Tims Ford Lake Water Level
Tims Ford Lake is at 887.15 ft today (Oct 6), 0.85 ft below its 888 ft full pool, up 0.08 ft this week.
Tennessee · Elk River
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Water level history
About Tims Ford Lake
Tims Ford Lake is a reservoir on the Elk River in Tennessee, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. Its full summer pool sits at 888 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and update hourly.
Understanding Tims Ford Lake's water level
Tims Ford Lake is a tributary reservoir on the Elk River in Franklin and Moore counties, formed by a 175 foot concrete dam at river mile 133.3 that stretches 1,580 feet across the valley. TVA began work in March 1966 and closed the dam on December 1, 1970; the water rose about an inch an hour through early 1971, and the single generating unit went into commercial service on March 1, 1972. The lake runs 34 miles upstream to the northeast and covers roughly 10,600 acres at summer pool. It swallowed the Awalt Valley, a farming community of about 400 people founded in the 1840s, and Winchester Herald Chronicle coverage from the time recorded many landowners who thought TVA's compensation unfair. Its main job downstream is flood protection for Fayetteville, and Winchester Utility System draws its raw water from the lake off State Highway 130, about three miles from town, serving roughly 20,000 customers.
The level follows a seasonal flood guide rather than sitting at one number. TVA's guide bottoms out at 873 feet on January 1, climbs through late winter and spring, reaches the 888 foot summer pool around mid May and holds there until mid October, then falls back to 873 through November and December. That winter drop, about 15 feet, clears room for the reservoir's 219,600 acre feet of flood storage, and the top of the spillway gates sits at 895 feet. When heavy rain arrives, TVA stores water above the guide and releases it later so the Elk does not flood Fayetteville, which is why the lake can sit a foot or more above 888 after a wet spring. Tims Ford was deliberately left out of TVA's 2004 Reservoir Operations Study changes: the final decision made no change to its seasonal levels, citing flood risk, wetlands, and wildfowl.
The dam also runs a balancing act with temperature. Cold water released through the dam supports a trout fishery that TWRA stocks with rainbow and brown trout, and the Elk is a designated trout stream from the dam down to Fayetteville at river mile 93. Farther down live the boulder darter, a finger length fish found only in the Elk below Tims Ford and listed as endangered in 1988, along with several endangered mussels that suffered from cold releases. TVA changed its hydropower operations to warm the tailwater, and it now watches temperatures at the Farris Creek gauge at mile 124 and at Fayetteville, where the river runs 20 to 30 degrees warmer. In the lake, clear water over cobble and boulder bottoms in the middle and lower reaches makes ideal smallmouth habitat, and TWRA stocks striped bass, hybrid striped bass, walleye, and blacknose crappie every year.
Tims Ford Lake — frequently asked
What is Tims Ford Lake's full pool?
888 feet above sea level is summer pool, the level TVA and TWRA both cite. TVA's flood guide reaches 888 in mid May and keeps it there until about mid October. The top of the spillway gates is 895 feet Readings above 888 mean TVA is temporarily holding floodwater in the space between summer pool and the gates.
What is the winter level at Tims Ford?
The winter flood guide is 873 feet, about 15 feet below summer pool, and TVA's guide sits there on January 1. A 2002 TVA boating study described normal winter levels as 865 to 873 feet, with a design drawdown range from 895 down to 865.
When does Tims Ford Lake go down?
The flood guide stays at 888 feet until roughly mid October, then drops steadily: about 885 by November 1, about 879 by December 1, and 873 by the first of the year. The lake does not always track the guide exactly, since TVA may release water faster or slower depending on rain and power demand.
When does Tims Ford refill?
Filling begins in January. TVA's guide climbs from 873 feet on January 1 to about 878 by March 1, 881 by April 1, and 886 by May 1, reaching the 888 summer pool around May 16. A dry spring can leave the lake short of the guide, while a wet one can push it past 888 early.
Why is Tims Ford Lake above full pool?
Because it is a flood control reservoir for Fayetteville and the lower Elk River. After heavy rain TVA holds back part of the runoff in the 219,600 acre feet of flood storage above the guide, then lets it out gradually once the river downstream can take it. TVA's daily data for the last two years shows the lake peaking above 889 feet in late spring before easing back toward 888.
Is there trout fishing below Tims Ford Dam?
Yes. Cold water released through the dam supports a trout fishery that TWRA stocks with rainbow and brown trout, and the Elk is a designated trout stream from the dam to Fayetteville. TWRA lists the tailwater under special trout regulations. TVA manages releases so the water warms farther downstream for the endangered boulder darter and mussels.
What fish does TWRA stock in Tims Ford Lake?
TWRA stocks striped bass and hybrid striped bass fingerlings, walleye fingerlings, and blacknose crappie every year. Smallmouth bass do well without stocking on the lake's clear water and cobble bottoms. Limits include an 18 inch minimum on smallmouth, 15 inches on largemouth, 16 inches on walleye, and two stripers or hybrids a day at 15 inches.
Other lakes near Tims Ford Lake
- Watauga LakeTN
- Tellico LakeTN
- Watts Bar LakeTN
- South Holston LakeTN/VA
- Lake BarkleyKY/TN
- Pickwick LakeAL/TN/MS
See current levels for all 23 Tennessee lakes and reservoirs →
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