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Boating

Lake Blue Ridge boat ramps and marina

The short answer

Lake Blue Ridge has three Forest Service boat launches and one private marina. Lake Blue Ridge Recreation Area on the west side is free. Lakewood Landing on the north side needs a launch pass and is open sunrise to sunset. Morganton Point charges $5 to launch a trailer. Lake Blue Ridge Marina rents pontoons, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.

Last checked October 18, 2026

Marina boat slips and floating docks with pontoon and personal watercraft on green water, a white metal gangway railing in the foreground and a wooded hillside with one tall house behind under a hazy blue sky.
Photo: jwshaw, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lake Blue Ridge (TVA’s Blue Ridge Reservoir) in Fannin County, Georgia, has three public boat launches, all run by the U.S. Forest Service, plus one private marina that rents boats. The lake is open to motorboats and jet skis as well as canoes, kayaks and paddleboards (USFS). Fees and hours below are per each source, checked October 2026.

The three Forest Service launches

Launch Where Fee Hours and season Good to know
Lake Blue Ridge Recreation Area West side of the lake Free Open year-round No drinking water; day hikes
Lakewood Landing North side of the lake Launch pass (annual or day) Sunrise to sunset No camping; no swimming from the dock or ramp
Morganton Point 475 Lake Drive, Morganton $5 trailer launch Yearlong per USFS Campground, swim area, $5 day use per person 16+

Lake Blue Ridge Recreation Area (free)

This Forest Service site on the west side of the lake is free and open year-round. It offers motorized boating access and day hikes, and there is no potable water, so bring your own (USFS). We found no official coordinates for it, so it isn’t pinned on our lake map. Call the Forest Service’s Blue Ridge Ranger District, whose office is in Blairsville in Union County, at 706-745-6928 for directions (USFS).

Lakewood Landing (launch pass)

Lakewood Landing sits on the north side of the lake and is open from sunrise to sunset. Camping is not allowed (Recreation.gov). You need a launch pass. Annual passes are bought ahead of time on Recreation.gov, and day passes are bought on site with Recreation.gov’s scan-and-pay app. The listing we checked doesn’t print the price, so see it when you buy. Swimming from the dock and ramp is prohibited.

Morganton Point ($5 trailer launch)

Morganton Point Recreation Area, about a mile south of the town of Morganton, charges $5 to launch a boat trailer. Day use is $5 per person 16 and older (USFS). It is also the lake’s only developed campground and has its one designated swimming area. See our camping guide for sites and booking.

Lake Blue Ridge Marina (private)

Lake Blue Ridge Marina is a private operator at 335 Marina Dr. in Blue Ridge. It rents Bennington pontoons, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, sells fuel and supplies, and runs the Boat Dock Bar & Grill (Lake Blue Ridge Marina).

  • Pontoon terms. The renter must be 21 with a valid driver’s license. The marina allows at most 8 guests and provides life jackets for all ages (marina).
  • Posted rates. As posted in October 2026, a pontoon is $475 plus tax for a half day or $625 plus tax for a full day, plus a fuel surcharge and booking fee. A single kayak is $55 and a double is $75 for two hours (marina).
  • Hours. As posted in October 2026, the marina is open Thursday through Monday and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The office is open 9-4 and the fuel dock 9-5 (marina). Hours may change by season, so call (706) 632-2618 before you drive over.
  • Slips. As of October 2026 the marina keeps a waiting list for both covered and uncovered wet slips (marina).

Georgia boating rules on this lake

Lake Blue Ridge is Georgia water, so Georgia DNR’s boating laws apply. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1998, must complete an approved boater education course before running a motorized boat (GA DNR LE). Children under 12 may not operate a personal watercraft, and ages 12 to 15 may do so only after an approved course or with a competent adult aboard (GA DNR LE). Since July 1, 2023, wakeboarding and wakesurfing are banned within 200 feet of docks, moored boats and developed shoreline (GA DNR LE).

  • Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1998, who operates a motorized vessel on Georgia waters must first complete a DNR-approved boater education course. GA DNR LE
  • In Georgia, children under 12 may not operate a personal watercraft. Ages 12 to 15 may operate one only after passing an approved course or with a competent adult aboard. GA DNR LE
  • Personal watercraft may not be operated between sunset and sunrise, and every rider must wear a life jacket. GA DNR LE
  • Georgia law requires children under 13 to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket on any moving vessel, unless they are inside a fully enclosed cabin. GA DNR LE
  • Every vessel must carry a Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person on board. GA DNR LE
  • Georgia's 100-foot rule: boats and PWC must stay at idle speed within 100 feet of docks, piers, bridges, people in the water, moored or anchored boats, and shoreline next to homes, parks, beaches and swimming areas. GA DNR LE
  • Since July 1, 2023, wakeboarding and wakesurfing are banned within 200 feet of docks, moored boats and developed shorelines, and are not allowed between sunset and sunrise. GA DNR LE
  • Georgia's boating-under-the-influence limits are 0.08% blood alcohol for operators 21 and older and 0.02% for those under 21. GA DNR LE

The 100-foot idle rule matters most here, because much of the developed shore is lined with private docks. We don’t print creel or size limits for fish, or rental-age rules, because they change; check Georgia DNR’s current regulations before you go, and read our fishing guide for what’s biting.

Check the water level before you launch

TVA lowers the lake by about 22 feet between summer and winter in a normal year (TVA). A ramp that is easy in July can be a long way from the water in January. TVA posts the daily level, and our lake level guide explains the yearly curve.

Paddling below the dam

A TVA canoe and kayak launch below the dam opens the Toccoa River to nonmotorized boats, and the river becomes a Class I-II float when the dam is generating (TVA). If you hear the dam sirens or see the water rising fast, TVA says to get off the river to high ground immediately. Our Toccoa River guide has the details.

  • Boat ramp Not yet confirmed

    Toccoa River canoe and kayak launch below Blue Ridge Dam (TVA)

    TVA's launch below the dam gives nonmotorized boaters access to the Toccoa River, which becomes a Class I-II float when the dam is generating. The dam has a siren warning system: if you hear sirens or see rapidly rising water, get off the river to high ground.

    • Toccoa River below Blue Ridge Dam (Fannin County, Georgia)

    Source: Tennessee Valley Authority, checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Campground

    Morganton Point Recreation Area (USFS)

    The only developed campground on Lake Blue Ridge's shoreline, with tent and RV sites, walk-in tent sites, a swim beach, boat ramp, picnic area and showers. USFS lists it as open yearlong and reservation-only through Recreation.gov (same day to six months ahead). Fees differ between USFS ($30-$50/night) and Recreation.gov ($26-$50), so confirm at booking. Day use is $5 per person 16+, and the boat launch is $5.

    • Yearlong (USFS)
    • Camping $30-$50/night per USFS ($26-$50 per Recreation.gov); day use $5/person 16+; boat launch $5
    • 475 Lake Drive, Morganton, GA 30560 (Fannin County, Georgia)
    • 706-374-1645

    Source: USDA Forest Service; Recreation.gov, checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Boat ramp

    Lakewood Landing Boat Launch (USFS)

    A Forest Service boat launch on the north side of the lake, open sunrise to sunset with no camping. You need a launch pass: buy an annual pass in advance on Recreation.gov, or a day pass on site with the Recreation.gov scan-and-pay app. Swimming from the dock and ramp is prohibited.

    • Sunrise to sunset
    • Launch pass required (annual or day pass via Recreation.gov); amount not shown on page
    • North side of Lake Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge (Fannin County, Georgia)

    Source: Recreation.gov (USDA Forest Service), checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Boat ramp

    Lake Blue Ridge Recreation Area (USFS)

    A free, year-round Forest Service site on the west side of the lake, with motorized boating access and day hikes. There is no potable water. USFS lists bass, bream, catfish, perch and crappie in the lake.

