Lake Marion near Elloree water level

Name: Lake Marion near Elloree 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 Marion, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

72.95ft Down 0.96 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM EDT (40 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

Surface elevation Normal range (10–90 %) Minor flood stage

What this means

Lake Marion near Elloree is far below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 72.95 ft.

The median for mid-October is 74.55 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 1.60 ft below typical. It is 7.05 ft below the flood stage of 80.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 75.09 ft, a difference of −2.14 ft.

It has dropped 0.96 ft over the past 24 hours. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out.

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: 74.55 ft1.60 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 74.33 ft – 75.16 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 75.09 ft−2.14 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 72.38 ft – 74.01 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 72.75 ft – 75.72 ft

On the water at Lake Marion near Elloree

A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.

Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.

What happens at each level

87.20 ft: Flood water gets into Visitor Center parking lot.
84.70 ft: Flood water gets into gage equipment which will be destroyed at higher levels.
83.00 ft: Flood water gets into structures in the park and into the cabins off shore.
81.70 ft: Flood water gets into the middle of parking lot used for cabins 1 to 5.
79.80 ft: Water get up to ramp leading to cabins elevated off shore
72.95 ft: Right now

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

Weather at the gauge

Rain in the last 3 days: 0.03 in.

20 Tue 76° 47° – Wind 12 mph

21 Wed 73° 54° – Wind 13 mph

22 Thu 76° 52° – Wind 7 mph

23 Fri 73° 50° – Wind 12 mph

24 Sat 73° 51° – Wind 16 mph

25 Sun 74° 50° – Wind 16 mph

26 Mon 77° 51° – Wind 11 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:31 AM Sunset 06:44 PM Daylight 11 hr, 12 min Waxing gibbous 70%

Map

Other gauges on Lake Marion

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Lake Marion near PinevilleLake, Lake Marion	73.11 ft	Very low	+0.07 ft	21 mi

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Cow Castle Creek near BowmanRiver gauge, Cow Castle Creek	0.87 ft	Below flood stage	+0.01 ft	16 mi
Santee River at Lake Marion Tailrace near PinevilleRiver gauge, Santee River	27.55 ft	Normal	−0.01 ft	21 mi
Sunnyside Canal at OrangeburgRiver gauge, Sunnyside Canal	0.48 ft	Very low	±0	22 mi
North Fork Edisto River at OrangeburgRiver gauge, North Fork Edisto River	3.28 ft	Low	−0.06 ft	22 mi
Santee River near PinevilleRiver gauge, Santee River	618 cfs	Normal	−9.0 cfs	22 mi
Cedar Creek at Congaree Np near GadsdenRiver gauge, Cedar Creek	2.91 ft	Normal	−0.36 ft	26 mi
Congaree River at Congaree Np near GadsdenRiver gauge, Congaree River	4.23 ft	Normal	−0.53 ft	27 mi
Lake Moultrie at Rediversion near RussellvilleLake, Lake Moultrie	71.71 ft	Very low	+0.51 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

Is Lake Marion near Elloree higher than last year?

No, it is 2.14 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 75.09 ft.

What is a normal level for Lake Marion near Elloree in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 74.55 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 74.33 ft and 75.16 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Lake Marion near Elloree really 72.95 ft deep?

No. 72.95 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 Marion near Elloree today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 01:15 PM EDT, the surface elevation was 72.95 ft. Down 0.96 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Lake Marion near Elloree rising or falling?

Down 0.96 ft over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Lake Marion near Elloree normal?

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

How often is this data updated?

The U.S. Geological Survey publishes a new reading every 15 minutes. This page refreshes within minutes of each update.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02169921 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 33.55211, -80.50425 (WGS84)
Vertical datum: local
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	72.95 ft	2026-10-20 17:15	Provisional

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How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Marion near Elloree (usgs:02169921). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/lake-marion-near-elloree

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