Lake Jocassee is a 7,500-acre reservoir in northwest South Carolina created in 1973 and ringed by 43,000 acres of forest. The lake's only public access is through Devils Fork State Park, which lies within the rugged Jocassee Gorges of steep rock walls and waterfalls. Four mountain streams and waterfalls feed the reservoir, keeping water unusually cool and clear for the region. Visibility often exceeds 15 feet and reaches 50 feet in places, attracting divers to explore submerged structures such as an old hotel and cemetery. The park recommends specific dive sites, and a local dive shop supplies gear.
Located in the northwest corner of the state, the 7,500-acre reservoir was built in 1973. Since then, it's maintained an untouched, wild quality that stems from the fact that it's surrounded by 43,000 acres of forest. Not to mention, the lake's only public access is through neighboring Devils Fork State Park. Devils Fork State Park sits within the Jocassee Gorges, an area filled with steep rock walls, valleys, and breathtaking waterfalls.
Before Duke Energy flooded the region to create the reservoir, the area was known as Jocassee Valley. To make the lake, the mountain rivers were redirected, covering up dozens of houses, camps, and towns. There's even an old hotel, Attakulla Lodge, standing at the bottom, reportedly still mostly intact. And if you've seen the 1972 movie "Deliverance," you may be familiar with Mount Carmel Cemetery,
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