Right now
Old Hickory Lake water level
Old Hickory Lake is at 444.44 ft, holding steady over the last 24 hours, inside TVA’s operating zone for the date. Below Old Hickory Dam, generation is scheduled on Oct 1 from midnight to 1 AM CDT and 5 AM to midnight CDT.
Old Hickory Lake level
444.44 ft
Reading at 6 PM CDT, Sep 30
Last 24 hours
▶ 0.01 ft
Holding steady since 6 PM CDT Sep 29
Against TVA’s target
In zone
Operating zone for Sep 30: 444.00 to 446.00 ft
Release from Old Hickory Dam
13,100 cfs
Hourly average, 6 PM CDT, Sep 30
Tailwater level
389.78 ft
Below Old Hickory Dam, 6 PM CDT, Sep 30
Same date last year
444.84 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
Old Hickory Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Old Hickory 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.
Oct 1
- Midnight to 1 AM CDT1 generator
- 1 AM to 5 AM CDTNo generation
- 5 AM to 5 PM CDT1 generator
- 5 PM to 8 PM CDT2 or more generators
- 8 PM to Midnight CDT1 generator
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Old Hickory Dam is the Cumberland River. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Cumberland River page.
Next few days
Old Hickory Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Old Hickory Lake level at midnight, with the average flow it expects into and out of the lake each day.
| Day | Midnight level | Average outflow |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1 | 444.54 ft | 5,990 cfs |
| Oct 2 | 444.77 ft | 5,990 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 444.73 ft | 5,210 cfs |
The year so far
Old Hickory Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Old Hickory Lake level at midnight. The 2026 line runs up to the latest day TVA has published.
20262025Operating zone
The operating zone for Old Hickory Lake is 444.00 to 446.00 ft on July 1.
Access notices
Old Hickory Lake ramp and access notices
Old Hickory Lake drawdown to assess shoreline conditions in November
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 15, 2026), The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District has scheduled a drawdown of the lake for November 2026.
October on Old Hickory Lake
Old Hickory 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
Old Hickory Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
64°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind SE 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
93°F
Mostly Sunny
Wind S 5 to 10 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
72°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind S 5 mph
9% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
87°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind WSW 5 to 10 mph
75% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
65°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Wind NNE 0 to 5 mph
56% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
77°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Wind NE 5 to 10 mph
63% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 6:51 PM, Wed, Sep 30.
Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8
Tournaments
Old Hickory Lake tournament schedule
Major League Fishing event
Oct 28–30, 2026 · Major League Fishing
Launch: Sanders Ferry Park, Hendersonville
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Old Hickory 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 Old Hickory Lake
Other lakes
More Cumberland River lakes levels
Common questions
Old Hickory Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Old Hickory Lake at?
The operating zone for Old Hickory Lake is 444.00 to 446.00 ft on July 1.
When does Old Hickory Dam generate?
The Corps of Engineers runs Old Hickory Dam, and TVA publishes its generation schedule for the current day. This page shows it hour by hour.
What does the Old Hickory Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Old Hickory 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 Old Hickory 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 Old Hickory Lake?
TWRA lists 54 public access points on Old Hickory Lake, 39 of them with a boat ramp. The Old Hickory Lake page has directions to each.
Lake levels, releases, generation schedules and forecasts come from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Old Hickory Dam is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; TVA publishes its readings and schedule alongside its own dams. Tennessee Fishing Spots is not affiliated with TVA. TVA’s lake data does not include water temperature, so none is shown.
Keep going
More Old Hickory 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 Old Hickory Lake: Old Hickory Lake conditions.