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In Georgia, Lake Hartwell is a reservoir used for time on and around the water. The water surface spans about 56,000 acres, making it a very large body of water. Fish documented in the area include Black Crappie, Green Sunfish, Bluegill, and Striped Bass. It reaches a maximum depth of roughly 185 feet at an elevation of about 660 feet. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, water readings, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Other waters in the region include Lake Hartwell and Lake Keowee. LakeRadar pulls readings from a mapped water gauge, so current water data is shown when the station reports. Current weather, wind, and activity conditions for Lake Hartwell are updated throughout the day.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 5:37 AM EDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Excellent (91/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (92/100).
How the score is calculated →Best good fishing window, averaging 86/100 across these hours. Wind 9 mph from the northeast. Dawn hours (06:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 68° | 67° | 67° | 67° | 67° | 69° | 70° | 72° | 74° | 74° | 75° | 76° | 75° | 75° | 74° | 72° | 72° | 71° | 71° | 69° | 68° | 67° | 66° | 65° |
| Wind (kts) | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Direction | NE | NE | NE | NE | NE | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | NE |
| Gusts (kts) | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 26 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 4% | 5% | 15% | 24% | 29% | 36% | 60% | 66% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 AM EDT | 68°F | 8 mph NE (45°) | 13 mph | 0% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 AM EDT | 67°F | 9 mph NE (45°) | 15 mph | 0% | 93% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 AM EDT | 67°F | 10 mph NE (45°) | 16 mph | 0% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 AM EDT | 67°F | 12 mph NE (45°) | 17 mph | 1% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 AM EDT | 67°F | 13 mph NE (45°) | 18 mph | 1% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 AM EDT | 69°F | 13 mph ENE (68°) | 20 mph | 1% | 89% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 AM EDT | 70°F | 14 mph ENE (68°) | 20 mph | 2% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 12 PM EDT | 72°F | 15 mph ENE (68°) | 21 mph | 2% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 1 PM EDT | 74°F | 15 mph ENE (68°) | 21 mph | 1% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 2 PM EDT | 74°F | 14 mph ENE (68°) | 20 mph | 1% | 88% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 3 PM EDT | 75°F | 14 mph ENE (68°) | 20 mph | 1% | 87% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 4 PM EDT | 76°F | 13 mph ENE (68°) | 20 mph | 1% | 85% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 5 PM EDT | 75°F | 12 mph ENE (68°) | 18 mph | 1% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 6 PM EDT | 75°F | 12 mph ENE (68°) | 20 mph | 1% | 86% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Fri, 7 PM EDT | 74°F | 13 mph ENE (68°) | 20 mph | 2% | 90% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 8 PM EDT | 72°F | 14 mph ENE (68°) | 21 mph | 2% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 9 PM EDT | 72°F | 15 mph ENE (68°) | 22 mph | 4% | 95% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 10 PM EDT | 71°F | 15 mph ENE (68°) | 22 mph | 5% | 91% | Cloudy |
| Fri, 11 PM EDT | 71°F | 16 mph ENE (68°) | 22 mph | 15% | 89% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 12 AM EDT | 69°F | 17 mph ENE (68°) | 23 mph | 24% | 88% | Slight Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 1 AM EDT | 68°F | 18 mph ENE (68°) | 25 mph | 29% | 94% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 2 AM EDT | 67°F | 18 mph ENE (68°) | 27 mph | 36% | 92% | Chance Rain Showers |
| Sat, 3 AM EDT | 66°F | 20 mph ENE (68°) | 28 mph | 60% | 92% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 4 AM EDT | 65°F | 21 mph NE (45°) | 30 mph | 66% | 93% | Rain Showers Likely |
| Sat, 5 AM EDT | 64°F | 21 mph NE (45°) | 30 mph | 68% | 95% | Rain Showers Likely |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 66° | 76° | 62° | 69° | 66° | 74° | 64° | 81° | 61° | 83° | 64° | 82° | 64° | 78° |
| Wind | NE 8 mph | ENE 9 to 15 mph | ENE 12 to 21 mph | ENE 24 mph | E 14 to 24 mph | S 14 mph | WSW 14 mph | W 8 to 12 mph | WNW 2 to 8 mph | W 5 mph | W 5 mph | N 1 to 5 mph | E 5 mph | E 6 mph |
| Gusts | 13 mph | 21 mph | 30 mph | 35 mph | 35 mph | 21 mph | 21 mph | 16 mph | 13 mph | 9 mph | 9 mph | 8 mph | 7 mph | 9 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 2% | 68% | 97% | 99% | 72% | 6% | 1% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 1% | 2% | 4% |
| Forecast |
Excellent for fishing (90/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the northeast. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (92/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the northeast. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for sailing (92/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the NE is in the preferred sailing range. No active official alerts for this lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (92/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 8 mph from the northeast. Gusts to 13 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of GA Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Lake Hartwell offers an inviting freshwater retreat in GA & SC, overseen by state and local natural resource agencies. Its waters provide ample room for watersports, pontoon cruising, and quiet morning paddle trips along sheltered bays. Staying updated on real-time streamflow and meteorological conditions ensures a smooth trip on the water.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Black Crappie, Green Sunfish, Bluegill, Striped Bass. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Lake Hartwell is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 5:37 AM EDT