Lake Chatuge Water Level
Georgia & North Carolina · Hiwassee River
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Water level history
About Lake Chatuge
Lake Chatuge is a reservoir on the Hiwassee River in Georgia & North Carolina, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. Its full summer pool sits at 1926 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and update hourly.
Understanding Lake Chatuge's water level
Lake Chatuge straddles the North Carolina and Georgia line, with the dam four and a half miles upstream of Hayesville and two and a half miles below the state boundary. It moves less through the year than any other TVA mountain reservoir. TVA's published flood guides are 1,918 feet for 1 January and 1,926 for 1 June, an eight-foot band, and its own tables list an annual pool variation of eight feet, the smallest of the nine mountain reservoirs. TVA's public figure is about ten feet, which matches the observed swing from around 1,915 in mid-February to 1,926 near Memorial Day. Either way, a reader used to Fontana's fifty feet or Hiwassee's forty will find this one remarkably steady.
Like Nottely, it was built between 1941 and 1942 without any generating equipment at all, purely to store water for downstream dams. A powerhouse with a single thirteen-megawatt unit was not added until 1954. The dam is 150 feet high and 3,336 feet across, with flood storage of 62,600 acre-feet held between 1,918 and 1,928 feet. TVA owns about 52 percent of the 128 miles of shoreline. The town of Hiawassee, Georgia draws its water from the reservoir.
There is a change coming that will make the gauge unusual for several years. In 2025 TVA determined that the chute slab of the primary spillway is in poor condition and that the risk of uncontrolled release exceeds its dam safety tolerance. The spillway has been activated 24 times since 2004. Under every alternative TVA is considering, the reservoir would be drawn down to 1,908 feet during construction, ten feet below normal winter pool, with work currently scheduled from summer 2028 into autumn 2029 and refill dependent on rainfall. Below the dam a concrete weir keeps a steady flow and raises oxygen levels, and the wade fishing for trout there is popular. The lake produced the Georgia state record hybrid bass, 25 pounds 8 ounces in May 1995, and the state record smallmouth of 7 pounds 2 ounces back in 1973.
Lake Chatuge — frequently asked
How much does Lake Chatuge's level change through the year?
Less than any other TVA mountain reservoir. TVA's published flood guides are 1,918 feet for 1 January and 1,926 for 1 June, an eight-foot band, and its own tables give an annual pool variation of eight feet, the smallest of the nine. TVA's public-facing figure is about ten feet, matching an observed swing from roughly 1,915 in mid-February to 1,926 near Memorial Day.
Why was Chatuge Dam built without generators?
It was built between 1941 and 1942 purely to store water, augmenting generation at TVA's downstream Hiwassee and Apalachia dams and at the mainstem dams on the Tennessee River. A powerhouse with a single generating unit rated at thirteen megawatts was not added until 1954, twelve years later. Nottely, on the same river system, has an almost identical history.
Is Lake Chatuge going to be drawn down for dam repairs?
That is the current plan. In 2025 TVA determined the primary spillway's chute slab is in poor condition and that the risk of uncontrolled release exceeds its dam safety tolerance. Under every alternative being considered the reservoir would be lowered to 1,908 feet during construction, ten feet below normal winter pool. Work is scheduled for summer 2028 into autumn 2029, with refill dependent on rainfall.
Which state is Lake Chatuge in?
Both. The lake lies in Clay County, North Carolina and Towns County, Georgia, with the dam four and a half miles upstream of Hayesville, North Carolina and two and a half miles downstream of the state line. Georgia's wildlife agency describes the upper half as Georgia water and the lower half as North Carolina. A licence from either state lets you fish the whole lake by boat, but harvest requires the licence of the state you are in.
What is the fishing like at Lake Chatuge?
Strong and varied. The lake produced the Georgia state record hybrid bass at 25 pounds 8 ounces in May 1995, and the state record smallmouth of 7 pounds 2 ounces in 1973, both still standing. Alabama Bass, a non-native, now make up roughly half the predatory sunfish by number and anglers are encouraged to harvest them. Walleye vanished after blueback herring arrived in 1996 and are being restocked.
Is there trout fishing below Chatuge Dam?
Yes, and it is deliberate. TVA installed a concrete weir below the dam to keep a steady flow in the riverbed and raise oxygen levels for fish and other aquatic life. Trout are drawn to the weir where food is abundant, and wade fishing there is popular. Jackrabbit Mountain Recreation Area on the lake has a hundred campsites and a fifteen-mile mountain bike trail system.
Other lakes near Lake Chatuge
- Lake HartwellGA/SC
- Carters LakeGA
- J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill)GA/SC
- Lake Blue RidgeGA
- Lake LanierGA
- Lake AllatoonaGA
See current levels for all 11 Georgia lakes and reservoirs →
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