The lake encompasses over 39,000 acres of water when it is full. With over 692 miles of shoreline, 10 marinas and 46 parks, Lake Sidney Lanier is a top tourist destination. The lake has numerous arms and fingers resulting from the former branches of the Chattahoochee and Chestatee rivers. This reservoir is also a fishing paradise, home to the trophy Lake Lanier striped bass.

Lake Sidney Lanier is a man-made multi-purpose wonder that provides flood protection, power and water supply, navigation, recreation, wildlife and fish management, serving Hall County, but particularly to the cities of Atlanta and Gainesville, becoming a spectacular scenery for a variety of recreational activities

Although Lake Lanier was built in the 1950s and filled in 1958, it was not officially opened until 1974. Since then, only two major flooding events occurred, including those from the hurricanes Frances and Ivan in 2004. Temperature of the water released at the dam is on average 44 to 58ª Fahrenheit year-round, although once reaching Lake Lanier the temperature varies.

The picturesque region contains a large number of scenic points, coves and tree-covered islands of remarkable southern beauty. There are 4 bass species in North America, 3 native to Georgia and 2 found in Lake Lanier the largemouth bass, and the Lake Lanier striped bass, with a catch record exceeding 40 pounds. Although, spotted bass also occurs in these waters.

The striped bass live in fresh and salt water, occurring generally in the coastal areas, from where the fish travel up estuaries to spawn. Large impoundments like Buford Dam have landlocked this species for the rejoicing of anglers that flood the region seeking a new catch record.

Lake Sidney Lanier also offers 7 species of the sunfish family, 2 of the Percidae family, 3 belonging to the Clupeidae family, 3 of the Cyprinidae family, 2 from the Catostomidae family, and only one specie from the Lepisosteidae and Atherinidae respectively. There are also 3 catfish species common to Lake Lanier.

Furthermore, the Chattahoochee River flowing below Buford Dam is one of the most popular trout fishing spots in Georgia, that the US Army Corps of Engineers recommends visiting with extreme care, particularly when fishing below the Dam, because during water release the river can quickly rise up to 11 feet.

Wearing rubber waders or life jackets is strongly recommended and mandatory is some areas of Lake Lanier, basically those adjacent to the dam, as well as exiting the river immediately when the warning horns sound, and plan any river-dam trip in advance, being aware of water release schedules by calling (770) 945-1466.

Apart from the recreational aspect, the major function of Lake Sidney Lanier is flood control during times of heavy rainfall, storing runoff waters on the Buford Dam, because it is estimated that approximately $2 billion worth of property is located in the floodplain. After the rain, the stored water is released into the lake in a controlled manner by means of the Dam's powerhouse.

As a preventative measure, Lake Sidney Lanier has a floodwater storage capacity to rise 14 feet above its full level. This measure helps to prevent downstream flooding, as already occurred in 1964 when the lake reached over 6 feet above its full level. Floods destroy properties, shut down businesses, harm the environment, causing millions of dollars in damages and even takes lives.

Buford Dam and Lake Lanier have achieved the objective that led to their construction, exceeding expectations after the lake became a state of the art recreational facility, where nearly everyone likes to visit, beside providing the community with water during summer and fall exceeding also the natural supply.

Lake Sidney Lanier is a great destination for sightseeing, swimming, boating, fishing and picnicking, among other outdoor activities. Lake Lanier was used for the rowing events at the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, and informally known as the Centennial Olympics.

Recently, in December 2005, the lake's gauge at the dam was replaced, however the US Army Corps of Engineers found on June 2006 that the new gauge was not properly calibrated, so it was reading about 2 feet higher than the actual real level. This incident caused over 2 billion gallons of water being released to protect mussels in Apalachicola Bay, which were dying from excessive saltwater intrusion.

Because of this incident, Georgia declared a drought and enacted a ban on outdoor water use from 10 am to 4 pm, and a permanent weekly odd/even address system.