Nickajack Lake Water Level
Tennessee · Tennessee River
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Water level history
About Nickajack Lake
Nickajack Lake is a reservoir on the Tennessee River in Tennessee, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. It replaced the leaky Hales Bar Dam just upstream. Its full summer pool sits at 635 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and update hourly.
Understanding Nickajack Lake's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation Tennessee Valley Authority targets when Nickajack Lake is completely filled — 635 feet above sea level. TVA runs Nickajack Lake as a mainstem navigation-and-power lake, holding it in a narrow band close to 635 ft for most of the year with only a modest winter dip, so even small changes are noticeable here.
Because it's run for navigation and power, Nickajack Lake stays fairly flat year-round — easing down a little over winter and returning to its summer level by spring. The sharpest short-term moves come from heavy rain upstream or generation changes at the dam.
The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Nickajack Lake, so they show how today compares over that record rather than an all-time extreme. The 12-month and 5-year chart views make the trend and the lake's usual seasonal shape easy to see.
Nickajack Lake — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Nickajack Lake?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Nickajack Lake's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
What is full pool for Nickajack Lake?
Nickajack Lake's full summer pool is 635 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Nickajack Lake?
Nickajack Lake is operated by Tennessee Valley Authority on the Tennessee River.
Where is Nickajack Lake located?
Nickajack Lake is in Tennessee, on the Tennessee River.
Why is Nickajack Lake low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when Tennessee Valley Authority lowers the pool for flood storage, power, or water supply — and recover after rain and snowmelt. The history chart above shows the recent trend.
What are the record high and low levels for Nickajack Lake?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Nickajack Lake.
Other lakes near Nickajack Lake
- Lake BarkleyKY/TN
- Boone LakeTN
- Center Hill LakeTN
- Cherokee LakeTN
- Chickamauga LakeTN
- Dale Hollow LakeKY/TN
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