Lake Secession

Lake Secession is a 1,450-acre reservoir located in Abbeville County, South Carolina on the Rocky River, a tributary within the Savannah River basin. Completed in 1940, the lake was formed by the construction of Lake Secession Dam as a Works Progress Administration project for the City of Abbeville. The reservoir extends roughly six miles along the Rocky River and occupies a transitional position downstream of Broadway Lake and upstream of the backwaters of Lake Richard B. Russell.

The shoreline follows the river’s original course and is narrow and irregular, with wooded banks, shallow flats, and winding channels common throughout much of the lake. Submerged timber, old river bends, and limited open-water expanses give Lake Secession a distinctly riverine character. Its relatively shallow profile and elongated shape reflect its origins as an early hydroelectric impoundment rather than a broad flood-control reservoir.

Lake Secession supports a fertile warmwater fishery with well-established populations of largemouth bass, black crappie, catfish, and bream. The lake is owned and operated by the City of Abbeville, which manages it as a FERC-licensed hydroelectric project and maintains long-term stewardship of the lake’s water, shoreline, and aquatic resources.