Right now
Pickwick Lake water level
Pickwick Lake is at 412.61 ft, rising 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours, 0.10 ft above TVA’s guide level for the date. Below Pickwick Landing Dam, generation is scheduled all day on Oct 1.
Pickwick Lake level
412.61 ft
Reading at Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Last 24 hours
▲ 0.05 ft
Rising since Midnight CDT Sep 29
Against TVA’s target
0.10 ft above
TVA guide level for Sep 30: 412.51 ft
Release from Pickwick Landing Dam
27,427 cfs
Hourly average, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Tailwater level
358.63 ft
Below Pickwick Landing Dam, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Same date last year
412.47 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
Pickwick Landing Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Pickwick Landing 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 1 AM CDT2 generators
- 1 AM to 8 AM CDT1 generator
- 8 AM to 9 AM CDT2 generators
- 9 AM to 10 AM CDT3 generators
- 10 AM to 11 PM CDT4 or more generators
- 11 PM to Midnight CDT3 generators
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Pickwick Landing Dam is the Kentucky Lake. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Kentucky Lake page.
Next few days
Pickwick Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Pickwick 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 | 412.40 ft | 26,808 cfs | 30,393 cfs |
| Oct 2 | 412.45 ft | 26,740 cfs | 25,660 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 412.40 ft | 28,980 cfs | 30,010 cfs |
The year so far
Pickwick Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Pickwick 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 Pickwick Lake peaks at 413.75 ft, first reached on Apr 16, and is lowest at 409.00 ft, first reached on Jan 1.
Pickwick Lake: TVA readings, the Pickwick Landing Dam schedule and the forecast on one page.
Eating what you catch
Pickwick Lake fish consumption advisory
TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Pickwick Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.
Entire reservoir portion in Tennessee (5800 acres) Tennessee River from Pickwick dam to Tennessee and Alabama state line
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.
Weather
Pickwick Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
66°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind SSE 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
91°F
Sunny
Wind S 5 to 10 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
70°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind SSE 5 mph
8% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
86°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind WSW 0 to 5 mph
75% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
68°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind NNE 0 to 5 mph
75% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
79°F
Rain Showers Likely
Wind NE 0 to 5 mph
59% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 12:16 AM, Thu, Oct 1.
Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8
Tournaments
Pickwick Lake tournament schedule
Toyota Series Championship
Nov 5–7, 2026 · Major League Fishing
Launch: Pickwick Landing State Park, Counce
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Pickwick 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 Pickwick Lake
Other lakes
More Tennessee River lakes levels
Common questions
Pickwick Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Pickwick Lake at?
TVA’s guide level for Pickwick Lake peaks at 413.75 ft, first reached on Apr 16, and is lowest at 409.00 ft, first reached on Jan 1.
When does Pickwick Landing Dam generate?
TVA posts the Pickwick Landing 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 Pickwick Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Pickwick Landing 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 Pickwick 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 Pickwick Lake?
TWRA lists 8 public access points on Pickwick Lake, 7 of them with a boat ramp. The Pickwick 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 Pickwick 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 Pickwick Lake: Pickwick Lake conditions.