Lake Oconee Right Now
Lake Oconee's water level has been rising over the past week. Watershed conditions are in moderate drought. Today's forecast calls for sunny.
- 7-day level change
- Up 0.11 feet
- Forecast high
- 83°F
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Overview
Lake Oconee is a roughly 19,000-acre reservoir on the Oconee River in Greene, Morgan, and Putnam counties in central Georgia, near Greensboro and Eatonton. It was created in 1979 when Georgia Power completed Wallace Dam, and it is the state's second-largest lake. The reservoir is operated for hydroelectric generation, including pump-back operation with Lake Sinclair immediately downstream.
Oconee has about 374 miles of wooded shoreline, an average depth near 21 feet, and a maximum depth of roughly 102 feet, extending some 20 miles up the Oconee and Apalachee river arms. Its broad open water, timbered coves, and extensive residential and resort development make it a centerpiece of Georgia's "Lake Country," while contour breaks and creek channels create productive fish habitat.
The lake is a well-known fishing destination for largemouth bass, crappie, hybrid and striped bass, and catfish, with fisheries managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Georgia Power parks, boat ramps, marinas, and lakeside resorts and communities provide extensive public and private access.
Water levels on Lake Oconee are managed by Georgia Power around a normal full pool of 435 feet on the project's plant datum (about 436 feet above mean sea level). Because Wallace Dam pumps water back and forth between Oconee and Lake Sinclair for peaking power, the pool can fluctuate daily in addition to seasonal and rainfall-driven changes, so monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and dock access.
Lake Oconee is a 19,050-acre reservoir on the Oconee River and Apalachee River managed by Georgia Power.