Right now
Cherokee Lake water level
Cherokee Lake is at 1,057.94 ft, falling 0.20 ft over the last 24 hours, 0.57 ft below TVA’s guide level for the date. Below Cherokee Dam, generation is scheduled on Oct 1 from 4 AM to 5 AM EDT and 10 AM to 11 PM EDT.
Cherokee Lake level
1,057.94 ft
Reading at 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Last 24 hours
▼ 0.20 ft
Falling since 1 AM EDT Sep 30
Against TVA’s target
0.57 ft below
TVA guide level for Oct 1: 1,058.51 ft
Release from Cherokee Dam
0 cfs
Hourly average, 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Tailwater level
920.29 ft
Below Cherokee Dam, 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Same date last year
1,058.55 ft
Midnight level, Oct 1
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
Cherokee Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Cherokee 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
- 1 AM to 4 AM EDTNo generation
- 4 AM to 5 AM EDT1 generator
- 5 AM to 10 AM EDTNo generation
- 10 AM to 11 AM EDT1 generator
- 11 AM to 10 PM EDT2 or more generators
- 10 PM to 11 PM EDT1 generator
- 11 PM to Midnight EDTNo generation
Oct 2
- Midnight to 1 AM EDTNo generation
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Cherokee Dam is the Holston River. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Holston River page.
Next few days
Cherokee Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Cherokee 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 | 1,057.65 ft | 1,880 cfs | 5,053 cfs |
| Oct 2 | 1,057.43 ft | 2,247 cfs | 5,000 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 1,057.35 ft | 3,057 cfs | 4,000 cfs |
The year so far
Cherokee Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Cherokee Lake level at midnight. The 2026 line runs up to the latest day TVA has published.
20262025TVA guide levelExpected rangeFlood guide
TVA’s guide level for Cherokee Lake peaks at 1,070.80 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 1,039.00 ft, first reached on Feb 12.
The flood guide ranges from 1,045.00 ft to 1,071.00 ft over the year.
Cherokee Lake: TVA readings, the Cherokee Dam schedule and the forecast on one page.
Eating what you catch
Cherokee Lake fish consumption advisory
TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Cherokee Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.
Entirety (28,780 acres)
Mercury
Precautionary advisory for black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) and 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 Cherokee Lake
Cherokee Lake fishing in October: what’s biting
Smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass in TennesseeSmallmouth move to long tapering points near the dam.
Where: Center Hill Lake.
Rules: On Norris Lake and Cherokee Lake the limit goes to 5 fish at a 15″ minimum from October 16.
Source: TWRA: Center Hill · TWRA: Norris · TWRA: Cherokee
Weather
Cherokee Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
59°F
Mostly Clear
Wind 0 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
86°F
Sunny
Wind SW 0 to 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
63°F
Mostly Clear
Wind 0 mph
0% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
86°F
Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind SW 0 to 10 mph
45% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
67°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Wind NW 0 to 5 mph
62% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
77°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind NE 0 to 5 mph
78% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 1:06 AM, Thu, Oct 1.
Sun and moon, Fri, Oct 9
Tournaments
Cherokee Lake tournament schedule
MLF College Fishing
Oct 23, 2026 · Major League Fishing
Launch: TVA Dam Boat Launch, 2805 TN-92, Jefferson City
MLF High School Open
Oct 24, 2026 · Major League Fishing
Launch: TVA Dam Boat Launch, 2805 TN-92, Jefferson City
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Team/Solo
Apr 24, 2027 · Major League Fishing
Launch: TVA Dam Boat Launch, Jefferson City
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Cherokee 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 Cherokee Lake
Other lakes
More East Tennessee tributary lakes levels
Common questions
Cherokee Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Cherokee Lake at?
TVA’s guide level for Cherokee Lake peaks at 1,070.80 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 1,039.00 ft, first reached on Feb 12. The flood guide ranges from 1,045.00 ft to 1,071.00 ft over the year.
When does Cherokee Dam generate?
TVA posts the Cherokee 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 Cherokee Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee Lake?
TWRA lists 47 public access points on Cherokee Lake, 31 of them with a boat ramp. The Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee Lake: Cherokee Lake conditions.