Lake Rabun in Northeastern Georgia is part of a chain of six lakes created between 1913 and 1927 to supply hydroelectricity to the booming population of Atlanta. The lakes and their respective dams are managed by Georgia Power Company and still produce power today. The series of dams follow the original course of the Tallulah River, which was dammed to take advantage of the 1,200ft drop in elevation over 26 miles. Lake Rabun is the 3rd lake formed from these dams and is 100ft deep at it's deepest point. In this excursion we paddle the upper portion of Lake Rabun, which named by residents includes "The Narrows" (long narrow section before the Big Basin) and "The River" (upper most section where there is a current when the dam is running). These sections resemble a lazy river with it's winding, narrow water-path and steep rocky shoreline.
Today we started our paddle at the boat ramp in the Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area, which is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest. There is a very reasonable $5 fee to park and use the facilities, that include the boat ramp, beach, fishing pier and hiking trails.
I recommend considering packing lunch for either before or after your paddle, as there is a very nice picnic area at Rabun Beach with lakeside tables and charcoal grills.
For this trip I used our 2-person paddle board, which is needed to carry the weight of myself plus 2 large dogs. Make sure to bring a life jacket for each person and anything valuable (such as a Yeti Colster)! It is the law in Georgia to have a life jacket on any watercraft (motorized or non-motorized), and children 12 and under must be wearing their life jacket at all times.
Our paddle today will take us from Rabun Beach to Nacoochee Dam. We will put in and take out from the same point. Round trip to the dam and back is 2.4 miles and takes about 2 hours. To get started, take off to the right from the boat ramp and paddle past Rabun Beach.
I especially like this paddle because of how calm and tranquil this part of the lake is. From the boat ramp to the dam is a no wake zone the entire way, so any motorized boats should only be trolling past you. For this reason it very popular for non-motorized watercraft and fishermen. Spotted bass, largemouth bass, walleye and bream (Bluegill and Shellcracker) are some of the favorite fish species targeted by local anglers that can be found in Lake Rabun.
Soon you will come to some muddy, marshy islands where Freyja had a nice romp. If you paddle the left side you can often see fish in the crystal clear shallow waters. Please note the left side is too shallow for motorized boats.
Notice along the way the adorable boat houses that Lake Rabun is famous for. Almost no two are alike, and you will see countless colors and architectual styles. With 25 miles of shoreline, trolling along and looking at boat houses is a favorite past time for lake goers.
After the island the lake will continue to narrow. At this point, if Nacoochee Dam is running, you may encounter a current flowing against you. This is water being released from the above Seed Lake into Lake Rabun, creating electricity. The river current will become stronger the closer to the dam you get when running.
If the current is not too strong you can usually paddle all the way to the bridge, which marks the turnaround point of our journey today. At this point you can relax and ride the current back all the way to the island before having to paddle the rest of the way back to the boat ramp. If the current is not running you can go a little further underneath the bridge to the base of the dam. I wouldn't get too close though, in case it turns on (usually signaled by an alarm).
Don't have your own watercraft?
Reverse this trip starting near the bridge and rent paddle boards, kayaks or even a pontoon boat from Bear Gap Outfitters. They are dog friendly!
Freyja and Bella relaxing on a pontoon ride on Lake Rabun (Bleu's Predecessor)
FIND IT:
Bear Gap Outfitters (Boat rentals)
BLEU'S NEARBY RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS:
Max's Lakeside
Bleu Canoe
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