Clarks Hill Lake, near the border of South Carolina and Georgia, was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upon the completion of the J. Strom Thurmond Dam in 1952. It is the third-largest man-made artificial lake east of the Mississippi River. It is a very popular destination as far as recreation lakes go, and can get very crowded on holidays. It is a wonderful fishing lake and is especially know for a variety of bass species.