It originates near Barnesville and flows roughly southeast across Lamar, Monroe, and Bibb counties to join the Ocmulgee River south of the city of Macon.

[2] The meaning of the name Tobesofkee is unclear, although it appears to contain the word sofkee, a hominy dish that is considered the forerunner of grits.

The name was first recorded in the 1790s by Benjamin Hawkins, the United States agent to the Creek Indians, who spelled it variously as Tobosaufkee, Tobe saufe ke, and Tobesauke.

[4] Historian John Goff criticized Gannett's interpretation as "open to doubt" and concluded that, with the available historical sources, "it would be mere speculation to attempt to translate Tobesofkee.

The Lake Tobesofkee Recreation Area opened in 1969, and private developers built and sold lakefront houses over the following decades.