Overview
Lake Burton is a 2,775-acre reservoir on the Tallulah River in Rabun County, in the far northeastern corner of Georgia. It is the largest and highest of the six lakes in Georgia Power's Tallulah River hydroelectric chain, created when Burton Dam was completed in 1919. The lake is privately owned by Georgia Power but open to public use, and it is operated primarily for hydroelectric generation.
Noted for the clarity of its water, Burton has about 62 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth near 120 feet, with countless coves reaching back between steep, forested Blue Ridge ridges. As the headwater storage reservoir for the chain, it controls the flow of water down to Lake Seed and the lakes below, and much of its shoreline is leased residential land interspersed with Georgia Power and Forest Service property.
Burton is a popular lake for boating, swimming, and fishing, with a fishery that includes largemouth and spotted bass, trout, and yellow perch. Fisheries are managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and public access is available through Georgia Power boat ramps and the adjacent Moccasin Creek State Park on the lake's western shore.
Water levels on Lake Burton are managed by Georgia Power around a full pond near 1,866.5 feet above mean sea level. Georgia Power periodically draws the lake down in cooler months to allow shoreline and dock maintenance, and levels also respond to rainfall and generation demand down the Tallulah chain, so monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, dock access, and shoreline activities.
Current Conditions
Lake Burton is currently 2.13 feet below full pool and has remained relatively stable over the past seven days.
- 7-day trendStableLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.01 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.17 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Burton is a 2,775-acre reservoir on the Tallulah River managed by Georgia Power.