The championship golf course, a stunning lodge and resort, great dining options, and unmatched access to Georgia Veterans State Park and the SAM Shortline are all reasons to visit Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club on their own. But for me, living the lake life for a spell is all I need to bring me to the shores of one of the most distinctive lakes in the Southeast.

Lake Blackshear is roughly 97 miles of shoreline and 8,500 acres of stunning scenery and wildlife I haven’t been able to find anywhere else in Georgia. Named after Gen. David Blackshear, a Revolutionary War general, Lake Blackshear was built from 1925 to 1930. Those five years saw the completion of the Crisp County Power Dam, also called Warwick Dam, which became the first county owned, built, and operated hydroelectric dam in the U.S. The Crisp County Power Commission still operates the dam today and over the past 70 years it has provided affordable electricity to residents and businesses of Crisp County. The lake also serves as a haven for recreation and wildlife.

I’m an angler, so I salivate when I see the cypress trees emerging from the water’s surface along the shores, creating a beautifully distinctive landscape that is the perfect habitat for lunker bass, and schools of crappie. When the dam was built, little effort was put into clearing the area the lake would cover. While many trees died and decomposed under the surface, there are still many cypress trees thriving in the conditions. The trees provide excellent structure for fish sought after by fishermen everywhere, and the results are easy to see. The largemouth bass record in the lake according to Georgia Outdoor News is 11 lbs., 7.84 oz. The striper record is more than 35 lbs., and the crappie record is nearly 4 lbs. I didn’t catch anything that big, but a morning on the lake produced several largemouth heavier than 3 lbs. It was a good day of fishing.

Elsewhere on the lake, my family and I enjoyed the deep water and open spaces for waterskiing, wakeboarding, or just taking it easy on the pontoon available for rent at The Marina at Lake Blackshear Resort. There truly is nothing like a day hanging out with family and friends on the lake.

If I could have fished the entire trip, I would have been happy. My wife and children had other plans, and they turned out to be a lot of fun too. We explored Georgia Veterans State Park. The Military Museum is a can’t-miss destination with exhibits about the history of Georgia’s veterans and their contributions to our state and our country. My favorite part was the collection of military vehicles and planes including a B-29A Superfortress, jets, a helicopter, tanks, landing craft, and artillery.

I was most intrigued by the personal touch of the museum. Each artifact at the museum is personally donated and each was used during an American conflict. They include items from the Civil War to the Gulf War. A covered wagon used in the movie Fort Apache, starring John Wayne, is also on display. The Civil War-era canon at the museum required a team of 11 men with horses to move and fire it.

Our stay was short, so we didn’t get to ride the SAM Shortline this time, but we will most certainly be back. Next time a round of golf, a ride on the SAM Shortline and a lot more fishing is on the itinerary.

There is so much more at Georgia Veterans State Park and at Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club, we need a full week to experience it all. If you’re looking for a taste of the lake life, take my word for it, Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club is the place to find it.

Book your next family vacation on the lake by visiting the website or calling 229-276-1004. Reserve your pontoon boat rental ahead of your arrival by calling The Marina at 229-273-7747.