Located just north of the Outlet Shoppes near Woodstock,
Olde Rope Mill Park is a city recreation area with lovely walking trails and immediate access to lake Allatoona. The park is well maintained with on-site
restrooms, picnic pavilion, and
free parking. During the Summer season, there is typically a kayak launch/floating doc from which to float your boat, though when I visited it was out of service. You'll also find many people fishing from the bank or bridge on most days. A kayaker's favorite, it is one of the few free and easily accessible put-ins and is sheltered from powered boat activity.
Water Levels for Olde Rope Mill Boating
The water level of Lake Allatoona is controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is lowered during the winter as the drainage area around the lake is relatively large compared to its total capacity. During this period before the spring rains, the trip from Olde Rope Mill may not be navigable and will be very muddy and shallow. I recommend checking the water level on
US Lakes or another government website to ensure the lake levels are high enough. On my visit, the lake was as 835ft and there was easily enough water to get to the lake proper without bottoming out. The creek approach to Toonigh Falls was barely navigable and became impassable about 200ft from the falls. I personally wouldn't try Olde Rope Mill at anything less than 830ft and even then you may still have to portage some sections.
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| Chart from my April 8th Trip |
Kayaking to Toonigh Falls
Directly ahead of the parking lot and to the left of the footbridge, the Kayak launch is a floating plastic doc that is usable once lake levels have reached the Summer Target of 840ft. Not to worry, there is a little beach to the right of the bridge (title picture) that is an easy stand-in if the main ramp is out of commission. The trip to the falls is a pretty straightforward 1.5 mile paddle (3 miles round trip) and will take you a leisurely 30-40 minutes. If you're an experienced paddler and maintain tempo, don't be surprised if you're there in 20 minutes instead. The creek mouth to the falls is a sharp right turn after the lake widens and can be easy to miss depending on water level. I initially blew past it and ended up closer to Blankets creek which is easily twice the distance. There is minimal current throughout the journey but there will be significant wind and chop on the broader lake parts if you continue past Toonigh. You should have cell service the whole journey, so don't be afraid to carefully check maps for your current location.
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| Toonigh Falls Voyage Map |
Fishing Allatoona
For fishing, you will need a valid Georgia Fishing License (I have the lifetime and think it was a great deal) or go on a free fishing day (usually a few per year). You can check the Georgia DNR page for the official fishing forecast and live update on conditions. Overall, the lake is healthy and most fish species are flourishing with the result that a number of long-standing records have been broken in the last few years. No pictures from this trip because I forgot my net, but next time!
Species:
- Largemouth Bass - stocked at 5-8in length, typically 12-16in range caught
- Alabama Bass - most abundant, historically 12in but growing due to increases in alewif and blueback herring which are good forage
- Hybrid Bass - stocked annually, very active in the summer, 16-18in typically. I caught two very small ones on my last trip.
- Striped Bass - limited, stocked but do not do well in the summer heat so they are always a bit rare
- Catfish - Blue, Flathead, and Channel catfish are present with some truly monster Blues. Something broke me off last trip out and I suspect it was a big cat on the bottom.
- Bream - Bluegill, redbreast and redear (shellcrackers) sunfish are usually around 5in and readily available.
- Crappie - black and whit crappie of around 10in are common.
- Other Species - White Bass, Carp, Gar, Blueback Herring, Lake Sturgeon
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| A Heron I passed - he let me get pretty close. |
Outro
That's pretty much all you'll need to know for a great day out on Lake Allatoona. Check out our paddling gear checklist for an easy guide to what you'll want to bring.
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