoirs often sit lower in fall after a summer of evaporation and use, and recover with winter rain and spring snowmelt.

Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date: 74.46 ft1.70 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 74.11 ft – 75.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 75.10 ft−2.34 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 72.09 ft – 73.05 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 72.16 ft – 75.72 ft
Highest on record: 79.36 ftOctober 8, 2016

Boating and fishing at Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis

At low levels, launching can mean a long walk or a closed ramp, and shallow points stick out further than charts suggest.

Conditions at the shore change with the level, so check with the agency that runs the lake before a trip.

What happens at each level

79.36 ft: Record level reached as a result of heavy rainfall associated with Hurricane Matthew which made landfall near McClellanville, SC as a Category 1 hurricane on October 8th, 2016.
75.50 ft: Full pool level as defined by Santee Cooper.
74.00 ft: Normal operating level as defined by Santee Cooper.
72.76 ft: Right now

Impact statements from the U.S. National Weather Service.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

20 Tue 74° 46° – Wind 9 mph

21 Wed 72° 51° – Wind 10 mph

22 Thu 73° 51° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 72° 51° – Wind 8 mph

24 Sat 73° 54° – Wind 11 mph

25 Sun 74° 53° – Wind 11 mph

26 Mon 75° 58° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:29 AM Sunset 06:42 PM Daylight 11 hr, 13 min First quarter 68%

Map

Other gauges on Lake Moultrie

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Moultrie at Rediversion near RussellvilleLake, Lake Moultrie	71.44 ft	Very low	−0.03 ft	11 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Moultrie Tailrace near PinopolisLake, Lake Moultrie Tailrace	10.18 ft	Very high	+1.23 ft	0.0 mi
Lake Moultrie Tailrace Canal at Moncks CornerRiver gauge, Lake Moultrie Tailrace Canal	8.95 ft	Very high	+1.55 ft	2.3 mi
West Branch Cooper River at Pimlico near Moncks CornerTidal gauge, West Branch Cooper River	13.97 ft	Very high	+0.65 ft	11 mi
Back River at Dupont Intake near KittredgeTidal gauge, Back River	17.62 ft	Very high	+0.43 ft	13 mi
Cooper River near Goose CreekTidal gauge, Cooper River	17.50 ft	Very high	+0.68 ft	13 mi
Rediv Canal at Santee River near St StephenRiver gauge, Rediv Canal	7.43 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	13 mi
Cooper River above Goose CreekTidal gauge, Cooper River	9.00 ft	Very high	+0.67 ft	17 mi
Santee River near PinevilleRiver gauge, Santee River	636 cfs	Normal	−18.0 cfs	17 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis higher than last year?

No, it is 2.34 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 75.10 ft.

What is a normal level for Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 74.46 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 74.11 ft and 75.06 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis really 72.76 ft deep?

No. 72.76 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.

What is the water level of Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 08:45 AM EDT, the surface elevation was 72.76 ft. Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis rising or falling?

Up 0.12 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.04 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis?

The highest level on record is 79.36 ft on October 8, 2016.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02172000 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.24448, -79.99156 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: NAVD88
Update interval: every 15 minutes
Licence: Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision

Published series

Parameter	Last value	Time (UTC)	Quality
Surface elevation	72.76 ft	2026-10-20 12:45	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Moultrie near Pinopolis (usgs:02172000). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/lake-moultrie-near-pinopolis

How we check values

Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.

Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer