Moving to a Fish Camp or Marina on Lake Seminole.

Question
I have live in a Fayetteville, Ga, Golf community for 20 years. I have never played golf and am now retired. I'm boiling my possessions down to a bare minimum as I intend to move to the lake Seminole area. My second greatest rush is to fish top water bait and see that Big Mouth Bass come up under it. I want to find a small simple place with little or no upkeep. I may even sell the Harley and buy an air boat. I'm looking for a place to rent until I get my bearings. I know this is long winded but I appreciate any assistance that you can offer .

Answer
Phillip; First let me apologize for taking so long to answer your question.  I had most of it typed and about ready to send when a thunderstorm came up and cut the power making me start over.  I will try to get it done this time.

 There are several "fish camps" and Three state parks on Lake Seminole.  I tried looking in "Yellow Pages. com" but it was of little use (www.phonebook.com works better)  because Yellow pages covered from Albany to Panama City where there are hundreds of "resorts".  They do not recognize "fish camps".  I know definitely of four privately owned camps with cabins.  I will start with the first of these called Trail's End located about 28 miles from Bainbridge, Ga. where State highway 253 dead ends at the East side of the Chatahoochee arm of the lake.  I do not know a great deal about the place but I have heard that it has been renovated.  There are cabins and camp grounds for tailors and campers.  This is probably the most isolated camp on the lake.  

Seminole State Park is located just off the same highway 253 about 5 miles East.  It has cabins and camping facilities.  Go another 5-6 miles further East and you come to "Reynolds' Landing Road.  About a mile and a half South takes you to "Spring Creek Resort" AKA Big Jim's.  It has cabins, two restaurants and hookups for campers. All 3 of these places are on the North section of the lake and all have good fishing areas nearby.  Around on the South side of the lake is "Ingrates' Lunker Lodge".  It is no longer owned by Jack Wingate but he still sits around in a rocking chair and tells stories and knows this lake probably better than anyone else around.  I know you can get guide service there also.  This is one of the oldest camps on the lake, Jack having been there for nearly 50 years.

Over by the dam on the West side of the lake is Seminole Lodge which has cabins and camping.  I do not know about prices of any of these places.

There are almost always places for sale around the lake but if you want to be on the waterfront prepare to pay anywhere from $80,000 to $150,000 for a lot plus whatever structure may be on it.  We have had our place on the water for about 40 years.  My Wife's late husband paid $14,000 for it now it is accessed at around $200,000.
I do not know what you had in mind to pay for a place but there are some places across the road from the water front that are much lower.  I have a place with two lots and a double wide on it that I am willing to sell for around $36,000. That would include, for the right kind of people, the right to use half of my dock to keep a boat and freedom to fish from the dock at any time including friends and relatives.   Depending on your boat you might have to install a hoist to lift the boat because the dock is open to the south and the waves  can sink a boat as it did mine a few weeks ago. This price is about typical for a two lot piece of land with a decent structure on it.  There is very little land available without some kind of structure on it unless you are willing to live a mile or two from the lake.

There are other places up and down the road and around the lake for sale as well.  Lots of older people  have bought places here to spend their retirement years and have either grown too old to stay out here or have passed away.  I would check with a realtor in Bainbridge if I were looking to buy.

If you are a fisherman and as you say one who loves topwater fishing this is a good lake.  It was once listed as the #5 bass lake in the country but many new ones have been built and of course the Florida strain bass has spread West.  "Ol Sem" as the lake is locally known is still a great fishing lake and one is seldom if ever bothered with water skiers as the lake was built with timber still standing.
Boat roads were cut and marked to travel safely but running at speed outside these marked channels is for only those who know the lake well.

Again I apologize for the delay.  I will try to be more prompt in the future.
Here are the phone numbers for the places mentioned.

Trail's End Marina-229-861-2060

Spring Creek Park Resort 229-8613247

Seminole State Park 229-861-3874

Seminole Sportsmen Lodge and Marina 229-861-3862

Wingate's Marina 229-246-0658

Seminole Lodge & Marina 850-593-6886

Three Rivers State Park (FL) 850-482-9006

There may be more places but I am not familiar with them.  These should be enough for you to find temporary headquarters here on Lake Seminole.  

Thank you for calling on me to answer your question.  I hope it has been helpful and if you need further information or help before you get here or after  don't hesitate to contact me again.
If you would prefer using e-mail my address is [email protected]

I am
Jack L. Gaither   (JackfromSeminole)
Lake Seminole, Georgia