SC’s Lake Murray in the lead to be USA Today’s ‘Best Lake for Water Sports’
“The Jewel of South Carolina” is once again receiving recognition from outside the state.
Lake Murray was recently selected by an expert panel gathered by USA Today as one of the top 20 lakes for water sports in the U.S. The public can cast votes through June 3 at noon to help decide which one of those bodies of water will win the paper’s 2024 Readers’ Choice award as the “Best Lake for Water Sports.” As of May 14, Lake Murray sat atop the leaderboard.
Users are allowed to vote once per day through June 3, with the 10 winning lakes set to be announced June 12.
Lake Murray is the only lake in South Carolina to receive a nomination. Lake Norman in neighboring North Carolina was also nominated, as were lakes in California, Montana, Utah, Texas, New York, Vermont, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Alabama, Nevada, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Missouri and Minnesota.
Upstate South Carolina’s Lake Jocassee is nominated for “Best Lake for Swimming”.
The Readers’ Choice awards are presented annually by USA Today and offer national honors in categories covering food, lodging, destinations, travel gear, things to do and more.
Lake Murray has increasingly received national and international recognition in recent years, particularly for fishing.
Bassmaster magazine ranked it No. 4 on its 2023 list of the nation’s 100 Best Bass Lakes. That organization has increasingly made a habit of hosting high-profile fishing tournaments at the lake, such as last weekend’s Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite event. In 2022, Lake Murray became the first U.S. location to host the Black Bass World Championship.
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