Carters Lake

Enjoy the Water and Mountains of Carters Lake

Tucked among the mountains of North Georgia, Carters Lake offers a variety of ways to spend time outdoors. Doll Mountain Campground & Recreation Area, Harris Branch Beach Recreation Area, Woodring Developed Campground, and Woodring Primitive Campground provide opportunities for camping, swimming, boating, paddling, fishing, picnicking, wildlife viewing, and relaxing along the lake.

Whether you are staying for a weekend, spending the day at the beach, or heading onto the water, the four recreation areas offer different ways to experience Carters Lake.

Camp at Doll Mountain

Doll Mountain Campground & Recreation Area offers developed camping in a wooded setting along the shores of Carters Lake.

Tent and RV campers can choose from a variety of campsite types, including wooded and waterfront locations. Campground amenities include picnic areas, hot showers, flush toilets, fire rings, tent pads, and a playground.

With easy access to the lake, Doll Mountain is a convenient base for visitors who want to combine camping with fishing, boating, paddling, swimming, and time by the water.

Campsites require reservations, and visitors should review their selected site’s equipment limits and amenities before arriving.

Stay at Woodring Developed Campground

Woodring Developed Campground offers another developed camping experience along Carters Lake.

Visitors can camp beneath the trees while enjoying access to swimming, fishing, boating, picnicking, and other lake recreation. Campground amenities include hot showers, flush toilets, picnic areas, fire rings, playgrounds, a swimming area, and a life jacket loaner station.

Woodring Developed is separate from Woodring Primitive Campground, so visitors should make sure they reserve and arrive at the campground that best matches their trip.

Try Primitive Camping at Woodring

Visitors looking for a simpler camping experience can stay at Woodring Primitive Campground.

The campground features 11 wooded, tent-only primitive campsites and provides a quieter setting for spending time outdoors near Carters Lake. Facilities are more limited than at Woodring Developed and do not include access to the more developed sites, so campers should arrive prepared with the supplies needed for their stay.

Woodring Primitive also provides access to short loop trails within the surrounding wooded area.
Spend the Day at Harris Branch Beach

Harris Branch Beach Recreation Area provides a seasonal day-use option for visitors who want to enjoy Carters Lake without staying overnight.

Spend the day swimming, picnicking, fishing, relaxing 

along the shoreline, or enjoying the surrounding natural setting. Restrooms, drinking water, picnic areas, and a designated swimming 

beach are available during the operating season.

There are no lifeguards on duty, so visitors should swim according to their abilities and supervise children closely around the water.

Overnight camping is not available at Harris Branch.

Go Swimming
Swimming is available at designated recreation areas around Carters Lake and is especially popular during the warmer months.

Harris Branch offers a designated swimming beach, while swimming opportunities are also available at developed campground recreation areas.

Lake conditions can change because of weather, storms, water levels, and boating activity. Visitors should use caution around changing depths and shoreline conditions, supervise children closely, and leave the water if thunder, lightning, high winds, or other unsafe conditions develop.

Get Out on the Water

Boating and paddling are popular ways to explore Carters Lake.

Visitors can bring boats, kayaks, canoes, or other permitted watercraft and use designated lake-access areas to explore the surrounding shoreline and open water.

Boaters and paddlers should wear appropriate life jackets, watch for changing weather, remain aware of other watercraft, and follow all applicable Georgia boating and water-safety regulations.

Before launching, check current weather and lake conditions and make sure your equipment is appropriate for the day’s conditions.
Go Fishing

Carters Lake offers a wide variety of fishing opportunities in more than 3,200 acres of deep, clear water. Anglers can target several popular species, including largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, striped, and hybrid bass, along with crappie, walleye, bream, and catfish. Georgia DNR also supports the fishery through an active stocking program.

Fishing access is available from several recreation areas around the lake. Shoreline access can be limited in some places because of the lake’s steep terrain, so many anglers use a boat to reach deeper water, coves, points, and other areas around the reservoir. Boat ramps are available at several Carters Lake recreation areas, including Doll Mountain and Woodring Branch.

Carters Lake is especially known for bass, hybrid striped bass, and walleye fishing. Conditions and productive locations change throughout the year as water temperature, weather, fish movement, and lake levels change, so anglers may want to review the current Georgia DNR fishing forecast before their trip. Georgia DNR updates its lake forecasts annually with information on species, techniques, access points, and other helpful information.

Anyone planning to fish should review current Georgia fishing license requirements, seasons, size and possession limits, and other regulations before arriving. Anglers using a boat should also wear an approved life jacket, remain alert for submerged stumps, logs, and rocks, and use caution around changing water depths and shoreline conditions.

Enjoy a Picnic by the Lake

Picnic areas throughout the Carters Lake recreation sites provide a place to take a break, share a meal, and enjoy the surrounding mountain and lake scenery.

Doll Mountain and Woodring Developed offer picnic areas within their campground settings, while Harris Branch provides day-use picnic opportunities near the lake and swimming area.
Visitors should keep picnic areas clean, secure food and trash, and leave shared spaces ready for the next group.

Make Time for Family Recreation

Several Carters Lake areas offer features that make it easy for families to spend more of the day outdoors.

Doll Mountain includes a playground, while Woodring Developed also offers playground areas along with swimming and other lake recreation.

Families can combine camping, picnicking, swimming, fishing, and time by the water into a longer stay without having to leave the recreation area for every activity. Children should always be supervised around the lake, campground roads, playgrounds, and other outdoor areas.

Look for Wildlife and Seasonal Scenery

The forests and shoreline surrounding Carters Lake provide habitat for birds, deer, reptiles, insects, and other wildlife.

Visitors can bring binoculars for casual bird watching, photograph the lake and surrounding mountains, or simply enjoy the changing scenery throughout the recreation season.

Wildlife should always be viewed from a safe distance. Never approach, feed, or disturb wild animals, and keep food and trash secured around campsites and picnic areas.

Join a Program or Seasonal Event

FIND Outdoors offers educational programs and special events at Carters Lake throughout the recreation season.

Depending on the date of your visit, programs may include wildlife activities, water and ecology programs, children’s activities, astronomy events, stewardship opportunities, or other hands-on experiences connected to Carters Lake and the surrounding environment.

Programming changes throughout the year, so visitors should review the current event calendar before arriving. Some programs may require advance registration or additional information.

Explore Beyond the Recreation Areas

Carters Lake can also serve as a starting point for exploring more of the surrounding North Georgia mountains.

Visitors can add nearby hiking opportunities, scenic drives, public recreation areas, and stops around Ellijay to a longer camping trip or day at the lake.

Road, trail, and recreation conditions can change, so visitors should check current information before leaving Carters Lake for another destination.

With three camping areas, a seasonal swimming beach, and access to a wide range of lake recreation, Carters Lake offers plenty of ways to build a visit around the outdoors. Spend the night beneath the trees, cool off in the lake, launch onto the water, cast a fishing line, share a picnic, or simply slow down and enjoy the North Georgia scenery.

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