FUEL EXHAUSTION LEADS TO AN OFF ARPT LNDG.

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CESSNA 152 DEPARTED BLUEFIELD; WV; AT XA30 WITH APPROX 22.5 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL. CLBED TO CRUISING ALT OF 8500 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED SSW ON RETURN TO STONE MOUNTAIN. ENCOUNTERED BUILDING CONVECTION AROUND JOHNSON CITY; TN; AND DIVERTED TO THE W. AROUND KNOXVILLE CLBED TO 10500 FT AND HEADED DUE S TO THE YOUNG HARRIS VOR. RECOGNIZED THAT FUEL WAS GETTING LOW AND CALLED INTO BLAIRSVILLE WITH NO RESPONSE (XD15). FUEL GAUGES READ AT 4 GALLONS REMAINING ABOVE RED LINE; SO I DECIDED TO GO INTO GAINESVILLE. VISIBILITY AT THAT TIME WAS AT 4 MI IN HAZE. I DID NOT SEE LUMPKIN COUNTY ARPT; BUT THOUGHT ONCE I GOT TO LAKE LANIER; GVL WOULD BE PRETTY EASY TO SPOT. I CALLED INTO GVL UNICOM FOR A TA AND STARTED MY DSCNT. LESS THAN 2 MINS AFTER TALKING TO GVL; I FELT A SMALL DROP IN PWR; THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER. THAT'S WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AROUND JUST IN CASE I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT IN. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER; THE ENG BEGAN TO SPUTTER. I STARTED EMER CHKLIST AND CALLED BACK IN TO GVL; 00A OVERHEARD MY XMISSION. I HAD CLRED THE LAKE BY THIS TIME; BUT I DID NOT SEE THE CITY OF GAINESVILLE OR THE ARPT. THERE WAS A TOWN BUT IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE GAINESVILLE. I SPOTTED THE FIELD IN WHICH I LANDED AND HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION. I WAS ALREADY IN COM WITH GVL AND 00A SO I DID NOT ACTIVATE MY XPONDER. I WAS ABLE TO PERFORM AN ABBREVIATED TFC PATTERN AND DID A SOFT FIELD LNDG IN A MOWED 12 FT STRIP THAT SOMEONE HAD CONVENIENTLY MOWED SOME 3000 FT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR MY PERSON. I REVIEWED THE EVENTS WITH SEVERAL FINDINGS. MY FUEL BURN WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN I EXPECTED BECAUSE OF CLBS AND DIVERSION SECONDARY TO WX. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT BLAIRSVILLE WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT EVEN WITHOUT A RESPONSE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE RELIED ON FUEL GAUGES WHEN FUEL WAS SO LOW. I MUST HAVE FLOWN DIRECTLY OVER LUMPKIN COUNTY AND MISSED IT COMPLETELY. THE LAKE PORTION THAT I FLEW OVER WAS THE PART E OF CUMMING AND THE TOWN I COULDN'T RECOGNIZE MUST HAVE BEEN BUFORD; THIS CAUSED MY NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE GAINESVILLE 7 MI TO THE E. EVERYTHING TURNED OUT WITHOUT DAMAGE TO MYSELF OR THE ACFT. I ATTRIBUTE THE GOOD OUTCOME TO MY INSTRUCTOR.