Hartwell Lake near Anderson water level

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

Lake, Hartwell Lake, South Carolina, United States

Directions

Very low for mid-October

Surface elevation

648.74ft Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours

Measured Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT (56 min ago)

History

202120222023202420252026

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

What this means

At 648.74 ft, Hartwell Lake near Anderson is far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 6.99 ft below the median of 655.73 ft for mid-October, based on 7 years of readings. It is 16.26 ft below the flood stage of 665.00 ft. A year ago it stood at 655.73 ft (−6.99 ft).

The level is falling, down 0.21 ft over the past 24 hours. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 648.74 ft and 649.41 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: 655.73 ft6.99 ft below the median for this date
Normal for this date: 653.71 ft – 661.52 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
Same day last year: 655.73 ft−6.99 ft
Lowest and highest in 30 days: 648.74 ft – 649.41 ft
Lowest and highest in 12 months: 648.91 ft – 655.75 ft
Highest on record: 665.47 ftApril 8, 1964

Swimming and boating at Hartwell Lake near Anderson

Low water changes a lake fast for boaters. Some ramps get shorter or close, docks may be moved, and rocks and sandbars that are usually well under the surface come within reach of a prop.

If you swim, pick a spot with an easy way out, and remember that drop-offs move as the level changes.

What happens at each level

680.00 ft: HOMES ON THE LAKE AND ON RIVERS THAT FEED INTO THE LAKE WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
675.00 ft: SOME CAMPGROUNDS ON ISLANDS ON THE LAKE MAY BE AFFECTED.
670.00 ft: ISLANDS ABOVE AND BELOW THE DAM WILL BECOME PARTIALLY COVERED.
665.00 ft: CREEKS THAT DRAIN INTO THE LAKE WILL BE EFFECTED BY BACKWATER. FLOATING FACLILITES ON THE LAKE AND ALONG THE BANKS OF THE LAKE WILL BEGIN TO FLOOD.
663.00 ft: AT THIS STAGE WATER STARTS TO FLOOD LOW AREAS ALONG THE SHORELINE AND LOCAL CREEKS START TO GET WATER BACKING UP INTO THEM.
660.00 ft: NORMAL FULL POOL ELEVATION. GAGE LOCATED NEAR BOAT LANDING IN RIVER FORKS RECREATION AREA.
648.74 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 76° 40° – Wind 6 mph

21 Wed 74° 44° – Wind 6 mph

22 Thu 77° 46° – Wind 6 mph

23 Fri 73° 47° – Wind 9 mph

24 Sat 70° 48° – Wind 13 mph

25 Sun 71° 47° – Wind 13 mph

26 Mon 75° 45° – Wind 8 mph

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:42 AM Sunset 06:52 PM Daylight 11 hr, 11 min Waxing gibbous 72%

Map

Nearby gauges

Gauge	Level	Compared with normal	24 hours	Distance
Eighteenmile Creek below PendletonRiver gauge, Eighteenmile Creek	3.87 ft	High	−0.02 ft	10 mi
Coneross Creek near SenecaRiver gauge, Coneross Creek	3.22 ft	Normal	±0	12 mi
Rocky River near StarrRiver gauge, Rocky River	2.83 ft	Normal	−0.02 ft	18 mi
Twelvemile Creek near LibertyRiver gauge, Twelvemile Creek	1.56 ft	Very low	±0	21 mi
Beaverdam Creek above ElbertonRiver gauge, Beaverdam Creek	1.18 ft	Very low	+0.03 ft	24 mi
Saluda River near WilliamstonRiver gauge, Saluda River	3.69 ft	Below flood stage	−0.03 ft	25 mi
Saluda River above I-85 near Golden GroveRiver gauge, Saluda River	158 cfs	Low	−108.0 cfs	29 mi
Broad River above CarltonRiver gauge, Broad River	0.71 ft	Very low	−0.01 ft	31 mi

Questions and answers

How does Hartwell Lake near Anderson compare with last year?

It is 6.99 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 655.73 ft.

What is a normal level for Hartwell Lake near Anderson in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 655.73 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 653.71 ft and 661.52 ft, based on 7 years of records.

Is Hartwell Lake near Anderson really 648.74 ft deep?

No. 648.74 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 Hartwell Lake near Anderson today?

On Oct 20, 2026, 06:00 PM EDT, the surface elevation was 648.74 ft. Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours.

Is Hartwell Lake near Anderson rising or falling?

Down 0.21 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.56 ft over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Hartwell Lake near Anderson 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 Hartwell Lake near Anderson?

The highest level on record is 665.47 ft on April 8, 1964.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads

Operator: U.S. Geological Survey
Station code: usgs:02187010 (Agency page)
Coordinates: 34.50833, -82.85528 (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	648.74 ft	2026-10-20 22:00	Provisional

Download

Embed this gauge

Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.

<iframe src="https://nivelmap.com/embed/5245?lang=en" width="360" height="230" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy" title="Hartwell Lake near Anderson water level"></iframe>

How to cite

U.S. Geological Survey: Hartwell Lake near Anderson (usgs:02187010). Accessed October 20, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/south-carolina/hartwell-lake-near-anderson

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