Every fall TVA lowers its Tennessee lakes toward winter pool to make room for winter and spring rain. How far each lake drops decides which ramps stay usable, how far the water pulls back from the bank and where the fish go. The table below uses TVA’s own readings from October 13, 2026 and its operating guide for each lake.
How far each lake drops
| Lake | Level on Oct 13 | Summer guide level | January 1 guide level | Full drawdown | Still to drop |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Lake | 972.84 ft | 993.88 ft | 950.00 ft | 43.9 ft | 22.8 ft |
| Cherokee Lake | 1,055.42 ft | 1,070.80 ft | 1,041.00 ft | 29.8 ft | 14.4 ft |
| Norris Lake | 1,007.48 ft | 1,020.00 ft | 994.00 ft | 26.0 ft | 13.5 ft |
| South Holston Lake | 1,716.89 ft | 1,729.00 ft | 1,704.80 ft | 24.2 ft | 12.1 ft |
| Center Hill Lake | 631.86 ft | 646.00 ft | 627.00 ft | 19.0 ft | 4.9 ft |
| Tims Ford Lake | 887.15 ft | 888.00 ft | 870.00 ft | 18.0 ft | 17.1 ft |
| Great Falls Lake | 793.13 ft | 800.00 ft | 785.00 ft | 15.0 ft | 8.1 ft |
| Normandy Lake | 869.76 ft | 875.00 ft | 864.00 ft | 11.0 ft | 5.8 ft |
| Watauga Lake | 1,949.35 ft | 1,959.00 ft | 1,949.20 ft | 9.8 ft | 0.1 ft |
| Chickamauga Lake | 679.65 ft | 682.25 ft | 676.00 ft | 6.2 ft | 3.6 ft |
| Kentucky Lake | 354.72 ft | 359.00 ft | 354.00 ft | 5.0 ft | 0.7 ft |
| Lake Barkley | 354.90 ft | 359.00 ft | 354.00 ft | 5.0 ft | 0.9 ft |
| Fort Loudoun Lake | 812.31 ft | 812.75 ft | 808.00 ft | 4.8 ft | 4.3 ft |
| Watts Bar Lake | 740.73 ft | 740.75 ft | 736.00 ft | 4.8 ft | 4.7 ft |
| Pickwick Lake | 411.15 ft | 413.75 ft | 409.00 ft | 4.8 ft | 2.1 ft |
“Full drawdown” is the gap between the highest summer guide level and the January 1 guide level in TVA’s operating guide. “Still to drop” is how far the October 13 reading sat above the January 1 guide level. Lakes can run above or below the guide after heavy rain or a dry spell, so the live level page for each lake is the one to check before a trip.
Tributary lakes drop the most
The deep storage reservoirs on the tributaries, Douglas Lake, Cherokee Lake, Norris Lake and South Holston Lake, take the biggest drops. Douglas falls about 44 feet from its summer guide to its January guide. On these lakes a ramp that launches easily in July can end short of the water by December, and long points and flats come out of the water. Shallow ramps in the backs of creeks are usually the first to go dry.
Main channel lakes barely move
The Tennessee River lakes, Kentucky, Pickwick, Watts Bar, Fort Loudoun and Chickamauga, drop only about 5 to 6 feet because they carry barge traffic and have less storage. Ramps on these lakes stay usable all winter, which makes them the safer pick for a boat trip from December through March.
What it means for fishing
- Falling water pulls baitfish and bass off the flats and onto main lake points, channel swings and the mouths of creeks.
- Crappie that sat on shallow brush in early fall move to deeper brush piles and bridge pilings as the water drops.
- Below the dams, fall and winter generation schedules move water through the tailwaters, and the striper, sauger and catfish fishing there follows the release times. Each lake page lists the dam’s generation schedule.
- Before launching on a tributary lake in late fall, check the lake level and pick a main lake ramp over a shallow creek ramp.
Live readings, the generation schedule and the forecast for every lake are on the Tennessee lake levels page, and every public ramp is listed on each lake and river page.
Source: TVA observed data and operating guides, retrieved October 13, 2026. Levels are feet above sea level.