How Big and How Deep Is Lake Oconee? Acres, Depth and Size
Lake Oconee is about 120 feet deep at its deepest point and averages 21 feet deep, according to Georgia Power. It covers 19,050 acres, about 30 square miles, with 374 miles of shoreline and roughly 370,000 acre-feet of water.
Key facts: Lake Oconee size and depth
- Depth figures vary online: Wikipedia lists 102 feet without a source, while Georgia Power, which built and runs the lake, reports about 120 feet in its 2017 relicensing proposal.
- The deepest water follows the old Oconee and Apalachee river channels, while coves and creek arms run much shallower.
- It covers 19,050 acres, about 30 square miles, making it the second-largest lake entirely inside Georgia after Lake Lanier.
- The lake stretches about 39 river miles up the Oconee River from Wallace Dam, or about 23 miles in a straight line.
- On a normal day the water moves about 1.5 feet, between 433.5 and 435 feet, and there is no winter drawdown.
Lake Oconee Size and Depth at a Glance
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | About 120 feetGeorgia Power, 2017 |
| Average depth | 21 feetGeorgia Power, 2017 |
| Surface area | 19,050 acres (about 30 square miles) at full poolGeorgia Power, 2015 and 2017 |
| Shoreline | 374 milesGeorgia Power, 2015 and 2017 |
| Length | About 39 river miles up the Oconee River from Wallace DamGeorgia Power, 2017 |
| Water volume | About 370,000 acre-feet (120.5 billion gallons) at full poolGeorgia Power, 2017 |
| Full pool | 435 feet on Georgia Power’s plant datumGeorgia Power, 2017 |
| Normal daily range | 433.5 to 435 feet, about 1.5 feet a dayGeorgia Power, 2017 |
| Drought lows | 430.59 feet in 2007; about 5 feet below full pool in 2016Georgia Power, 2017 |
| Watershed above the dam | 1,830 square milesGeorgia Power, 2017 |
How Deep Is Lake Oconee?
Lake Oconee is about 120 feet deep at its deepest point and averages 21 feet, per Georgia Power’s 2017 relicensing proposal for Wallace Dam. Those are the figures Georgia Power, which built and runs the lake, reports to federal regulators.
The average tells you more about the lake than the maximum does. Lake Oconee filled a river valley, so the deep water follows the old Oconee and Apalachee river channels, while coves and creek arms run much shallower. The depth off any one dock can be very different from the depth a few hundred yards out.
How Big Is Lake Oconee?
Lake Oconee covers 19,050 acres at full pool, about 30 square miles, with 374 miles of shoreline. It’s the second-largest lake entirely inside Georgia, after Lake Lanier at about 38,000 acres, and bigger than Lake Sinclair, the 15,330-acre lake just downstream of Wallace Dam.
That size is spread out rather than open. Lake Oconee runs in long river arms and coves, which is how 19,050 acres comes with 374 miles of shoreline. That shoreline runs through Greene, Putnam and Morgan counties, with Hancock County touching only the southern tip at Wallace Dam.
How Long Is Lake Oconee?
Lake Oconee stretches about 39 river miles up the Oconee River from Wallace Dam, following the old river channel. In a straight line from the dam to the north end, it’s about 23 miles. The Apalachee River arm branches off to the northwest.
How Much Water Is in Lake Oconee?
Lake Oconee holds about 370,000 acre-feet of water at full pool, or 120.5 billion gallons, according to Georgia Power. It’s fed by a 1,830-square-mile watershed above Wallace Dam, about a third of the Oconee River basin.
Does the Depth of Lake Oconee Change?
Only a little on a normal day. Wallace Dam is a pumped-storage plant, so Lake Oconee moves between 433.5 and 435 feet, about 1.5 feet a day, and there’s no seasonal winter drawdown. From 1997 through 2016, the lake was below 433 feet only 5 percent of the time.
Droughts are the exception. In the 2007 drought, Lake Oconee fell to 430.59 feet, about 4.4 feet below full pool, and in 2016 it dropped about 5 feet. Its highest recorded level in that period was 435.99 feet.
In the dry fall of 2026, Lake Oconee fell to 433.1 feet on September 30, about 23 inches below full pool and its lowest daily reading since the 2016 drought, according to the daily levels posted by USLakes. Rain from a tropical depression in mid-October brought it back up to about 434.3 feet, and the late fall and winter rains usually do the rest.
Is There a Lake Oconee Depth Map?
Yes. The depth charts anglers use for Lake Oconee come from fishing electronics and apps, such as Humminbird LakeMaster, Garmin LakeVü and Navionics. Georgia Power’s online Lake Oconee Recreation, Fishing and Submerged Timber Map marks standing timber below the surface, along with the public boat ramps and fish plots.
Lake Oconee Depth Figures Vary Online
- 102 feet Wikipedia lists a maximum depth of 102 feet, without a source for it.
- “More than 100 feet” A rounded figure many local pages use.
- About 120 feet Georgia Power’s figure, from its 2017 relicensing proposal for Wallace Dam. This page uses it.
Acreage varies too: Wikipedia gives 19,071 and 19,971 acres in different places, while Georgia Power gives 19,050.
What Margie Tells Buyers About Water Depth
It may be a fact people search for online, but buyers rarely ask me how deep Lake Oconee is. They ask how deep the water is at the dock of the house they’re looking at, and on Lake Oconee that changes from one cove to the next, often from one neighbor to the next. That’s why I keep a stout tape measure in the console of my car at all times.
Sources
- Georgia Power, Preliminary Licensing Proposal, Wallace Dam Project, November 2017
- Georgia Power, Scoping Document 1, Wallace Dam Pumped Storage Project (FERC No. 2413), April 2015
- Georgia Power, Lake Oconee Recreation, Fishing and Submerged Timber Map
- Recreation.gov, Sawnee Campground, Lake Sidney Lanier (Lanier’s 38,000 acres)
- Wikipedia, Lake Oconee, checked October 2026
- USLakes, Oconee Lake daily water levels, 2007 to 2026
Frequently Asked Questions About Lake Oconee’s Size and Depth
How many square miles is Lake Oconee?
About 30 square miles. Georgia Power puts the surface area at 19,050 acres at full pool, and a square mile is 640 acres.
Is Lake Oconee bigger than Lake Sinclair?
Yes. Lake Oconee covers 19,050 acres and Lake Sinclair 15,330, per Georgia Power. The two lakes are connected through Wallace Dam, with Sinclair just downstream.
Is Lake Oconee bigger than Lake Lanier?
No. Lake Lanier covers about 38,000 acres, roughly twice the size of Lake Oconee. Lanier is the largest lake entirely in Georgia, and Lake Oconee is second.
What does “plant datum” mean for Lake Oconee’s water level?
It’s the elevation reference Georgia Power uses at Wallace Dam, set 0.2 feet below sea level. So Lake Oconee’s full pool of 435 feet on plant datum is about 435.2 feet above sea level.
How low does Lake Oconee get in a drought?
About 4 to 5 feet below full pool. In the 2007 drought it dropped to 430.59 feet, and in 2016 it fell about 5 feet, according to Georgia Power. On a normal day it stays within about 1.5 feet of full.
Shopping for Deep Water on Lake Oconee?
If the depth off the dock matters to you, and for most boaters it does, ask me about a specific house and I’ll tell you what the water is like there.
