River Lake, Lake Oconee | Neighborhood Guide

River Lake describes a stretch of Lake Oconee surrounding a large cove due south of the Horseshoe Bend section of Reynolds Lake Oconee. The cove is bounded on land by a street of the same name — River Lake Dr. By water you could drive right by this cove and never know the large tract of homes it hides. “River Lake” covers more than one platted subdivision — Oconee Landing, River Lake Place, and River Lake Landing. Drive River Lake Drive from end to end and you pass through all three, ending at a fourth that belongs to the neighborhood next door.
If you ask most anyone with a home in this area where they live the answer is likely “River Lake.” But the plat names turn up in tax records, in listings and on paperwork, so it helps to know how they fit together.
This is also one of the more affordable ways onto Lake Oconee. Through parts of the community modular and mobile homes sit alongside site-built construction. Builds run from the late 1980s onward, and the protected cove is popular for swimming and watersports.

Quick Facts

County / city	Putnam County — Eatonton, GA 31024
Also recorded as	Oconee Landing, River Lake Place and River Lake Landing. Oconee Springs Crossing also appears on the tax assessor
Streets	River Lake Drive is the spine, with River Lake Court, River Lake Circle and River Place Court off it
Getting there	Three ways in: two off Long Shoals Road, and one through Riverbend off East Riverbend Drive. River Lake Drive connects them all
Time to grocery	About 20 minutes to the new Lake Oconee Publix, less without traffic. Milledgeville and the Kroger there are the other option
Gated	No
HOA	No mandatory HOA. A voluntary association, around $25 a year, covers access to the two community boat ramps
Boat ramps	Two community ramps, one on each side of the cove, plus the public Long Shoals ramp at the end of the road
Schools	Putnam County School System

Where River Lake Is on Lake Oconee

River Lake sits on the southern end of Lake Oconee in Putnam County. River Lake Drive wraps the whole of a large cove and then along the main lake before ending at Long Shoals. There are three ways in — two off Long Shoals Road and one through Riverbend off East Riverbend Drive — which is part of why the place is harder to picture than it should be.
It runs directly into Riverbend at one end and sits close to Long Island Forest at the other. For the wider picture of this shore, see the Lake Oconee homes in Eatonton guide.

How the Sections Sit on the Water

You can come into River Lake three different ways — two off Long Shoals Road and one through Riverbend — so describing it as a drive from one end does not help much. What does help is knowing which piece of water a house sits on.

The whole area organizes around one large cove, with River Lake Drive wrapping it and then continuing along the main lake.

Oconee Landing is the western side of the cove. Most of the homes on that shore fall under this plat. Not to be confused with the Oconee Landing in Greene County, which is a gated community on the White Plains side and a completely different place. One of the two community boat ramps is here.

River Lake Place is the eastern side of the cove. The second community ramp sits on this side, and River Place Court runs off the main road along here.

River Lake Landing is the main-lake stretch. Past the mouth of the cove, the houses front open water and a smaller alcove rather than protected water, out to where River Lake Drive meets Long Shoals Road. River Lake Court and River Lake Circle are in this stretch, and this is the section with its own entrance sign.

And the Riverbend end is not River Lake at all. The houses closest to East Riverbend Drive belong to Riverbend, recorded as Oconee Crossing — one of the five enclaves named on the Riverbend entrance sign. Some of these homes sit on River Lake Drive but they are part of the neighborhood next door.

That cove-versus-main-lake split matters more than any plat name. The cove is protected, quieter water. The main-lake stretch gets the open views and the boat traffic that comes with them.

Two Boat Ramps and a Voluntary Association

There are two community boat ramps in this cove, one in Oconee Landing and one in River Lake Place. They are covered by a voluntary association, the River Lake Bend Community Association, and the fee is small — around $25 a year for access.
It is voluntary rather than assessed, which means it is not a cost you inherit automatically and it is not something a closing attorney will flag. It also means access is not automatic.
On top of those two, River Lake Drive runs all the way out to the public boat ramp at Long Shoals, so there is a third way onto the water all within this same stretch of water.

Homes and What They Sell For

River Lake is one of the more affordable ways onto Lake Oconee, and the housing stock reflects that. Modular and mobile homes sit alongside site-built construction, and builds run from the late 1980s through to recent renovations. Some lots carry noticeably more shoreline than is typical elsewhere on the lake.
Most of what sells here lands well under $1 million, often nearer $500,000, though the main-lake stretch of River Lake Landing reaches higher. Inventory turns over slowly, so a buyer set on this cove should expect to wait rather than choose.
Water depth varies a great deal along this shoreline, more than in most places on the lake. Some docks here have genuinely deep water and some sit shallow enough to matter.

Frequently Asked Questions About River Lake

Where is River Lake on Lake Oconee?

River Lake is on the southern end of Lake Oconee in Putnam County, near Eatonton. River Lake Drive wraps a large cove and runs along the main lake, and there are three ways in — two off Long Shoals Road and one through Riverbend off East Riverbend Drive.

Why does River Lake have so many different names?

Because three separate platted subdivisions sit along one road, and a fourth belongs to the neighborhood next door. Oconee Landing covers the western side of the cove, River Lake Place the eastern side, and River Lake Landing the main-lake stretch beyond it. The houses nearest East Riverbend Drive are Riverbend’s Oconee Crossing enclave rather than River Lake. Oconee Springs Crossing also appears on the tax assessor. Locally, people just say River Lake.

Is this the same as Oconee Landing in Greene County?

No. There are two entirely separate places called Oconee Landing on Lake Oconee. The one here is a section of River Lake in Putnam County. The other is a gated community on the White Plains side in Greene County, with estate lots and a community dock. Same name, opposite ends of the lake.

Does River Lake have an HOA?

There is no mandatory HOA. A voluntary association, the River Lake Bend Community Association, charges around $25 a year for access to the two community boat ramps. Because it is voluntary, access is not automatic with the house, so ask about membership specifically.

Is there a boat ramp at River Lake?

There are two community ramps, one in the Oconee Landing section and one in River Lake Place, both covered by the voluntary association. River Lake Drive also runs to the public boat ramp at Long Shoals, which anyone can use.

What do homes at River Lake cost?

Most sales here land well under $1 million and often nearer $500,000, which makes it one of the more affordable ways onto the lake. The main-lake stretch known as River Lake Landing runs higher than the cove sections. For a figure on a specific property, get in touch.

What kinds of homes are at River Lake?

A genuine mix of modular, mobile and site-built homes, with builds from the late 1980s onward and a good number renovated since.

Interested in River Lake?

If an affordable way onto Lake Oconee with a protected cove and ramp access sounds like your spot, I can tell you which section a given house sits in, which side of the cove it faces, and whether the ramp membership comes with it. Get in touch.
Last updated September 2026.