Lake Wateree, located 30 miles northeast of Columbia, is the largest of the Catawba-Wateree lakes in South Carolina with 13,025 acres. It has 216 miles (348 km) of shoreline (including islands) and includes Lake Wateree State Recreation Area, a bird refuge, and Shaw Air Force Base Recreation center.

Lake Wateree was created in 1920 with the operation of Wateree Hydroelectric Station. The lake also provides a dependable water supply for Lugoff and Camden, South Carolina. Its name, like that of the river, recalls the now-extinct Wateree Native Americans, who lived in the area until dispossessed by European settlers.

Adjacent Waterways: upstream, Catawba River; downstream, Wateree River.