Overview
Lake Yonah is a 325-acre reservoir on the Tugaloo River along the Georgia-South Carolina line in Habersham and Stephens counties, Georgia. It is the lowest of the six lakes in Georgia Power's Tallulah-Tugaloo hydroelectric chain, created when Yonah Dam was completed in 1925. The reservoir is owned by Georgia Power and operated for hydroelectric power generation.
Yonah is a small, deep, steep-sided lake receiving water from Lake Tugalo just upstream and discharging into the upper reaches of Lake Hartwell below. Its rugged, largely undeveloped forested shoreline and cool, clear water give it a wild character, and it is the least developed of the Georgia Power north-Georgia lakes.
The lake offers quiet fishing and paddling, with a fishery that includes largemouth and spotted bass, bream, and catfish. Fisheries are managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and a Georgia Power boat ramp provides public access; horsepower and use can be limited by the lake's small size and hydro operations.
Water levels on Lake Yonah are managed by Georgia Power around a full pond near 743 feet above mean sea level, and they can fluctuate with generation as water passes down the Tallulah-Tugaloo chain toward Lake Hartwell. Monitoring current lake levels is helpful for boating, fishing, and shoreline activities.
Current Conditions
Lake Yonah is currently 0.36 feet above full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.01 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.14 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 Yonah is a 325-acre reservoir on the Tugalo River managed by Georgia Power.