WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE 6+ inches of rain received from TS-FAY is raising lake levels considerably. Please ignore the chart below. We will post better information when it becomes available.

 

Deep Water Guarantee: For houses highlighted  in GREEN on the chart below, we guarantee that the water level at the deep end of the dock will be at least 3-1/2' feet deep at the time of your arrival. If not, you will be entitled to change to another house with no penalty (Pay only the price of the new house). If you elect to stay at the original house you will receive a $200 discount for a full week or a $100 discount for 3 nights or more.

 

Comments on water levels

Although the drought in the Southeast has caused the level of Hartwell and other area lakes to drop, recreation opportunities remain largely unaffected. Opportunities for Boating, Fishing, Skiing, and other Water Sports remain plentiful. Scroll down for some specific Q & A.

Lake Keowee and most of the smaller Mountain Lakes remain at or near full pool. The lower levels on Hartwell have however created a situation where some docks in the more shallow areas are currently unusable for docking a boat at your house. The result is that if you rent one of the houses with shallow water you will need to launch you boat each day at one of the more than 36 available boat ramps. If you plan to dock a boat at your rental, please verify the dock status with the office.

We have listed some of the measured water levels below. Not appearing on the list does not indicate anything about the level at that house. Houses that do not appear on this list have not been measured recently. PLEASE NOTE: The water depth at Lake Hartwell varies significantly from house to house. The level at a nearby house or boat ramp is NOT indicative of the level at any given house. See below for the effects of the drought on recreation.

Current Lake Hartwell WebCam image. Click to view full size and other Lake Hartwell conditions.

Current COE Reported Level:  

COE Projection as of 8/19: Rapidly dropping to about 636.0' (24.0' Below Full Pool) Late October.
By Comparison the lake level was:
 642.40 ( 17.60' Below Full Pool) December 24, 1981
645.86 ( 14.14' Below Full Pool) in December 1988
646.75 (13.25' Below Full Pool) in September 2002

Ramp Useable Levels (Link to COE)     Ramp Closings List
42 of 100 ramps on Hartwell are useable when the lake goes down to 638' (22' Below Full Pool)
Below is a estimated water depth for selected Lake Hartwell houses.
Depth reported is at the deepest end of the dock.

Level at the dock is projected for a Lake Level of 644.9'
which is the COE projected level for 9/1/2008
 Levels were about 2.7' deeper on 8/1 and are expected to be about 4.4' less that the chart on 10/1
Levels when you arrive may be higher or lower depending on rainfall.

HOUSE CODE PROJECTED
DEPTH
9/1/2008		   Measured Date Measured Depth
1-422_L 0.00   4/18 2.20
1-510_L 9.0   6/30 14.00
2-058 A 5.0   6/30 10.00
2-108 L 4.0   ? ?
2-112 M 0.00   7/1 4.00
2-117 B 0.8   7/1 5.50
2-137C2 0.00   6/30 0.50
2-181JG 7.0   7/1 12.50
2-209 C 3.6   6/30 8.50
2-214 L 10.0   7/2 15.00
2-379 R 0.00   2/25 0.00
2-431 K 0.00   6/30 0.00
2-66 LB 0' (Sandy Area)   7/9 0.00
3-105 K 0.00   6/30 0.00
3-110 M 0.00   6/30 0.00
3-112 P 0..00   6/30 3.00
3-1228S 9.0   7/1 14.00
3-1238T 4.3   8/4 7.00
3-139 H 0.00   4/18 0.00
3-153 R 0.00   7/10 2.00
3-160 B 14.6   8/15 15.80
3-172 L 0' (Clay Bottom)   7/9 0.50
3-185 H 5.9   8/18 est 7'
3-198 M 0.00   3/6 1.00
3-203 K 3.0   6/30 8.00
3-240 M 5.0   7/1 10.00
3-288 R 4.0   7/1 9.00
3-316 F 2.7   3/5 7.00
3-396 G 0.00   6/30 5.00
3-4615G 3.8   8/5 6.5
3-528 T 18.0   6/30 23.00
3-600 W 10.00      
3-975SF 3.7   6/30 8.50
4-108 D 0.00   7/2 0.00
4-127 M 0.00   6/30 0.00
4-137C4 0.00   6/30 0.50
4-14041 7.0   6/30 12.00
4-176 B 2.0   6/30 7.00
4-217 G 9.0   7/17 12.50
4-221 S 13.0   7/1 18.00
4-274 B 0.00      
4-292 F 0.00   4/18 0.00
4-305 S 0.00   7/2 3.00
4-312 L 0.00   7/2 0.00
4-315 E 2.0   7/14 6.00
4-403 C 7.0   7/2 12.00
4-430 T 2.0   6/30 7.00
4-435 K 2.0   6/30 6.80
4-5116P 0.00   7/1 1.00
4-928 L 0.00   7/10 2.50
4-940 A 2.9   4/23 10.00
5-1491B 22.0   7/10 26.00
5-908 P 0.00   6/30 1.50

