Lake Allatoona is a roughly 11,860-acre reservoir on the Etowah River in Bartow, Cherokee, and Cobb counties, just northwest of Atlanta. It was created in 1949 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Allatoona Dam, the first multipurpose reservoir project the Corps built in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa river basin. The lake is operated for flood risk management, hydroelectric power, water supply, navigation support, water quality, and recreation.

With about 270 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth near 145 feet at the dam, Allatoona is a relatively deep Piedmont lake framed by wooded ridges and rocky points. The reservoir extends some 28 miles up the Etowah River and holds seasonal storage, with the pool drawn down in winter for flood control. Standing timber lines, creek channels, humps, and riprap around the dam create abundant structure for fish and boaters alike.

As one of the most heavily visited Corps lakes in the nation, Allatoona draws millions of visitors a year for boating, camping, and fishing. It is well known for striped and hybrid bass, spotted and largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish, with fisheries managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Numerous public parks, campgrounds, marinas, and boat ramps ring the lake, and Red Top Mountain State Park anchors recreation on its eastern shore.

Water levels on Lake Allatoona are managed by the Corps of Engineers under a seasonal rule curve, with a summer full-pool target of 840 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), a winter pool near 823 feet, and a flood-control pool extending to 860 feet. Because the lake sits on a flashy Piedmont watershed above Atlanta, elevations can change quickly with rainfall and dam releases, so monitoring current lake levels is important for boating safety, fishing, and dock access throughout the year.

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