Best Georgia lakes for ski boats?

[WaterBullDawg1980]

Wanted to throw this out there for the boaters familiar with our lakes here in Georgia.

Any personal preference?

I have always been on Lanier due to it being the closest to my home, (About 25 minutes East of downtown Atlanta) but am growing tired of the hurricane season type water conditions during summer months. My LSV bounces around like a 6 year old after eating a mess of chocolate and drinking a gallon of Coke.

I have been to Sinclair, Oconee and Hartwell and the water is generally smooth for even an 18 footer. The only drawback is they are each about an hour and fifteen minutes away while Lanier is only about 30 minutes away. Lanier is simply too hard to find a good spot to ski/wakeboard. To top it all off, there are a good many boaters on it that have not familiarized themsleves with simple boating rules and I spend too much of my time trying to avoid an accident.

Good parts about Lanier include the many different places you are able to pull up to a dock to fill up on gas and eat. Plus, when taking out friends its sometimes nice to have the ever famous "Cocktail Cove" to visit for an hour or so. Although, that can be another headache all by itself. And lastly, I believe Lake Lanier may take better care of its camping sites etc due it being the main tourist lake in Georgia due to its proximity to Atlanta.

Hartwell always seems to be nice and laid back which is more my style.

Haven't been on Sinclair or Oconee enough to know much about it. I have had one person tell me that Sinclair can be a bit dangerous and is not very clean. But this is pretty much the only person that has given me an opinion on it, so who knows. Also I should add that what I have seen of Sinclair was gorgeous, but only seen a very small part of the lake for one weekend.

I have wanted to check out Allatoona as I have heard it is a goregous lake.

Thoughts? Or feel free to chime in if your own lake is worth me packing it up and driving to visit!

[moombadaze]

Been to Lanier for vacation 3 seperate times for about 5 days each visit. Love the lake and camping areas. We had smooth water all the time except for one day. Now most times we were there was during the middle of the week and really didnt see other boaters out and about. Now I will say we were there on a saturday for the Atlanta Moomba Jamboree and that day it was rough! That was about the only time I wished I had a bigger boat. Kaneboats was with us in his boat (outback ls) and he took some water over the bow-Im sure he will give his take.

Been to Sinclair one time and really like that lake a lot. Water was smooth during the week and on the weekend it was not bad at all--would not want to ski a course thou. Didnt think sinclair was dirty by any means. Funny thing with that lake is the water level rises every evening and drops every morning about a foot. Wolfeman131 and Saltyoaster live on this lake and im sure they will give you there take on it also. Wish I had a place there.

Havent been to any other lakes in georgia but allways willing to try when time permits.

Dont forget there is going to be a minijam on sinclair july 10th---great fun and great people to meet. Not an official skierschoise event-just a bunch of crazy Moomba Maniacs/owners hanging out. Were coming up from florida and theres some comeing from as far away as Wisconsin.

[OrangeOutback20]

I liked Lake Burton the few times we been but it does get busy on holiday weekends. We usally end up down on jackson and I can almost always find some good water. Anything close to ATL like Lanier and Alltoona are always Packed. Oconee has a lot of submerged trees sinclair is pretty clean unless there has been heavy rain latly branches and brush get washed with the runoff. The same goes for jackson after heavy rain.

[WaterBullDawg1980]

Moombadaze:
You are right on about Lanier. During the week it is rarely that bad, but come holidays and weekends I feel the same way you do. It is literally the only times I wish I had a larger boat.

I need to get out to Sinclair come spring. It really isnt that bad of hike and I have a close buddy who has a home there and has always been pestering me to come out with him. I cannot recall what exactly is down there that makes the water level rise and fall like that, but I believe it is some powerplant or water treatment facility as I have passed right by it many times on my way to Savannah and Hilton Head. I have heard the fishing there is awesome as well. Something to do with changes in the water temp due to whatever facility is on the lake pumping warm water into it. Maybe I should put a trolling motor on the LSV and try it out.

I have already decided that the wife, babies and myself are going to the minijam. Cannot wait! Quick question on that. Is this an overnight thing? And if so, are you all planning to stay somewhere on the lake?

[wolfeman131]

Hey Dawg & Orange -

We must all live pretty closer to one another. I'm in the Grayson/Snellville area and my lake house is on the east side of Sinclair in the Island Creek area. We looked at lakes within 3 hrs of Atlanta and I loved Burton & Hiawassee, but you better have thick skin (colder mountain water) and big bucks to live on those lakes. Lanier & Hartwell were nice, but I had prior experience with Army Corp controlled lakes and didn't want to hassle with that again. I bet anyone on those lakes that didn't have a deep water dock during the drought would agree with me.

There are some sections of Sinclair that can get muddy and stay that way for a few days after heavy rains as it's a man-made lake fed by many small creeks and streams. Thankfully we had a great real estate agent who talked us into a little further drive for much better water. Sinclair is often cited as the cleanest lake in GA.

The water changes as GA Power pumps water back and forth between Sinclair and Occonee as well as letting it out of the Sinclair Dam. The fishing is fantastic and there is a lot of activity around the powerplant (no water treatment facility - that crap is in the Chattahoochee River).

We'll be around for the mini-Jam all weekend so you can plan an overnight or make it a day trip. Whatever works for you and the family. There are a few campgrounds around the lake, you can primitive camp on an island, rent a house or get a room at one of the local hotels. I'll post up some more info as we get closer or send me a PM.

[WaterBullDawg1980]

Yep. I could be right next door to you Wolfe and Orange. I live in Grayson. I bet all 3 of us are not 5 minutes from each other. We should have a Moomba convoy to Sinclair!

Good info on Sinclair. I will absolutely be making Sinclair this season. Hopefully will get to do some early morning fishing as well!

I may have to hit up a close friend of mine. They actually have 2 homes on Sinclair. One is named after their business. Tax reasons I am sure. You ever see a Malibu out there and it is probably him. I believe it is a red VLX.

Not sure if the wife would do the primitive campsite. May look into renting a house for a 3 day weekend.

Going to be goooood times!

[kaneboats]

Have to agree with Daze-- loved Lanier on a weekday but not on the weekend. Sinclair is beautiful and we really enjoyed it. Looking forward to doing it again.

[germa001]

A lot of people from the Atlanta area head to Alabama to do their boating. Our lake is full of Georgians. As a matter of fact our neighbors at the lake live 2 minutes from Lanier but bought their lake house in Alabama to get away from all the boat traffic. Personally I like Oconee also. You do have to watch out for submerged objects though.

[MOOMBA_97]

Lake Blackshear in Cordele is one of the best. Eufala is good too. That could go either GA or AL I guess.


Monty

[OrangeOutback20]

Yep. I could be right next door to you Wolfe and Orange. I live in Grayson. I bet all 3 of us are not 5 minutes from each other. We should have a Moomba convoy to Sinclair!

Good info on Sinclair. I will absolutely be making Sinclair this season. Hopefully will get to do some early morning fishing as well!

I may have to hit up a close friend of mine. They actually have 2 homes on Sinclair. One is named after their business. Tax reasons I am sure. You ever see a Malibu out there and it is probably him. I believe it is a red VLX.

Not sure if the wife would do the primitive campsite. May look into renting a house for a 3 day weekend.

Going to be goooood times!

I'm in Loganville so maybe 10 minuites away. With today being 65 I tried to get someone to go out but no takers.