Right now
Norris Lake water level
Norris Lake is at 1,009.65 ft, falling 0.15 ft over the last 24 hours, 0.61 ft below TVA’s guide level for the date. Below Norris Dam, generation is scheduled all day on Oct 1.
Norris Lake level
1,009.65 ft
Reading at 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Last 24 hours
▼ 0.15 ft
Falling since 1 AM EDT Sep 30
Against TVA’s target
0.61 ft below
TVA guide level for Oct 1: 1,010.26 ft
Release from Norris Dam
3,346 cfs
Hourly average, 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Tailwater level
825.00 ft
Below Norris Dam, 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Same date last year
1,010.11 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
Norris Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Norris 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 5 AM EDT1 generator
- 5 AM to Midnight EDT2 or more generators
Oct 2
- Midnight to 1 AM EDT2 or more generators
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Norris Dam is the Clinch River. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Clinch River page.
Next few days
Norris Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Norris 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 | 1,009.31 ft | 725 cfs | 6,128 cfs |
| Oct 2 | 1,008.97 ft | 858 cfs | 6,000 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 1,008.89 ft | 1,403 cfs | 2,650 cfs |
The year so far
Norris Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Norris 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 Norris Lake peaks at 1,020.00 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 991.00 ft, first reached on Feb 12.
The flood guide ranges from 1,000.00 ft to 1,020.00 ft over the year.
Norris Lake: TVA readings, the Norris Dam schedule and the forecast on one page.
Eating what you catch
Norris Lake fish consumption advisory
TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Norris Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.
Clinch River Arm from Powell River to Indian Creek (River mile 148.2) (15,213 Acres)
Mercury
Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass, striped bass, smallmouth bass, and sauger.*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 Norris Lake
Norris 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
Norris Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
57°F
Mostly Clear
Wind 0 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
85°F
Sunny
Wind S 0 to 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
63°F
Partly Cloudy
Wind 0 mph
0% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
85°F
Partly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Wind SW 0 to 10 mph
58% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
65°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Wind N 0 to 5 mph
60% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
76°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Wind 0 mph
72% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 1:06 AM, Thu, Oct 1.
Sun and moon, Fri, Oct 9
Tournaments
Norris Lake tournament schedule
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Norris 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 Norris Lake
Other lakes
More East Tennessee tributary lakes levels
Common questions
Norris Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Norris Lake at?
TVA’s guide level for Norris Lake peaks at 1,020.00 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 991.00 ft, first reached on Feb 12. The flood guide ranges from 1,000.00 ft to 1,020.00 ft over the year.
When does Norris Dam generate?
TVA posts the Norris 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 Norris Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Norris 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 Norris 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 Norris Lake?
TWRA lists 61 public access points on Norris Lake, 42 of them with a boat ramp. The Norris 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 Norris 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 Norris Lake: Norris Lake conditions.