LAKE MOULTRIESTORIESSwitch Lake
Lake Moultrie Stories
Source-backed catches, championships and memorable fishing moments tied directly to Lake Moultrie.
Fishing history worth knowing
Santee Cooper helped prove striped bass could complete their life cycle in freshwater
South Carolina Department of Natural ResourcesSCDNR's Lake Moultrie history notes that investigations of the Santee Cooper striped-bass population were the first to demonstrate that striped bass could complete their life cycle entirely in freshwater. That discovery helped reshape reservoir striped-bass management far beyond South Carolina.
Lake Moultrie produced South Carolina's 113.8-pound blue catfish record
South Carolina Department of Natural ResourcesSCDNR's current freshwater record list credits Lake Moultrie with a 113.8-pound blue catfish caught by Paula D. Haney in 2017. Lake Monkey treats the record as historical proof of the lake's trophy potential, not as a promise of present-day catch size.
A 58-pound Lake Moultrie channel catfish still appears on the state list as a world record
South Carolina Department of Natural ResourcesSCDNR lists W.H. Whaley's 58-pound Lake Moultrie channel catfish from 1964 and marks it as a current world record. It is one of the clearest historical examples of why the Santee Cooper catfish fishery has such a large reputation.
Lake Moultrie's record book is not only about catfish
South Carolina Department of Natural ResourcesSCDNR's freshwater record list also credits Lake Moultrie with South Carolina's 5-pound black crappie record from 1957. That historical record reinforces Moultrie's multi-species identity beyond its better-known catfish and striped-bass fisheries.
A major new Lake Moultrie public-access site opened in 2026
Berkeley County GovernmentBerkeley County opened boat access at its new Waterfront Park on May 15, 2026 with six ramps and roughly 180 trailer parking spaces. Lions Beach opened later in June. The project materially changes the public-access picture around Lake Moultrie and belongs in Lake Monkey's current trip-planning story, not just an old ramp list.