Right now
Nickajack Lake water level
Nickajack Lake is at 633.08 ft, falling 0.95 ft over the last 24 hours, 0.42 ft below TVA’s guide level for the date. Below Nickajack Dam, generation is scheduled all day on Oct 1.
Nickajack Lake level
633.08 ft
Reading at Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Last 24 hours
▼ 0.95 ft
Falling since Midnight CDT Sep 29
Against TVA’s target
0.42 ft below
TVA guide level for Sep 30: 633.50 ft
Release from Nickajack Dam
31,057 cfs
Hourly average, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Tailwater level
597.67 ft
Below Nickajack Dam, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Same date last year
633.95 ft
Midnight level, Sep 30
Readings are hourly, in feet above sea level, from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The page checks TVA again each time it opens, and the reading time shows how recent the numbers are.
Below the dam
Nickajack Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Nickajack Dam is scheduled to run its generators, for today and the start of tomorrow. Generating hours are when water is being released through the turbines and the current below the dam is moving. The schedule can change during the day.
Oct 1
- Midnight to Midnight CDT2 or more generators
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Nickajack Dam is the Guntersville Lake. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Guntersville Lake page.
Next few days
Nickajack Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Nickajack Lake level at midnight, with the average flow it expects into and out of the lake each day.
| Day | Midnight level | Average inflow | Average outflow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 | 634.12 ft | 30,523 cfs | 26,035 cfs |
| Oct 2 | 633.50 ft | 25,298 cfs | 29,070 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 633.50 ft | 23,745 cfs | 23,920 cfs |
The year so far
Nickajack Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Nickajack Lake level at midnight. The 2026 line runs up to the latest day TVA has published.
20262025TVA guide levelOperating zone
TVA’s guide level for Nickajack Lake stays between 633.50 and 633.50 ft all year.
Nickajack Lake: TVA readings, the Nickajack Dam schedule and the forecast on one page.
Eating what you catch
Nickajack Lake fish consumption advisory
TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Nickajack Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.
Entirety (10,370 acres)
PCBs
Precautionary advisory for catfish.*Precautionary means: Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not consume the fish species named. All other persons should limit consumption of the named species to one meal per month.
October on Nickajack Lake
Nickajack Lake fishing in October: what’s biting
Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass in TennesseeFall largemouth push into the backs of creeks after shad.
Where: Watts Bar Lake, Dale Hollow Lake and the grass flats of Nickajack Lake.
Source: TWRA: Watts Bar · TWRA: Dale Hollow · TWRA: Nickajack
Weather
Nickajack Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
61°F
Mostly Clear
Wind 0 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
91°F
Sunny
Wind SE 0 to 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
67°F
Mostly Clear
Wind SE 0 to 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
91°F
Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind SW 0 to 5 mph
46% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
68°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind 0 mph
50% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
85°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind NE 0 to 5 mph
77% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 12:06 AM, Thu, Oct 1.
Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8
Tournaments
Nickajack Lake tournament schedule
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Nickajack Lake
The electronics, motors, boats and batteries that cost real money, compared side by side with the Tennessee water each one suits. Affiliate links.
Go fishing
Where to fish Nickajack Lake
Other lakes
More Tennessee River lakes levels
Common questions
Nickajack Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Nickajack Lake at?
TVA’s guide level for Nickajack Lake stays between 633.50 and 633.50 ft all year.
When does Nickajack Dam generate?
TVA posts the Nickajack Dam generation schedule for the current day and the start of the next. This page shows it hour by hour. Outside the posted hours the dam may still release a small minimum flow.
What does the Nickajack Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Nickajack Dam. A change of a foot or two moves the shoreline, the depth at the end of a ramp and where fish hold in the coves.
Where does the Nickajack Lake data come from?
From the Tennessee Valley Authority’s published lake data: hourly readings for the last 48 hours, the generation schedule, a three-day forecast and the operating guide for the year.
Where can I launch a boat on Nickajack Lake?
TWRA lists 18 public access points on Nickajack Lake, 12 of them with a boat ramp. The Nickajack Lake page has directions to each.
Lake levels, releases, generation schedules and forecasts come from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Tennessee Fishing Spots is not affiliated with TVA. TVA’s lake data does not include water temperature, so none is shown.
Keep going
More Nickajack Lake water, and who fishes it
Every guide and charter on this site is listed by the water they run, so you can call the captain direct. Licences, limits and the state record list are one click away too.
Before you launch, check today's level, dam release schedule and any weather alerts for Nickajack Lake: Nickajack Lake conditions.