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Georgia › Clay County › Georgetown-Quitman County › Walter F George Reservoir

Walter F George Reservoir

Georgetown-Quitman County · Fort Gaines, Georgia — Clay County.

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34,919Surface acres (whole lake)
12Public access sites
0.9 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 146922157); shared with Alabama, acreage is the whole lake.

Location & fast facts

Where Walter F George Reservoir is in Georgia

The red circle marks Walter F George Reservoir.

Fast facts

About Walter F George Reservoir

  • Counties: Clay, Quitman, Stewart
  • Cities & towns on the shore: Georgetown-Quitman County, Fort Gaines
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Shared with: Alabama. The surface acreage shown is the whole lake; about 60% of the mapped water is in Georgia.
  • Distance: about 111 mi from Tallahassee and 123 mi from Panama City, 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. 12 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Swimming. 1 public beach or swim spot on the map (details)
  • Walking. 0.9 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 7 campgrounds within 15 mi, 3 on the shore (list)

Watch for

  • Non-native/invasive species. Whorled hydrilla, Wandering hydrilla and Common water-hyacinth recorded. Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear.
  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • No lifeguard listed. None of our sources lists a staffed lifeguard. Swim at your own risk and watch children closely.

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

Walter F George Reservoir shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Cotton Hill Campground (campground)Bluff Creek Campground (campground)Pataula RV Park (campground)Boat ramp (Boat launch)1Boat ramp (Boat launch)2Boat ramp (Boat launch)3Cotton Hill Campground (Boat launch)4Cotton Hill Public Use (Boat launch)5Florence Marina SP (Boat launch)6George T. Bagby SP (Boat launch)7Lake Walter F. George WMA Cool Branch (Boat launch)8Pataula Creek Park (Boat launch)9River Bluff (Boat launch)10Rood Creek Landing (Boat launch)11Sandy Branch (Boat launch)12Swimming Beach (Beach)131 mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchBeachShoreline trail Campground
  1. 1Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  2. 2Boat ramp
    Boat launch
  3. 3Boat ramp
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  4. 4Cotton Hill Campground
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  5. 5Cotton Hill Public Use
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  6. 6Florence Marina SP
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  7. 7George T. Bagby SP
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  8. 8Lake Walter F. George WMA Cool Branch
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  9. 9Pataula Creek Park
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  10. 10River Bluff
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  11. 11Rood Creek Landing
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  12. 12Sandy Branch
    Boat launch · Georgetown-Quitman County
  13. 13Swimming Beach
    Beach

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 146922157), 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

0.9 miTrail within 100 m of shore
Under 5%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North and south shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 0.9 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Walter F George Reservoir shoreline, mostly along the north and south shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is River Bluff, 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 Walter F George Reservoir

We found 7 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Walter F George Reservoir, 4 of them within 5 miles. 3 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

1 more within 15 miles

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 (31.8757, -85.1221). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Walter F George Reservoir. 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 Walter F George Reservoir

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

    12 public access sites listed, 12 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating32.1358, -85.0611
    Boat ramp——Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating31.7488, -85.0554
    Boat rampGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp——Boating31.8064, -85.1231
    Cotton Hill CampgroundGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating31.6376, -85.0461
    Cotton Hill Public UseGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating31.6715, -85.0625
    Florence Marina SPGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating32.0879, -85.0433
    George T. Bagby SPGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating31.6676, -85.0568
    Lake Walter F. George WMA Cool BranchGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating31.8430, -85.1229
    Pataula Creek ParkGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating31.7335, -85.0810
    River BluffGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating31.8925, -85.1093
    Rood Creek LandingGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—FeeBoating32.0245, -85.0371
    Sandy BranchGeorgetown-Quitman County—Boat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating31.6931, -85.0854

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

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

    Public beaches

    On OpenStreetMap: 1 beach or swimming spot on the shore of Walter F George Reservoir not marked private, residents-only or members-only.

    BeachTypeAccessDirections
    Swimming BeachBeachAccess not tagged; check posted rulesGet directions

    Beaches: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), within about 150 m (500 ft) of the lake outline. A mapped beach is not a guarantee that swimming is allowed, supervised or safe; some town beaches need a resident sticker even when the map doesn't say so. Check posted rules and water-quality advisories before you swim.

    Non-native/invasive species

    Reported on or near Walter F George Reservoir

    Clean, Drain, Dry. Remove plants and mud, drain all water, and dry your boat, trailer and gear before moving to another water.

    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.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Walter F George Reservoir

    How big is Walter F George Reservoir?

    Walter F George Reservoir covers about 34,919 acres in Georgetown-Quitman County and Fort Gaines, Georgia (Clay County).

    Is there a public boat launch on Walter F George Reservoir?

    Yes. 12 public trailer launches are listed: Cotton Hill Campground, Cotton Hill Public Use and Florence Marina SP. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Can you swim in Walter F George Reservoir?

    OpenStreetMap shows 1 public beach or swimming spot on the shore. None of our sources lists a lifeguard, so swim at your own risk and follow posted rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Walter F George Reservoir?

    Yes. We list 7 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 4 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Walter F George Reservoir?

    Walter F George Reservoir touches Georgetown-Quitman County and Fort Gaines in Clay County, Quitman County and Stewart County, Georgia.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Walter F George Reservoir? 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 Georgetown-Quitman County