Right now
Tims Ford Lake water level
Tims Ford Lake is at 886.99 ft, holding steady over the last 24 hours, 2.85 ft above TVA’s guide level for the date. TVA has no generation scheduled at Tims Ford Dam on Oct 1.
Tims Ford Lake level
886.99 ft
Reading at Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Last 24 hours
▶ 0.04 ft
Holding steady since Midnight CDT Sep 29
Against TVA’s target
2.85 ft above
TVA guide level for Sep 30: 884.14 ft
Release from Tims Ford Dam
245 cfs
Hourly average, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Tailwater level
743.61 ft
Below Tims Ford Dam, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Same date last year
887.90 ft
Midnight level, Sep 30
TVA notice, 08/13/2026 03:00 PM CDT: Tims Ford will be spilling approximately 250 cfs until further notice
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
Tims Ford Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Tims Ford 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 CDTNo generation
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Tims Ford Dam is the Elk River. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Elk River page.
Next few days
Tims Ford Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Tims Ford 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 | 886.93 ft | 240 cfs | |
| Oct 2 | 886.89 ft | 20 cfs | 240 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 886.90 ft | 265 cfs | 240 cfs |
The year so far
Tims Ford Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Tims Ford Lake level at midnight. The 2026 line runs up to the latest day TVA has published.
20262025TVA guide levelFlood guide
TVA’s guide level for Tims Ford Lake peaks at 888.00 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 870.00 ft, first reached on Jan 1.
The flood guide ranges from 873.00 ft to 888.00 ft over the year.
October on Tims Ford Lake
Tims Ford Lake fishing in October: what’s biting
Crappie
Crappie in TennesseeCrappie come back shallow in October. Fish attractors produce from October to May in 6–12 ft.
Where: Center Hill Lake, Great Falls Lake, Old Hickory Lake, J. Percy Priest Lake and Tims Ford Lake.
Source: TWRA: Center Hill · TWRA: Great Falls · TWRA: Old Hickory · TWRA: Percy Priest · TWRA: Tims Ford
Weather
Tims Ford Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
64°F
Mostly Clear
Wind SE 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
91°F
Sunny
Wind SSE 5 to 10 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
67°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind SSE 5 mph
1% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
89°F
Partly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind SSW 5 mph
55% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
66°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind N 0 to 5 mph
37% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
83°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Wind NNE 0 to 5 mph
63% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 12:16 AM, Thu, Oct 1.
Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8
Tournaments
Tims Ford Lake tournament schedule
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Tims Ford 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 Tims Ford Lake
Other lakes
More Elk, Duck and Caney Fork lakes levels
Common questions
Tims Ford Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Tims Ford Lake at?
TVA’s guide level for Tims Ford Lake peaks at 888.00 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 870.00 ft, first reached on Jan 1. The flood guide ranges from 873.00 ft to 888.00 ft over the year.
When does Tims Ford Dam generate?
TVA posts the Tims Ford 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 Tims Ford Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Tims Ford 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 Tims Ford 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 Tims Ford Lake?
TWRA lists 9 public access points on Tims Ford Lake, 6 of them with a boat ramp. The Tims Ford 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 Tims Ford 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.