    • Yearlong
    • No fee
    • West side of Lake Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge (Fannin County, Georgia)

    Source: USDA Forest Service, checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Marina

    Lake Blue Ridge Marina (private)

    A privately run full-service marina with Bennington pontoon rentals (renter must be 21; maximum 8 guests), canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals, a fuel dock, store, service, a boat showroom and the Boat Dock Bar & Grill. As posted in October 2026 it is open Thursday-Monday and closed Tuesday-Wednesday, and slips have a waiting list.

    • Posted Oct 2026: open Thu-Mon
    • Pontoon half day $475 + tax / full day $625 + tax (plus fuel surcharge & booking fee); single kayak $55 / double $75 per 2 hours
    • 335 Marina Dr., Blue Ridge, GA 30513 (Fannin County, Georgia)
    • (706) 632-2618

    Source: Lake Blue Ridge Marina (operator website), checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Campground

    Toccoa River – Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area (USFS)

    A small rustic Forest Service campground on the Toccoa River upstream of the lake, south of Blue Ridge off Aska Road. It is the take-out for the 13.8-mile Toccoa River Canoe Trail and sits at the lower end of the Toccoa Delayed Harvest trout section. There is one vault toilet and no running water or hookups.

    • $8 per night per site (Recreation.gov)
    • 7406 Old Dial Road, Blue Ridge, GA 30513 (Fannin County, Georgia)

    Source: Recreation.gov (USDA Forest Service), checked Oct 18, 2026

  • Campground

    Deep Hole Recreation Area (USFS)

    A small Forest Service campground on a big bend of the upper Toccoa River, upstream of the lake, offering camping, canoeing and fishing. Camping is $15 a night by reservation on Recreation.gov, and day use is $5 per vehicle. A Georgia fishing license and trout license are required.

    • Year round
    • Camping $15/site/night; day use $5/vehicle
    • Forest Service Road 654 off Georgia 60, north of Suches (Fannin County, Georgia per OSM)

    Source: USDA Forest Service, checked Oct 18, 2026

Questions people ask

Is there a free boat ramp on Lake Blue Ridge?

Yes. Lake Blue Ridge Recreation Area, a Forest Service site on the west side of the lake, is free and open year-round with motorized boating access. It has no potable water.

Source: USFS, checked Oct 18, 2026

Do you need a pass to launch at Lakewood Landing?

Yes. Lakewood Landing requires a launch pass: buy an annual pass in advance on Recreation.gov, or a day pass on site with Recreation.gov's scan-and-pay app. The launch is open sunrise to sunset.

Source: USFS / Recreation.gov, checked Oct 18, 2026

How much does it cost to launch a boat at Morganton Point?

The Forest Service charges $5 to launch a boat trailer at Morganton Point. Day use is $5 per person 16 and older (checked October 2026).

Source: USFS, checked Oct 18, 2026

Can you rent a pontoon boat on Lake Blue Ridge?

Yes, from Lake Blue Ridge Marina, a private operator. The renter must be 21 with a valid driver's license, the boat holds at most 8 guests, and life jackets are provided for all ages.

Source: Lake Blue Ridge Marina, checked Oct 18, 2026

Do I need a boating license to drive a boat on Lake Blue Ridge?

Georgia requires anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1998, to complete a DNR-approved boater education course before operating a motorized boat on Georgia waters.

Source: GA DNR LE, checked Oct 18, 2026

Are jet skis allowed on Lake Blue Ridge?

Yes. The Forest Service says the lake is open to motorboats and jet skis as well as nonmotorized craft. Georgia law bars personal watercraft between sunset and sunrise.

Source: USFS, checked Oct 18, 2026

Calm lake water in front of a densely forested shoreline with several covered boat docks, a green wooded ridge rising behind, and two hazy blue mountain summits under a grey-pink sky.
Photo: Thomson M, CC BY 3.0

Living on the lake

Thinking about a place on Lake Blue Ridge? Start with people who know North Georgia.

Gold Peach Realty is the North Georgia brokerage behind this guide. If a weekend on the lake has you thinking about a cabin, a lake house or a move to Fannin County, our agents will walk you through what is for sale and what owning near a TVA lake involves.

Visit Gold Peach Realty Call Gold Peach Realty (770) 283-1223

What should you know before buying on Lake Blue Ridge? · Selling a lake home?