4 Chevrolet Models Worth Taking to Lake Murray from Winnsboro

If you’re hauling a boat from Winnsboro down to Lake Murray, the question that actually matters isn’t which model looks good sitting in the driveway. It’s whether the truck or SUV you choose can move your rig without straining, because the lake doesn’t adjust for brand loyalty or wishful thinking.

For most boats heading to Lake Murray, the 2026 Silverado 1500 is the right call, with up to 13,300 lbs of towing capacity when properly equipped. That said, three other Chevy models make a legitimate case depending on what you’re pulling and how many people are riding along. Here’s how we rank them for this specific trip.

How the Four Models Stack Up

The ranking below is built on one question: what does this model do on the run from Winnsboro to Lake Murray, with your actual boat, your actual family, and your actual gear?

Silverado 1500: The One That Handles Anything Murray Throws at You

Pontoon boats rigged for a full day on Lake Murray commonly run between 3,500 and 5,500 lbs on the trailer. Add a cooler, gear, and two adults in the cab, and you’re managing a serious load before you’ve even left Winnsboro. Chevrolet rates the 2026 Silverado 1500’s 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 at 11,500 lbs towing, and the 6.2L V8 or the 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel reach that 13,300 lb ceiling when properly equipped with the Max Trailering Package.

There’s an honest tradeoff here worth naming. If the only thing you ever pull is a small aluminum fishing rig, the Silverado is more truck than that job calls for, and you’ll notice it at the fuel pump. But the moment you upgrade to a pontoon, hook up a camper between lake runs, or need to haul equipment for work during the week, that extra capacity stops feeling like excess. It starts feeling like the right call.

Lake Murray has 11 public boat ramps spread across 650 miles of shoreline, per the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Some of those ramps are tight and get crowded on summer weekends. The Silverado’s trailer camera system (up to 15 views, including a see-through transparent trailer option) earns its keep on a busy ramp. We’ve watched that camera system save more than a few backing maneuvers from going sideways on a packed Saturday morning.

The drive from Winnsboro heads south on I-77, cuts through Columbia, and runs west on US-378 to the lake. It’s a highway run, not a backroads crawl. That means the Silverado’s highway stability under load is exactly what the trip needs. Fully boxed high-strength steel frame. Trailer Sway Control standard.

See Current Silverado Specials

Colorado: The Smarter Pick for the Solo Angler

The 2026 Colorado tops out at 7,700 lbs towing when equipped with the Advanced Trailering Package, per Chevrolet’s specifications. A bass boat and trailer typically lands in the 2,500 to 4,500 lb range. The math works, and it works comfortably.

Every Colorado trim runs the 2.7L TurboMax four-cylinder, producing 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. That torque number does more for you merging onto I-77 with a boat behind you than the horsepower figure does. It pulls cleanly and confidently for the fishing rigs Lake Murray anglers are actually using.

The case for the Colorado comes down to size. It’s a shorter, more maneuverable truck than the Silverado, and tight parking at a crowded marina on a Saturday in July is a real condition worth planning for. The Colorado navigates that without drama. It’s also a reasonable daily driver for someone who doesn’t need a full-size truck the other six days of the week.

Where the Colorado stops making sense is the pontoon scenario. At 3,500 lbs and up on the trailer, plus the wind resistance a flat-deck pontoon generates at highway speed, you’re eating into margin fast. Chevrolet doesn’t rate the Colorado for that job, and we don’t recommend pushing it there either.

Colorado vs. Tahoe: What the Rotation Slot Tells You

Before we get to the Tahoe, here’s a quick way to narrow the decision between these two:

• You fish alone or with one other person most trips: Colorado wins on size and value
• Your kids are always coming along and you need real rear-seat legroom: Tahoe wins
• You’re pulling under 4,000 lbs every time: either one works; pick based on passenger count
• You need to occasionally tow a heavier boat or a single-axle camper: Tahoe has the margin
• You want the lowest possible ownership footprint day-to-day: Colorado is the easier vehicle to park and drive

Tahoe: When the Family Comes and So Does the Boat

The 2026 Tahoe is the only full-size SUV on this list, and it earns its spot for a specific buyer: the family that wants eight seats, towing capacity, and cargo room without stepping into a pickup truck. Chevrolet rates the Tahoe at up to 8,400 lbs towing when equipped with the 5.3L V8 and Max Trailering Package.

That capacity handles most bass boats and smaller pontoons. It doesn’t handle the bigger pontoon rigs, a loaded dual-axle camper, or a heavy ski boat. Know that ceiling before you walk onto the lot, because it shapes which boats you can realistically pair with this vehicle.

What the Tahoe brings that neither truck on this list offers: three rows of real passenger seating plus up to 94.7 cubic feet of cargo space when the rear seats fold. A lake trip with four kids, a dog, coolers, and life jackets doesn’t leave you playing Tetris in the bed. You’ll actually fit everyone and their gear.

The I-77 run south from Winnsboro is where the Tahoe’s ride quality shows up in a way spec sheets don’t capture. It’s a comfortable, composed highway cruiser with the boat behind it.

Traverse: The Lake Day Vehicle for Families Who Aren’t Towing

The 2026 Traverse doesn’t compete on towing. Chevrolet rates it at up to 5,000 lbs, which covers a personal watercraft or a small utility trailer, but a real boat setup is a different conversation. Pushing the Traverse into that role isn’t worth it.

Where the Traverse earns its spot on this list is carrying people and gear. Three rows, up to 98.2 cubic feet of maximum cargo space with seats folded, and a comfortable ride for the 50-plus mile run from Winnsboro to Lake Murray. If your Lake Murray trip means renting a pontoon at the marina, meeting friends who already have the boat, or spending a day at Dreher Island State Park without a trailer attached, the Traverse fits that plan well.

It’s also the straightforward answer for buyers who want a family hauler that can tow a jet ski when the occasion calls for it. If you’re never actually pulling a trailer on these trips, spending up to the Silverado is money the trip didn’t require.