* Lakes Keowee, Cherokee and Whitewater have not been effected by the drought therefore we have not routinely measured water levels at these docks. All can be expected to have good water for docking a boat and for swimming.

PLEASE NOTE: The water depth at Lake Hartwell varies significantly from house to house. The level at a nearby house or boat ramp is NOT indicative of the level at any given house.
"TODAY'S DEPTH at the DOCK" = "WATER DEPTH" - ("LAKE MSL on Date Measured"-"Current Lake Level ")

Q- How has the drought affected recreation on and around Lake Hartwell?    A- That depends

DOCKS: The drought in the Southeast has caused the level of Hartwell and other area lakes to drop significantly. Docks on Lake Hartwell are designed to be floating (as opposed to fixed in some other areas of the country). Most docks are also moveable and are able to be repositioned by their owners in response to significant changes in the water levels. Some docks that are normally in shallow water are unable to be moved enough to keep up with the current lower water levels and are now unusable for docking a boat. However, others are moveable to the point that they can remain useable even with severely lower lake levels. Docks in deep water areas generally remain useable for all normal recreation activities. For a list of dock levels we have recently measured see above. If a house you are interested in does not appear on this list, e-mail or call and we will have it measured.

 

WATER SPORTS: Lower lake levels mean three things:
1) There is less lake. Hartwell Lake has a shoreline of 960 miles and a surface area of 56,000 acres at full pool. A 10' drop in lake level reduces the surface area by an estimated 8% leaving a surface area of about 45,000 acres. This makes Hartwell still one of the largest recreation lakes in the nation and provides all the recreation opportunities that it does at full pool. In fact, the lower levels expose several miles of sandy beaches and create opportunities for walking and exploring the shoreline. Above is a current image from a web-cam located across from the Poplar Springs area. The image updates every 10 minutes during daylight hours.

2) There are additional hazards. True, lower levels expose more stumps and rocks. The lower levels also cause hazards that were just below the surface at full pool to now stand out. The channels on Lake Hartwell are well marked. Using safe boating practices and staying between the channel markers is recommended in any situation with which you are unfamiliar. Lower lake levels make this especially important

3) Some boat ramps and swim areas are closed. Follow this link to a Corps listing of major open and closed ramps.

 

FISHING: The fishing can actually improve with lower lake levels. Same number of fish, less lake to be in.

 

AREA RECREATION: Among the recreation opportunities in The Mountain Lakes Region of Georgia and South Carolina are over 2 million acres of National Forest lands and hundreds of miles of hiking trails, mountain trout streams, dozens of waterfalls, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, mountain biking, scenic drives, bicycling, gem mining, mountain vistas, historic sites, festivals and special events, music venues, sports venues, dozens of beautiful picnic areas,  unique area craft markets and factory outlets as well as the largest flea markets in the Southeastern United States, and more. These are available regardless of lake levels.

 
Click Here for Lake Level, Dock Usability and our DEEP WATER GUARANTEE
PLEASE NOTE: Unless otherwise specified all the homes we represent have the following features: Lake Front, Private Dock, Washer/Dryer, Central Heat & Air Conditioning, TV, Grill, Microwave, Phone. Smoking is not permitted inside any of the houses and pets are not permitted on the premises except in certain houses and then only if specifically approved by Mountain Lakes. All homes are privately owned and used frequently by the owner, they are fully furnished and well equipped. Homes are rented primarily for summer family vacations but are available at any time of the year.
PRICES: Sales & Accommodations Taxes of 7% -11% and a Reservation/Cleaning fee of $55 - $175 will be added.
 Prices are generally shown for full weeks only but weekends may be available for any house, call or e-mail for price.
CONTACT US 800-610-0020 Payment Options On-line reservations

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