Lake Martin Rental Guide

Where are the best places to rent waterfront on Lake Martin? It can be a problem because Airbnb, VRBO, and sites like that don’t often give you an exact address. So, you kind of have to know in general where you are. In this blog, I will act as your “Lake Martin Rental Guide” so that you know exactly where you want to be when renting.

Keep in mind that I don’t rent houses, and I’m not in the rental market, so I’m unbiased on this. I do sell real estate here, but I hear this question a lot. I can see where people who don’t know the lake need some help knowing where to rent, whether they’re going to be in a bad spot or a good spot, and where to go. So, hopefully this will help you out.

It Depends on Your Vacation Style

The first to know when renting on Lake Martin is your vacation style. This may seem a little bit like a copout, but it kind of depends on what you want to do. Where do you want to go when you’re at the lake? That determines where the best place for you might be.

Understanding Lake Martin’s Size

Another thing to wrap your head around with Lake Martin is that it’s really big. It’s 880 miles of shoreline. Everything isn’t right by everything else.

Let’s say you’re on the north side of the lake, up by the Highway 280 bridge, and you want to go to The Landing at Parker Creek. To go down the river and then around to Parker Creek, it’s 25 miles on the lake. If you’re going 20 miles an hour in your boat, it’s going to take you three minutes per mile.

That’s 75 minutes to drive one way in the boat. Just one way. Now, that’s fine, right? That’s fun. It’s what we like to do. But just know that’s the kind of scale you’re talking about.

Waterfront Restaurants on Lake Martin

What if you’re a person who likes to go out to some of the waterfront restaurants we have, and that’s one of your big goals? Well, that’s one cool thing about Lake Martin because we’ve got a bunch of them. I’ll start on the northwest side and work my way around counterclockwise.

The Landing at Parker Creek is in Parker Creek, and you’ll find both Equality and Eclectic addresses in that area. Then you come down the west side to Kowaliga Restaurant, the oldest and most famous, and it has an Eclectic address. Move farther east, and The Social is another restaurant near Anchor Bay Marina with an Eclectic address.

Once you go even farther east, Chuck’s Pizza is famous, and it’s in Dadeville. Also in Dadeville are the two restaurants in StillWaters, The Landing at Harbor Pointe and Bluffs Daiquiri Bar.

Farther east, you’ve got Lake Martin Beach Club by the Blue Creek bridge. You might not be able to get under the Blue Creek bridge at full pool. You need to check because many boats can’t get underneath it since it’s a low bridge.

Then we’re heading north. You have Peanut Point. It’s not really a restaurant, but it’s a hangout spot where they sell peanuts. Read more about it in my blog “Peanut Point on Lake Martin.” There’s also a restaurant in Wind Creek State Park and Boondocks at Bay Pine.

Short Term Rentals on Lake Martin

Another thing to remember is that some neighborhoods on Lake Martin do not allow short term rentals, like rentals of a week or less. One example would be some of the Russell Lands neighborhoods like Trillium, Willow Point, The Willows, and The Ridge. You’re not going to be allowed to short term rent in some of those neighborhoods, but there are plenty of others where you can.

Fishing on Lake Martin

Okay, what if fishing is your thing? If you come to the lake and want to fish, hey, I love to fish. I’m just not really good at it.

If fishing is your thing, you might be going after Alabama bass, which we call spots, striped bass, crappie, bream, or catfish. You can find them all over the lake, but if it were me, I would prioritize the north side of the lake. Those are going to be Alexander City and Jacksons Gap addresses, where you’re on the original river run side of Lake Martin.

A Quiet Cabin in the Woods

What if you want kind of a quiet cabin in the woods experience when you rent? Well, first I would probably look on the west side of the lake in the Parker Creek and Little Kowaliga areas. Those are going to be addresses in Equality, Alabama, along with some Alexander City and Eclectic addresses.

I’d also look in Sandy Creek. A lot of spots there have that cabin in the woods kind of feel. Those are Jacksons Gap addresses.

Grocery Stores Around Lake Martin

All right, what about grocery stores? We’re in rural Alabama, right? So, we’re not going to have a million Costcos and that sort of thing, but we do have a Publix in Alexander City. Read more about its opening in my blog “Publix on Lake Martin Alabama.”

There’s a Renfroe’s, which is a locally owned grocery store, in Dadeville. Lake Martin Grocery also has a Dadeville address on the southeast side of the lake. There are Dollar General stores sprinkled all around.

For more high end, specialty stuff, there’s Catherine’s at Russell Crossroads. But it’s right in the middle of an area that is Russell Lands, and they don’t allow short term rentals in those neighborhoods. So, you’re probably not going to be very close to that.

Store 34 off Highway 34 has some good stuff too.

Wakeboarding and Wake Surfing on Lake Martin

What if you’re really into wakeboarding, wake surfing, and that sort of thing? Where should you go?

Well, do it safely first of all because Lake Martin has a rule that when you’re actively wakeboarding or wake surfing, you have to be 200 feet away from the shore, piers, bridges, or anything like that. So, do it safely. I’ll also tell you where I would not go, and that’s around Acapulco Rock and Chimney Rock.

Those are high traffic areas and can be very dangerous. I wouldn’t even drag my kid on a tube in those areas. It’s too dangerous and usually too congested.

Similarly, in what I call Malfunction Junction, where the north side of the lake and the east side of the lake all come together kind of by The Ridge Marina, I wouldn’t wakeboard, wake surf, or ski. If you’re looking for big areas, Kowaliga Bay is a great spot. Young’s Basin is another good spot.

It’s very large. You can see people coming from literally miles away. Sandy Creek would also be good for that, which is in the Jacksons Gap area.

Lake Martin Rental Guide

I hope this Lake Martin Rental Guide has helped you out some.

The bottom line is that renting a waterfront spot at Lake Martin is a great way to learn the lake. People have been doing it for years, and I encourage it. It’s awesome.

We have a lot of fun here. So, find your nice spot, have fun, and stay safe. If you have a house or condo property and wonder how much it’s worth and what this current market has done to the value, give me a holler at (334)221-5862 or use my CONTACT PAGE.

For more blogs on where to go on Lake Martin, visit the links listed below:

Best Public Access at Lake Martin

Can You Boat on Lake Martin in the Winter?

Sandy Creek on Lake Martin Alabama