Lake Secession is a roughly 1,450-acre reservoir in Abbeville and Anderson counties in the upstate of South Carolina, formed in 1940 when the City of Abbeville dammed the Rocky River as a Works Progress Administration project. The City of Abbeville owns and operates the lake, and the Rocky River (Secession) Dam supplies a small hydroelectric station while providing recreation for the surrounding area.

Extending about six miles along the Rocky River with roughly 52 miles of wooded shoreline, Lake Secession is more river-like than open through much of its length, widening near the dam. Scenic coves, wooded banks, and rocky outcrops line the shoreline, and the lake is a fertile, eutrophic system that grows abundant fish. Water levels are known to fluctuate, and the reach below the dam is backwater from the Corps' Richard B. Russell project on the Savannah River.

Lake Secession is best known for an outstanding black crappie fishery, locally acclaimed as one of the upstate's finest, along with largemouth bass, catfish, and bream, plus a seasonal spring white bass run in the headwaters. Fisheries are managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), and public access is provided near the upper end of the lake.

Water levels on Lake Secession are managed by the City of Abbeville around a normal pool near 547 feet with a full level of about 548 feet above mean sea level, with scheduled monthly drawdown targets through the year. The lake flows on toward Lake Russell on the Savannah River. Because levels fluctuate with rainfall, drawdown schedules, and hydro operations, monitoring current lake levels is important for boating safety, fishing, and dock access.

Lake Secession Events