Lake Monticello is about 6 miles long and covers around 6,700 acres. It was created in 1978 as a pumped storage facility managed by South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) to provide cooling water for a single-unit nuclear reactor; its outflow goes directly into Parr Reservoir.
A few minor creeks feed the lake but the Broad River (Parr Reservoir) that runs parallel to the lake, is the main water source. Water is pumped from the Broad River into Lake Monticello and then back out frequently, and the lake levels can fluctuate by several feet in only a few hours.
A smaller 300-acre lake named Monticello Recreation Lake is located just upstream from Lake Monticello, divided by a dike at the northern end where SC 99 crosses the larger lake. No outboard motor use is allowed in that impoundment.
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