Rock Island, Lake Oconee | Neighborhood Guide

Rock Island sits on a large point on the south side of Lake Oconee in Putnam County, near the Georgia Power Dam. Its homeowners association is also open to residents of Timberlake Cove nearby. See the rest of the lake’s communities on the Lake Oconee neighborhoods page. For the full picture of this stretch of the lake, see the Lake Oconee homes in Eatonton guide.

Rock Island Coves is really an umbrella for two separately platted sections, Rock Island Point and Rock Harbor, that function as a single subdivision in practice. The roads run through both — North and South Rock Island Drive, Rock Island Lane, Rock Springs Road, Lake Ridge Road, Harbor Drive, Harbor Court and Island Court. Streets throughout are more manicured, and signage is more custom, than what you will typically find on this side of the lake — a small detail that sets the tone for the whole subdivision.

The lakefront homesites of Rock Island sit on a large point jutting into the lake, with commanding views across one of the widest bodies of water on Lake Oconee. Those views are protected for good: the land directly across the water is the Oconee Wildlife Management Area, which cannot be developed. A few homes even look out around the spit toward Lawrence Shoals Campground and Wallace Dam, about 1.5 miles to the southeast. The campground takes its name from Lawrence Shoals, the rapids that started where Richland Creek came into the Oconee and ran down to the spot Georgia Power picked for Wallace Dam. The Lawrence family ran a grist mill there from the 1830s until about 1905. This is the upper end of the non-gated market on this side of the lake. Waterfront sales here since 2022 have run from the high $700,000s up to just under $1.9 million, with most of the recent activity between $1.4 and $1.7 million.

That ceiling looks likely to move. There are properties on the market here now asking around $2.5 million, and while nothing has closed at that level yet, I expect the larger lakefront estates to start hitting $2 million and above as more of them come to market. The protected view across the water is a good part of the reason.

Rock Island is an active subdivision with an HOA, established committees, and a voluntary $75-per-year membership. The HOA is also open to residents of Timberlake Cove. Full details, a member directory, and event information are available through the Rock Island Coves POA. The subdivision is also home to the Rock Harbor Nature Preserve, a network of trails that became part of the Southeastern Trust for Parks and Land in 2013 and is still maintained by neighborhood volunteers today.