US lakes & pondsUS lakes & pondsSurface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 136157939, 2 mapped parts); shared with South Carolina, acreage is the whole lake.
The red circle marks Hartwell Lake.
Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Georgia: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).
Official Georgia DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.
Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.
Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.
Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 136157939, plus 1 more mapped parts), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: Georgia DNR WRD water access points and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
OpenStreetMap shows about 9.3 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Hartwell Lake shoreline, mostly along the north and west shores.
No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Tugalo SP Campground, 350 ft from a shoreline trail (Georgia DNR water access data).
The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.
Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.
We found 6 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Hartwell Lake, 1 of them within 5 miles. 1 is right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.
Electric hookups · RVs welcome · Dogs allowed
All campgrounds & RV parks in Georgia
Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.
Campground data: Recreation.gov (RIDB) · OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.
Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (34.4936, -82.8468). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Hartwell Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.
Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.
36 public access sites listed, 35 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.
| Site | Town | Owner | Type | Parking | Fee | Uses | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Oaks Recreation Area | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3424, -82.8320 |
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 34.4836, -82.8769 |
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 34.4637, -83.0230 |
| Boat ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 34.3826, -82.9229 |
| Bruce Creek | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | No fee | Boating | 34.5582, -83.1351 |
| Carters Ferry | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4097, -82.8641 |
| Choestoea Boat Ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | No fee | Boating | 34.5431, -83.1020 |
| Cleveland Access | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3696, -82.9473 |
| Crawfords Ferry | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4617, -82.8765 |
| Double Springs Boat Ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | No fee | Boating | 34.4793, -82.8609 |
| Duncan Branch | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3785, -82.8701 |
| Elrod Ferry | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3614, -82.8617 |
| Franklin County Boat Ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | No fee | Boating | 34.4851, -83.0695 |
| Gum Branch | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | No fee | Boating | 34.3847, -82.8842 |
| Harbor Light Marina | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4824, -83.0347 |
| Hart SP Campground | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3792, -82.9160 |
| Hart SP Day Use | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3833, -82.9102 |
| Hartwell Marina | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3812, -82.9187 |
| Jenkins Ferry | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.5765, -83.1542 |
| Long Point Recreation Area | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3829, -82.8544 |
| Mary Ann Branch | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4746, -82.8885 |
| Milltown Campground | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4079, -82.8764 |
| New Prospect | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3978, -82.9149 |
| Payne Creek Campground | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4751, -82.9701 |
| Paynes Creek | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4716, -82.9616 |
| Poplar Springs | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.5207, -83.0904 |
| Powderbag Creek | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3692, -82.8790 |
| Reed Creek | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4704, -82.9339 |
| Rock Springs | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4669, -83.0114 |
| Spring Branch | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.5909, -83.1720 |
| Stephens County Park | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.6087, -83.2219 |
| Tabor Boat Ramp | — | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 34.5834, -83.1565 |
| Tugalo SP Campground | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4996, -83.0620 |
| Tugalo State Park | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.4990, -83.0744 |
| Watsadler Campground | Hartwell | — | Boat ramp · Yes ramp | — | Fee | Boating | 34.3443, -82.8395 |
| Harbor Light Marina South | Hartwell | — | Carry-in (hand launch) | — | — | Boating | 34.4746, -83.0254 |
Georgia DNR WRD water access points and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)
Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.
Reported on or near Hartwell Lake
USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database
USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.
Hartwell Lake covers about 33,596 acres in Hartwell, Georgia (Hart County).
Yes. 35 public trailer launches are listed: Big Oaks Recreation Area, Carters Ferry and Cleveland Access. Check posted fees and parking rules.
Yes. We list 6 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 1 of them within 5 miles.
Hartwell Lake touches Hartwell in Hart County, Stephens County and Franklin County, Georgia.
Know Hartwell Lake? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).
Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Georgia lakes & ponds · All waters in Hartwell