Martin Oaks | Lake Oconee Neighborhood Guide, Eatonton GA

Martin Oaks is a lakefront neighborhood on the Putnam side, tucked behind Lakeview Estates, on three streets — Martin Oaks Boulevard, Shelby Drive and Tara Lane. No mandatory dues, a mid-lake position on big water, and minutes from the Publix on the Putnam side.

Quick Facts

County / city	Putnam County — Eatonton, GA 31024
Streets	Martin Oaks Boulevard, Shelby Drive and Tara Lane
Getting there	In through Lakeview Estates: Lakeview Estates Drive NE, then right onto Lakeview Estates Lane NE, which becomes Martin Oaks Boulevard
Time to grocery	Under 5 minutes to the new Publix in Putnam County
Gated	No
HOA	None. No mandatory dues
Schools	Putnam County School System

Where It Sits, and Why That Matters

You reach Martin Oaks by driving through Lakeview Estates. There is no separate approach. Bear that in mind before you go looking for it, and it is part of why the neighborhood stays quiet — nobody drives through Martin Oaks on the way to anywhere else.
The position on the water is the real asset. This is big water, mid-lake, on the Putnam side, with main lake views and morning sun off the water. Depth varies along any shoreline and lot by lot, so the only figure that matters is the one measured at the dock you are buying.

It backs onto Cuscowilla

Martin Oaks borders Cuscowilla, backing onto Eagles Rest. At the far end of the community there is an old entrance into the back side of Cuscowilla that is blocked off — barriers in place, clearly long closed. It has the look of something that served a purpose during construction at some point.
It is closed, and it is not an amenity or a shortcut. Nothing about living in Martin Oaks gives you access to Cuscowilla. If Cuscowilla matters to you, that runs through their membership, not through a back road. It is simply a feature of the ground that people notice and ask about.

And on land, you are behind the Publix

Like Lakeview Estates, Martin Oaks sits essentially behind the Publix on the Putnam side, close to Harmony Crossing. It is fairly described as being in the heart of Lake Oconee, in the middle of the shopping and dining district.
What you would never guess is any of that from inside the neighborhood. Drive in and you are on a wooded dead-end road with water at the end of it. Nothing about the place tells you a major commercial center sits just behind you. It is there when you want it and invisible when you do not.

That combination — a quiet position on good water with a grocery run measured in minutes rather than half an hour — is the argument for this neighborhood. The Putnam-side Publix is new, and having it this close is the kind of convenience buyers pay for.

By boat

From here it is roughly a ten minute boat ride to the Italian Chophouse and the Lakefront Pavilion — one destination with two moods, the Chophouse for a proper dinner indoors and the Pavilion outside for tying up and eating in whatever you were wearing on the water. The marinas, the Jumping Rock, the Sandbar and the Ritz-Carlton at Reynolds are all reachable by boat from this stretch.
Not a short hop, but an easy one on a summer evening.

A large parcel on the way in

A wooded waterfront tract of roughly 25 acres is being marketed for development as an independent senior living community of up to 237 units. It sits in Lakeview Estates, at the turn you take to reach Martin Oaks, and wraps the cove on that side.

Nothing is approved and nothing is built. Putnam County residents have been pushing the county toward tighter restrictions on developments of this size, so both the timeline and the eventual scale are open questions. Whether you are buying or selling here, it is worth finding out where it stands.

What Drives Value in Martin Oaks

Two different products sell here: early-1990s lakefront homes with private frontage, and recent off-water construction on larger interior lots. They do not trade in the same range, and they attract different buyers.
Green Park Homes have been the active builder in this corridor, with recent work in Carriage Cove and Oconee Heights as well. Their homes here run around 2,655 square feet on lots of roughly seven tenths of an acre, and the plans lean toward four bedrooms, three baths, a bonus room and a three-car garage with a bay sized for boat storage. There is further new construction underway, so this neighborhood is not finished.

Who Martin Oaks Suits

Buyers who want genuine deep water and a big-water position without a gate, a club or a monthly fee, and who value being minutes from the Publix rather than half an hour. The absence of mandatory dues is a real attraction for people who have had their fill of associations.
It suits you less well if you want amenities — there are none here, no pool, no ramp, no clubhouse. And if you want acreage, the lakefront lots here are modest.

Martin Oaks: Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Martin Oaks at Lake Oconee?

In Eatonton, Putnam County, on the mid-lake section of Lake Oconee. It is reached in through Lakeview Estates, taking Lakeview Estates Drive NE and turning right onto Lakeview Estates Lane NE, which becomes Martin Oaks Boulevard. It sits close to Harmony Crossing and the Publix on the Putnam side. The streets are Martin Oaks Boulevard, Shelby Drive and Tara Lane.

Does Martin Oaks have an HOA?

There are no mandatory association dues here and no board collecting them. Like every lakefront property on Lake Oconee, lots here carry recorded covenants, including Georgia Power’s own on the shoreline, so ask for those in writing during due diligence.

How deep is the water at Martin Oaks?

Depth varies along any shoreline, and it varies lot by lot here. The only figure that matters is the one measured at the dock you are buying, so have it checked on the specific property rather than relying on a neighborhood number.

What do homes in Martin Oaks sell for?

Martin Oaks has two distinct segments, lakefront homes with private frontage and recent off-water construction, and they sell in very different ranges. Within the lakefront group the frontage, dock and water depth move the number more than the house itself does, so a single neighborhood figure would be misleading. For a figure on a specific home, get in touch.

Is there new construction in Martin Oaks?

Yes. Green Park Homes built three homes here in late 2025 at around 2,655 square feet, and further construction is underway. These are off-water homes on larger level lots.

Is anything being built near Martin Oaks?

A wooded waterfront tract of roughly 25 acres in Lakeview Estates, at the turn into Martin Oaks, is being marketed for development as an independent senior living community of up to 237 units. It is not approved or under construction, and Putnam County residents have been pushing for tighter restrictions on developments of that size, so the outcome is not settled. Ask where it stands before you buy or sell here.

Is Martin Oaks fully built out?

No. Green Park Homes built three new homes here in late 2025 and has more under construction, and there is still undeveloped land on Martin Oaks Boulevard bordering Eagles Rest at Cuscowilla.
What that means for a buyer: there is still room here, and the interior of the neighborhood could change. That cuts both ways — opportunity if you want to build, and worth understanding if you are buying an existing home and assuming the view behind you is settled. Ask what is planned before you commit.

Is Martin Oaks gated?

No. It is not gated, though the only way in is through Lakeview Estates, which means there is no through traffic.

Thinking About Martin Oaks?

This is a neighborhood where the individual lot matters more than almost anywhere — wide variation in frontage and depth, and no amenities to even things out. What you are buying is the water in front of the house, and that changes from one address to the next.
If you are looking here, get in touch and I will tell you which lots have the depth and which do not.
You can also browse every community in the Lake Oconee neighborhood guides.