Right now
Watauga Lake water level
Watauga Lake is at 1,948.62 ft, holding steady over the last 24 hours, 6.71 ft below TVA’s guide level for the date. TVA has no generation scheduled at Watauga Dam on Oct 1.
Watauga Lake level
1,948.62 ft
Reading at 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Last 24 hours
▶ 0.02 ft
Holding steady since 1 AM EDT Sep 30
Against TVA’s target
6.71 ft below
TVA guide level for Oct 1: 1,955.33 ft
Release from Watauga Dam
205 cfs
Hourly average, 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Tailwater level
1,647.83 ft
Below Watauga Dam, 1 AM EDT, Oct 1
Same date last year
1,951.40 ft
Midnight level, Oct 1
TVA notice, 04/18/2026 10:33 AM EDT: Watauga will be sluicing periodically throughout the day and with varying flow 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
Watauga Dam generation schedule
TVA posts the hours Watauga 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 Midnight EDTNo generation
Oct 2
- Midnight to 1 AM EDTNo generation
1 generator2 or moreNo generationNot posted
Below Watauga Dam is the Watauga River. Its public access points, with directions, are on the Watauga River page.
Next few days
Watauga Lake level forecast
TVA’s forecast of the Watauga 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 | 1,948.52 ft | 50 cfs | 200 cfs |
| Oct 2 | 1,948.47 ft | 50 cfs | 200 cfs |
| Oct 3 | 1,948.34 ft | 82 cfs | 460 cfs |
The year so far
Watauga Lake level this year against TVA’s guide
Each line is the Watauga 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 Watauga Lake peaks at 1,959.00 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 1,947.80 ft, first reached on Feb 12.
The flood guide ranges from 1,952.00 ft to 1,959.00 ft over the year.
Watauga Lake: TVA readings, the Watauga Dam schedule and the forecast on one page.
Eating what you catch
Watauga Lake fish consumption advisory
TDEC’s fish consumption advisory for Watauga Lake, from its August 2026 list of posted waters.
Entirety (6,427 acres)
Mercury
Precautionary advisory for largemouth bass and channel catfish.*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.
Weather
Watauga Lake weather and wind forecast
Thu, Oct 1 night
57°F
Mostly Clear
Wind E 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1
84°F
Sunny
Wind W 0 to 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Thu, Oct 1 night
61°F
Mostly Clear
Wind S 0 to 5 mph
0% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2
85°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers
Wind SW 0 to 5 mph
24% chance of rain
Fri, Oct 2 night
64°F
Chance Rain Showers
Wind W 0 to 5 mph
54% chance of rain
Sat, Oct 3
76°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Wind 0 mph
93% chance of rain
National Weather Service forecast, updated 1:06 AM, Thu, Oct 1.
Sun and moon, Fri, Oct 9
Bigger purchases
Gear compared for a boat on Watauga 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 Watauga Lake
Other lakes
More East Tennessee tributary lakes levels
Common questions
Watauga Lake level questions
What level does TVA aim to keep Watauga Lake at?
TVA’s guide level for Watauga Lake peaks at 1,959.00 ft, first reached on Jun 4, and is lowest at 1,947.80 ft, first reached on Feb 12. The flood guide ranges from 1,952.00 ft to 1,959.00 ft over the year.
When does Watauga Dam generate?
TVA posts the Watauga 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 Watauga Lake level mean?
It is the height of the lake surface in feet above sea level, measured at Watauga 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 Watauga 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 Watauga Lake?
TWRA lists 7 public access points on Watauga Lake, 5 of them with a boat ramp. The Watauga 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 Watauga 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 Watauga Lake: Watauga Lake conditions.