The Lakes

...with more than 1200 acres of standing timber, endless miles of rip-rap, a mind boggling amount of bass-holding deep-water structure, an abundance of productive and shallow water cover, several consistent creeks and aquatic vegetation, it has something to suit the favorite fishing style of every visitor.
-- Bassmaster Magazine

Lake Oconee and Lake Sinclair cover over 36,000 acres and are the lifeblood of the Georgia Lake Country. Being identified in sports magazines as one of America's 20 hottest bass lakes, with 34 pounds of large mouth bass per acre, Lake Oconee has brought anglers from all corners of the nation.

Lake Sinclair

Near the center of the state, Lake Sinclair has provided both electricity and recreation since its creation in 1953. With over 417 miles of scenic shoreline and a surface area of 15,330 acres, it is among Georgia's most popular boating areas, and is the site of several national and local fishing tournaments. Georgia Power provides an outstanding tailrace fishing area below the dam near Milledgeville.

The lake's newest recreation area is Rocky Creek Park (912 453-0022), a day-use facility that includes picnic tables, grills, boat ramp, and a small beach. There are no camping areas available at this facility.

Lake Oconee

Built in 1979, Lake Oconee is fed from the Oconee River, the Appalachee River, and several major creeks, and covers parts of three counties: Morgan, Greene, and Putnam. Located just above Lake Sinclair near Eatonton, Wallace Dam is the newest and largest hydroelectric plant in the Central Georgia Hydro Group, as well as in the Georgia Power Company. When completed in 1980, its 321,300-kilowatt capacity nearly doubled the total output of the Company’s hydro generating system.

Construction of the dam began in 1971 and was completed in 1980. The plant is named for the late Cyrus M. Wallace, a former executive vice president and director of the Georgia Power Company. The gravity-concrete dam - 120 feet high and 2,395 feet long - impounds Lake Oconee, an ancient Creek Indian name meaning “great waters”. It marked the first time in the history of the modern Georgia Power Company that a reservoir was named after the water it impounds. With 18,971 acres of water surface and 374 miles of shoreline, Lake Oconee is second in size only to Georgia’s Lake Sidney Lanier.

If fishing is your passion, look no further than Lake Oconee. The lake is stocked with largemouth bass, white bass, blue gill sunfish, redear sunfish, black crappie, white catfish, and channel catfish. There are 50 five-acre fish plots where timber is topped ten feet below the lake’s pool level. Some of the plots are marked by buoys; others are left for fishermen to discover. Other wildlife enhancement in the Lake Oconee development includes a waterfowl management area which provides sanctuary for rare species of birds such as the American bald eagle. It is managed by the State Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with Georgia Power.

Fishing in Georgia requires a fishing license. Licenses can be purchased at some sporting goods stores, convenience stores, marinas and county courthouses. For a complete fishing report, visit Doug Nehm’s Fishing Report.

In additional to fishing, Georgia Power has built and staffs three 85-acre parks on Lake Oconee, offering boating facilities and full-service camp grounds, as well as day-use picnic areas, equipped playgrounds, boat ramps, and a beach including a beach house with bathrooms and dressing area. The parks are Lawrence Shoals (706-485-5494), Old Salem (706-467-2850), and Park’s Ferry (706-453-4308). All are open to the public.