Photos by Lake Anna photography

When Lake Anna first began filling in the early 1970s, few could have imagined the thriving recreational destination it would become. Fewer still could have predicted that one of its earliest marinas—built by hand and grounded in family values—would still be shaping its future more than five decades later.

Founded in 1972, Sturgeon Creek Marina is widely recognized as the oldest continuously operating marina on the lake. Its beginnings were simple but visionary.

That year, Campbell Edenton watched as rising waters flooded portions of his family’s farmland. Rather than seeing loss, he saw opportunity. Though not a full-time farmer—he worked at FMC Corporation—Edenton hand-dug the first boat ramps, sold oil out of an old car at the bottom of the hill, and allowed people to launch and park. What started as a practical solution quickly became a destination.

As Lake Anna grew in popularity, so did the marina. Buildings were added. Services expanded. Family members joined the operation. What began as a makeshift ramp became a full-service marina—grown organically from the ground up.

The Edenton family’s connection to the land spans more than 200 years. Campbell’s son worked at the marina until his passing, and today ownership continues through his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Karena and Celia—ensuring that the marina remains a true family business.

Taylor McCann, manager of Sturgeon Creek Marina, has been part of that story for 15 years.
“I started out as a fishing guide working out of this marina,” McCann said. “It turned into employment, and I just never left.”

Service Manager and mechanic Matthew Bowen echoes the same sentiment: the marina isn’t just a business—it’s a community.

As the marina has grown, maintaining close relationships with every customer has become more challenging. Still, the team works intentionally to create an atmosphere where people feel known.
“We try to make sure customers feel at home here,” McCann said. “Not like they’re walking into a place without a face attached to it.”

That effort shows in the loyalty of longtime customers. Some have stored boats at Sturgeon Creek Marina for more than 20 years.

Today, the marina offers comprehensive services including boat storage (land and in-water), ethanol-free fuel, pontoon rentals, trailer sales, a large service and repair shop, and two retail spaces with marine parts, accessories, and a full tackle shop.

But in recent years, Sturgeon Creek Marina has also become “the spot” for year round fishing tournaments at Lake Anna. From affordable Tuesday night tournaments designed to help locals break up the workweek, to the highly competitive Sturgeon Creek Elite Series, the marina now hosts events at nearly every level, including regional BASS chapters, state-level competitions, and high school championships.

With ample ramps, parking, and traffic flow, the marina is uniquely positioned to accommodate large-scale events—something increasingly rare as development around the lake intensifies.

Influential figures in the fishing community, including Dave Fauntleroy, Chris Craft and Dean Perrin, have helped orchestrate tournament growth at the marina, elevating its reputation as a competitive hub.
The Veterans Day Tournament each November has become one of the lake’s most successful and anticipated events.

As Lake Anna has welcomed a wave of new residents over the past decade, Sturgeon Creek Marina is asking an important question: How do things happen at Lake Anna?

The marina aims to be a resource—not just for services, but for history.

One major initiative underway is documenting official lake record catches by species. Currently, no single organization maintains that historical data in a centralized, accessible way. Sturgeon Creek Marina plans to compile and present those records in the tackle shop and electronically, preserving the legacy of Lake Anna’s fishing community.

“Over time, history gets forgotten,” McCann said. “We want to capture it while we can.”

Innovation at Sturgeon Creek Marina isn’t limited to tournaments and records. The team is also focused on sustainability.

Recognizing that traditional boat shrink-wrap generates significant landfill waste each season, the marina recently tested a biodegradable alternative. Early evaluations show it performs comparably to traditional wrap while breaking down in landfill conditions—reducing long-term environmental impact.

The marina has also begun offering advanced lithium marine batteries, which last significantly longer than traditional lead-acid batteries, weigh less, improve fuel efficiency, and can be recycled.

Additionally, the service department assists customers in transitioning older two-stroke engines to modern four-stroke systems—extending the life of well-built boats while reducing emissions and oil waste.

“If you have a 25-year-old bass boat, it can still be in excellent condition,” Bowen explained. “By upgrading the engine, you’re keeping that hull in use and putting a cleaner, more efficient motor on the water.”

Through five decades of growth, Sturgeon Creek Marina has remained rooted in family, community, and forward thinking.

Lake Anna’s largemouth bass fishing, according to McCann, “is as good as it has ever been.”
For Sturgeon Creek Marina, leading the way means honoring the past, serving the present, and building a sustainable future—on and off the water.

Jen Bailey

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