Lake Hartwell
Hart County, Georgia55,950 acresView mapDirections
Georgia EPD publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Hartwell. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
- Public access
Lake Hartwell in Hart County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Surface area: 55950 acres.
Lake Hartwell is a 55,950-acre mesotrophic lake in Hart County, Georgia. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 25 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Hart County, Lake Hartwell ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Georgia EPD, last sampled 2025-10-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 56,000 acres, Lake Hartwell is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 25 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Lake Hartwell on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Lake Hartwell is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water13.5 ft of visibility
- Boat launch25 documented ramps
- Camping4 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water55,950 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Hartwell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Hartwell is safe to swim in today is a call for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Hartwell
These are the measurements Georgia EPD publishes for Lake Hartwell, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 13.5 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.9 µg/L. TSI 44.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 13.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 3.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 44 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Hartwell
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
55,950 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Georgia EPD
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Hartwell, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Big Oaks Recreation AreaPublic
- Carters FerryPublic
- Cleveland AccessPublic
- Duncan BranchPublic
- Elrod FerryPublic
- Gum BranchPublic
Showing 6 of 25 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Lake Hartwell
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Hartwell
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Hartwell in Hart County, Georgia — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Hartwell
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Hartwell → · more Georgia lake trips
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Fishing Lake Hartwell
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 13 years of monitoring (2013–2025).
Water clarity
Stable12 years
Phosphorus
Stable0 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.21 µg/L/yr13 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Hartwell is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hartwell Dam (completed 1962), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Savannah River; concrete-type dam, 204 ft tall and 17,852 ft long.
- Surface area
- 55,950 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,550,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,438,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,088 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Savannah District
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Other;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID GA01702 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Hartwell is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit GAR030601030201 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Hart County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Hartwell
Where is Lake Hartwell?
- Lake Hartwell is a lake in Hart County, Georgia. Its water-quality measurements are published by Georgia EPD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Hartwell?
- Lake Hartwell in Hart County, Georgia has water-quality measurements published by Georgia EPD, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 13.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.9 µg/L. Surface area: 55950 acres.
Is Lake Hartwell safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Hartwell is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Hartwell?
- Lake Hartwell has 25 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Big Oaks Recreation Area, Carters Ferry, Cleveland Access, Duncan Branch, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Hartwell?
- Lake Hartwell has 25 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Georgia's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Lake Hartwell?
- Lake Hartwell has 4 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Big Oaks, Watsadler, Crescent, Elrod Ferry. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Lake Hartwell across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Georgia's top lakes, each with its readings
Georgia's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
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Other Lakes in Georgia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Georgia
Where this data comes from
217 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division
21GAEPD_WQX217 samples · 2013–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles