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Information about Lake Sinclair
Located in the central region of Georgia, Lake Sinclair
was created in 1953. With approximately 417 miles of
scenic shoreline, winding coves and inlets as well as
several vast stretches of open water, Lake Sinclair
has plenty to offer for your recreation and boating
pleasure. The lake is made up of a 15,330-acre area
of water and provides both electricity and recreation.
Lake Sinclair also is among
Georgia's most popular boating areas.
Lake Sinclair is largely used by lake residents
and people who live and house their boats, watercraft
and RVs on the lake - thus access is as easy as lowering
their watercraft into the water. For day or weekend
visitors, Georgia Power provides two public boat ramps
for public access to water recreation. There are also
marinas and boat storage areas located on the lake.
There are other areas of access to the lake including
Oconee Springs Park and several "secret" public
access areas. Lake Sinclair is the site of several fishing
tournaments - both local and national - and attracts
fisherpersons of various skill levels and interest.
Visitors find fall and winter fishing at Lake Sinclair
a special treat due to the mild climate and activity.
There is also a popular fishing area below the dam near
Milledgeville.
Several recreation areas, such as Oconee Springs Park
and Rocky Creek Park, provide day-use facilities that
include picnic tables, grills, boat ramp and a small
beach. There is camping and even cabin rentals provided
at Oconee Springs Park, but not Rocky Creek Park.
Location
Located on the Oconee River,
Lake Sinclair stretches through the following counties:
Baldwin, Hancock and Putnam.
 History
Lake Sinclair was created in
1953 when the waters of the Oconee river were dammed
to create a 45,000 kilowatt hydroelectric generating
station. Development of this lake as a recreational
area began through a planned cooperative program. Participants
included the Oconee Area Planning and Development Commission,
the U.S. Forest Service, The Georgia Game and Fish
Commission, Georgia Power Company and several independent
businesses.
General
Lake
Sinclair is fed by several creeks and rivers, including
Beaver Dam, Crooked, Rooty, Sandy Run, Shoulder Bone,
Potato, Island, Rocky, Nancy Branch, and Reedy Branch.
The lake covers over 15,000 surface acres and has more than
400 miles of shoreline with a maximum depth of 90 feet.
In
1979 Lake Oconee was created with the completion of
Wallace Dam, which is a "pump back" reservoir
for Lake Sinclair. What this means is that the water
is pumped from Lake Sinclair into Lake Oconee, it's
dam-sharing lake. It is them released through Wallace
Dam back into Lake Sinclair - thus generating electricity.
It's quite fascinating to newcomers and you can tell
which stage of the operation the process is in by watching
the current on Lake Sinclair. Either stop your watercraft
and watch the shoreline, or if you are on shore, fix
your eye on a watercraft or object in the lake. It will
move in either direction depending on the stage of pumping/dam
operation.
Dam
The dams are approximately 105
feet high and 3,000 feet long
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