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Richard B Russell Lake

Elberton, Georgia — Elbert County.

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24,607Surface acres (whole lake)
22Public access sites
2.4 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID {E063B962-D56C-4AD2-B6EC-1F51FB638F05}); shared with South Carolina, acreage is the whole lake.

Location & fast facts

Where Richard B Russell Lake is in Georgia

The red circle marks Richard B Russell Lake.

Fast facts

About Richard B Russell Lake

  • County: Elbert
  • Nearest city: Elberton (about 1.8 mi from the lake)
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Shared with: South Carolina. The surface acreage shown is the whole lake; about 50% of the mapped water is in Georgia.
  • Distance: about 274 mi from Tallahassee and 274 mi from Jacksonville, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline (Georgia: incorporated places touching the lake, otherwise the nearest one).

Fishing in Georgia

Official Georgia DNR pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 22 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Walking. 2.4 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 1 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.

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.

Lake map

Richard B Russell Lake shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Beaverdam Marina (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Boat ramp (Boat launch)4Boat ramp (Boat launch)5Boat ramp (Boat launch)6Boat ramp (Boat launch)7Boat ramp (Boat launch)8Boat ramp (Boat launch)9Boat ramp (Boat launch)10Boat ramp (Boat launch)11Calhoun Falls State Park Marina (Boat launch)12Coldwater Creek (Boat launch)13Dry Fork Creek (Boat launch)14Elbert County Park (Boat launch)15Middleton (Boat launch)16Pearl Mill (Boat launch)17Richard B. Russell SP (Boat launch)18Richard B. Russell SP (Boat launch)19Richard B. Russell SP - Coldwater Ramp (Boat launch)20Richard B. Russell SP - Olympic Rowing Drive (Boat launch)21Shuck Pen Eddy (Boat launch)221 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Beaverdam Marina
    Boat launch · Elberton
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  4. 4Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  5. 5Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  6. 6Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  7. 7Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  8. 8Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  9. 9Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  10. 10Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  11. 11Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  12. 12Calhoun Falls State Park Marina
    Boat launch · Elberton
  13. 13Coldwater Creek
    Boat launch · Elberton
  14. 14Dry Fork Creek
    Boat launch · Elberton
  15. 15Elbert County Park
    Boat launch · Elberton
  16. 16Middleton
    Boat launch · Elberton
  17. 17Pearl Mill
    Boat launch · Elberton
  18. 18Richard B. Russell SP
    Boat launch · Elberton
  19. 19Richard B. Russell SP
    Boat launch · Elberton
  20. 20Richard B. Russell SP - Coldwater Ramp
    Boat launch · Elberton
  21. 21Richard B. Russell SP - Olympic Rowing Drive
    Boat launch · Elberton
  22. 22Shuck Pen Eddy
    Boat launch · Elberton

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID {E063B962-D56C-4AD2-B6EC-1F51FB638F05}), 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.

Shoreline trails

2.4 miTrail within 100 m of shore
Under 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
West shoreWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 2.4 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Richard B Russell Lake shoreline, mostly along the west shore.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Richard B. Russell SP - Olympic Rowing Drive, 500 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.

Campgrounds near Richard B Russell Lake

We found 1 campground and RV park within 15 miles of Richard B Russell Lake. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

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.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (34.1910, -82.7595). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Richard B Russell Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Richard B Russell Lake

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    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.

    Boat launches & access sites

    22 public access sites listed, 22 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Beaverdam MarinaElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating34.0713, -82.6969
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.1831, -82.7022
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.0961, -82.6105
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.2137, -82.7404
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.0588, -82.5977
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.0644, -82.6141
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.1017, -82.6174
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.1214, -82.6148
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.1903, -82.6300
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.2099, -82.6318
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating34.1617, -82.7135
    Calhoun Falls State Park MarinaElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating34.1004, -82.6183
    Coldwater CreekElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating34.2152, -82.8013
    Dry Fork CreekElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating34.1374, -82.7173
    Elbert County ParkElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating34.0670, -82.6485
    MiddletonElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating34.1069, -82.7584
    Pearl MillElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating34.0935, -82.7284
    Richard B. Russell SPElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating34.1653, -82.7488
    Richard B. Russell SPElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating34.1756, -82.7364
    Richard B. Russell SP - Coldwater RampElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating34.1848, -82.7526
    Richard B. Russell SP - Olympic Rowing DriveElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating34.1511, -82.7330
    Shuck Pen EddyElberton—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating34.0328, -82.6231

    Georgia DNR WRD water access points and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Richard B Russell Lake

    How big is Richard B Russell Lake?

    Richard B Russell Lake covers about 24,607 acres in Elberton, Georgia (Elbert County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Richard B Russell Lake?

    Yes. 22 public trailer launches are listed: Beaverdam Marina, Coldwater Creek and Dry Fork Creek. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Richard B Russell Lake?

    Yes. We list 1 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles.

    What towns are on Richard B Russell Lake?

    Richard B Russell Lake touches Elberton in Elbert County, Georgia.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Richard B Russell 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).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Georgia lakes & ponds · All waters in Elberton