Bobby Brown State Park
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Georgia — On the shores of Clarks Hill Lake (the largest Corps of Engineers lake east of the Mississippi!) — named for U.S. Army lieutenant Robert T. Brown who died in WWII. Popular for bass fishing with 71,535 surface acres of water and 1,200 miles of shoreline!
Visitor Information
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | Georgia |
About Bobby Brown
Bobby Brown State Park in Elbert County sits on the shores of Richard B. Russell Lake — a 26,650-acre reservoir on the Savannah River at the Georgia-South Carolina border. The park offers lakeside camping, swimming, and fishing in Georgia’s rural northeast Piedmont. The surrounding area was once Cherokee territory; the Treaty of Augusta (1783) forced Cherokee cession of these lands after the Revolution. The lake is named for a U.S. Senator from Georgia who championed rural electrification.
Things to Do
Swimming at the beach, fishing for bass, catfish, and crappie, camping (61 sites), boating on the 26,650-acre lake, hiking, and enjoying the Georgia-South Carolina border scenery.
Getting There
Located on Bobby Brown State Park Road off Highway 72 in Elbert County. Campground has 61 sites with water and electric hookups. The park’s swimming beach is one of the best on the upper Savannah River reservoir system. Elberton (20 minutes north) is the “Granite Capital of the World” — producing more granite monuments than any city on Earth.
History & Ecology
The park sits in Georgia’s upper Piedmont, where red clay soils and hardwood forests dominate the landscape. Elbert County — the “Granite Capital of the World” — quarries more blue-grey granite than any county in America. The Georgia Guidestones, a mysterious granite monument erected in 1980 with instructions in eight languages for rebuilding civilization, stood 7 miles north until their demolition in 2022.
Insider Tips
Strom Thurmond Lake: Bobby Brown sits on Strom Thurmond Lake (formerly Clarks Hill) — the largest Army Corps lake east of the Mississippi at 71,000 acres. Pro tip: The lake was renamed in 1987 to honor Senator Strom Thurmond — Georgia still uses “Clarks Hill” while South Carolina uses “Thurmond.” Bass fishing: The lake is consistently ranked among the best largemouth bass lakes in the Southeast.
Best Time to Visit
Spring: Bass spawn and dogwood bloom. Summer: Lake recreation. Fall: Comfortable weather and fishing. Winter: Mild — striped bass fishing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the lake have two names?
The US Army Corps of Engineers renamed the lake after Senator Strom Thurmond in 1987. Georgia refused the change and still uses “Clarks Hill Lake.” South Carolina uses “Strom Thurmond Lake.” The dual naming reflects both interstate rivalry and Thurmond’s complex political legacy — he was the longest-serving senator in US history (48 years) and a former segregationist who later moderated his positions.
