Right now
Center Hill Lake water level
Center Hill Lake is at 632.33 ft, holding steady over the last 24 hours, 1.69 ft above TVA’s guide level for the date. Below Center Hill Dam, generation is scheduled on Oct 1 from noon to 2 PM CDT.
Center Hill Lake level
632.33 ft
Reading at Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Last 24 hours
▶ 0.05 ft
Holding steady since Midnight CDT Sep 29
Against TVA’s target
1.69 ft above
TVA guide level for Sep 30: 630.64 ft
Release from Center Hill Dam
250 cfs
Hourly average, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Tailwater level
476.23 ft
Below Center Hill Dam, Midnight CDT, Sep 30
Same date last year
634.37 ft
Midnight level, Sep 30
TVA notice, 06/01/2026 12:17 PM CDT: Center Hill orifice gate will be open 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
Center Hill Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Center Hill 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 Noon CDTNo generation
- Noon to 2 PM CDT1 generator
- 2 PM to Midnight CDTNo generation
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Center Hill Dam is the Caney Fork River. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Caney Fork River page.
Next few days
Center Hill Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Center Hill 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 | 632.25 ft | 570 cfs |
| Oct 2 | 632.20 ft | 570 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 632.14 ft | 570 cfs |
The year so far
Center Hill Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Center Hill Lake level at midnight. The 2026 line runs up to the latest day TVA has published.
20262025TVA guide levelOperating zoneFlood guide
TVA’s guide level for Center Hill Lake peaks at 646.00 ft, first reached on May 16, and is lowest at 627.00 ft, first reached on Jan 1.
The flood guide ranges from 632.00 ft to 648.00 ft over the year.
Center Hill Lake: TVA readings, the Center Hill Dam schedule and the forecast on one page.
Eating what you catch
Center Hill Lake fish consumption advisory
TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Center Hill Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.
Entire reservoir (23,051 acres)
Mercury
Precautionary advisory for any size black bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted.) and walleye over 19 inches.*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 Center Hill Lake
Center Hill 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
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
Center Hill Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
62°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind SSE 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
92°F
Sunny
Wind S 5 to 10 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
68°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind S 5 mph
2% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
88°F
Rain Showers Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind SW 5 to 10 mph
59% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
65°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Areas Of Fog
Wind E 0 to 5 mph
66% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
78°F
Patchy Fog
Wind ENE 0 to 5 mph
69% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 6:51 PM, Wed, Sep 30.
Sun and moon, Thu, Oct 8
Tournaments
Center Hill Lake tournament schedule
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Team/Solo
Apr 10, 2027 · Major League Fishing
Launch: Ragland Bottom Recreation Area, Sparta
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Center Hill 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 Center Hill Lake
Other lakes
More Cumberland River lakes levels
Common questions
Center Hill Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Center Hill Lake at?
TVA’s guide level for Center Hill Lake peaks at 646.00 ft, first reached on May 16, and is lowest at 627.00 ft, first reached on Jan 1. The flood guide ranges from 632.00 ft to 648.00 ft over the year.
When does Center Hill Dam generate?
The Corps of Engineers runs Center Hill Dam, and TVA publishes its generation schedule for the current day. This page shows it hour by hour.
What does the Center Hill Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Center Hill 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 Center Hill 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 Center Hill Lake?
TWRA lists 26 public access points on Center Hill Lake, 21 of them with a boat ramp. The Center Hill Lake page has directions to each.
Lake levels, releases, generation schedules and forecasts come from the Tennessee Valley Authority. Center Hill 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 Center Hill 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 Center Hill Lake: Center Hill Lake conditions.