Watauga Lake Water Level
Tennessee · Watauga River
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Water level history
About Watauga Lake
Watauga Lake is a reservoir on the Watauga River in Tennessee, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. It's a deep, clear mountain lake in the Cherokee National Forest. Its full summer pool sits at 1959 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and update hourly.
Understanding Watauga Lake's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation Tennessee Valley Authority targets when Watauga Lake is completely filled — 1959 feet above sea level. As an upstream storage reservoir, Watauga Lake is filled toward 1959 ft for the summer season and then pulled well below it over winter so TVA has room to catch floods — one of the widest seasonal swings you'll find on any lake.
Watauga Lake is usually near full from late spring into summer, then drops steadily through fall and winter to a low point before refilling in spring. If it looks low in December or January, that's the planned winter drawdown, not a drought.
The recent high and low above are drawn from the published history available for Watauga 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.
Watauga Lake — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Watauga Lake?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Watauga Lake's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
What is full pool for Watauga Lake?
Watauga Lake's full summer pool is 1959 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Watauga Lake?
Watauga Lake is operated by Tennessee Valley Authority on the Watauga River.
Where is Watauga Lake located?
Watauga Lake is in Tennessee, on the Watauga River.
Why is Watauga 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 Watauga Lake?
The recent record high and low elevations are shown in the stats on this page, computed from the available published history for Watauga Lake.
Other lakes near Watauga Lake
- Lake BarkleyKY/TN
- Boone LakeTN
- Center Hill LakeTN
- Cherokee LakeTN
- Chickamauga LakeTN
- Dale Hollow LakeKY/TN
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