Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carters Dam Corps of Engineers, Murray County | Dam / hazard | 34.61371, -84.67125 | The 445-ft earthen dam at the lake's west end - the highest east of the Mississippi. Pumped-storage generation moves the reregulation pool below it without warning. |
| 2 | USGS gauge - Carters Lake Roster gauge coordinate | USGS gauge | 34.61658, -84.67311 | Lake level and outflow for the Carters project. Check it before a pumped-storage day; the reregulation pool below the dam rises fast. |
| 3 | Dam Site COE, Murray County - paved ramp, fee | Access / boat ramp | 34.60684, -84.65715 | The ramp closest to the dam and the usual launch for the lower lake. Campground and day-use area on the same road. |
| 4 | Carters Lake Marina and Resort Private marina, Gilmer County | Outfitter / canoe rental | 34.60245, -84.65063 | The lake's only marina - slips, fuel, boat and pontoon rental, cabins. The one place on Carters to hire a boat. |
| 5 | Woodring Branch Day Use Area COE, Gilmer County - paved ramp, fee | Access / boat ramp | 34.61021, -84.63555 | Mid-lake ramp and swim beach on the north shore, separate from the campground 900 m west. |
| 6 | Woodring Branch Camping Area COE campground, Gilmer County | Campsite | 34.61262, -84.64596 | Corps campground on the north shore with its own launch. Open seasonally; reservable. |
| 7 | Doll Mountain Day Use Area COE, Gilmer County - paved ramp, fee | Access / boat ramp | 34.61080, -84.61525 | Ramp on the Doll Mountain peninsula, the usual launch for the upper Coosawattee arm. |
| 8 | Doll Mountain Camping Area COE campground, Gilmer County | Campsite | 34.60932, -84.61816 | Corps campground beside the Doll Mountain ramp, 200 m from the day-use area. |
| 9 | Ridgeway COE, Gilmer County - paved ramp, fee | Access / boat ramp | 34.65055, -84.61031 | The northernmost ramp on the lake, on the Tails Creek arm. Mountain-bike trailhead at the same site. |
| 10 | Coosawattee - Carters Lake WMA COE / WMA - paved ramp, no fee | Access / boat ramp | 34.61026, -84.67930 | On the reregulation reservoir BELOW Carters Dam, not on the lake itself. The tailwater launch; water level here swings with generation. |
Gauge: USGS 02381400 — CARTERS LAKE NEAR CARTERS, GA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Walleye
Regulations: georgiawildlife.com/fishing-regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Woodring Branch: Corps ramp and campground on the north side.
Doll Mountain: Corps ramp, camping and access to the upper lake.
Ridgeway: day-use ramp with quick access to the main lake.
Damsite and the reregulation pool: bank access and a separate small fishery below.
Carters Lake Marina: the only marina on the lake, with fuel and rentals.
Coosawattee arm: the upper end, shallower and first to colour after rain.
Note: development is minimal, so nearly all access is through Corps recreation areas.
Winter: deep, clear and slow, with walleye beginning to move toward the upper end.
Spring: the best all-round fishing, spotted bass shallow and walleye catchable.
Summer: deep fish, very clear water, early starts and light line.
Fall: cooling water brings bait and bass back up onto the points.