| Carters Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Blue Ridge Mountains, Gilmer / Murray counties, Georgia, USA |
| Lake type | natural lake, reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Coosawattee River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,200 acres (13 km2) |
| Max. depth | 547 feet |
| Shore length1 | 62 miles |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Carters Lake is classified as one of Georgia's great lakes. Carters Lake is the deepest lake in Georgia and one of the biggest lakes in the state of Georgia. This lake is located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in both Gilmer and Murray County. It was named after Farrish Carter who lived in the 19th century. It has a surface area of 3,200 acres (13 km2) and has 62 miles (100 km) of shoreline. Carters Lake is also more than 450 feet (140 m) deep.[1] Carters Lake is owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers therefore, Carters Lake is a man made lake without private docks or houses along its natural shore.[1] This lake is fed by the Coosawattee River that runs between Ellijay and Chatsworth. Carters Lake's dam was completed in 1977. Since then, it has been used to act as a watershed to control annual flooding and generate power.[2] Carters Lake is also used for various forms of outdoor recreation such as fishing, water skiing, hiking, camping, and mountain biking.[2]