Lake Oconee

Lake Oconee is fed from the Oconee River, the Appalachee River and several major creeks which are impounded by Wallace Dam. Located just above Lake Sinclair near Eatonton, the dam is the newest and by far the 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.

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.

Georgia Power has developed three 85-acre parks on its 19,050-acre Lake Oconee. Lawrence Shoals, Old Salem and Park's Ferry all have full-service campgrounds as well as day-use areas. Each has a large picnic pavilion that may be reserved for groups of 30 or more. In addition, these parks have day-use picnic areas, equipped playgrounds, boat ramps and a beach including a beach house with bathrooms and dressing area.

Lawrence Shoals, Old Salem, and Parks Ferry recreation areas each have eighty-five acre, full-service campgrounds and parks lie at different points surrounding Lake Oconee. Each one provides lake-side camping with sites featuring water hook-ups and electricity, as well as primitive tent sites. Additionally, each park has accommodations for day-use activities including boat ramps, picnic tables, picnic pavilions, swimming beaches, bathhouses, restrooms, and parking. Lawrence Shoals is located near Wallace Dam on the south part of the lake off of Georgia Highway 16. Old Salem is located about eight miles south of Interstate 20, off of Highway 44 and Linger Longer Road. The northernmost park is Parks Ferry, which is located off of Carey Station Road, convenient to Highway 44. Georgia Power also provides three other recreational areas with boat ramps and parking areas on Lake Oconee: Long Shoals, Armour Bridge Ramp, and Sugar Creek Ramp.

Lake Oconee is stocked with Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Blue Gill Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Black Crappie, White Catfish, and Channel Catfish. It has fifty (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 a 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.

Boating in Georgia

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