South Holston Lake Water Level
Tennessee & Virginia · South Fork Holston River
Full pool is the summer level. South Holston is a storage reservoir and TVA draws it roughly 21 to 25 ft below full over winter for flood storage, refilling from mid-March, so a low winter reading is scheduled rather than drought.
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Water level history
About South Holston Lake
South Holston Lake is a reservoir on the South Fork Holston River in Tennessee & Virginia, operated by Tennessee Valley Authority. It's a deep, cold mountain lake straddling the Tennessee–Virginia line. Its full summer pool sits at 1729 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and update hourly.
Understanding South Holston Lake's water level
South Holston is a deep mountain storage reservoir straddling the Tennessee and Virginia line, and it works on a large annual cycle. Summer pool is 1,729 feet, and TVA describes the level as varying about 25 feet from summer to winter, with its own land management plan giving about 21 feet in a normal year. Filling begins in mid-March; the lake is drawn at least to winter flood-guide levels by 1 January. It is one of ten TVA tributary reservoirs whose drawdown is deliberately limited between 1 June and Labor Day to protect the recreation season.
The dam took nine years because of the war. Work began in December 1941, was suspended in November 1942 by War Production Board order, resumed in August 1947, and the gates closed on 20 November 1950. It stands 285 feet high and 1,600 feet across, with a fixed-crest morning glory spillway and a single generating unit of about 41 megawatts.
The tailwater below it is the reason many people know the name. In 1991 TVA built an aerating labyrinth weir about a mile and a half downstream, which turns the release into a series of small waterfalls, driving air into the water and recovering roughly forty to fifty percent of the oxygen deficit against a six-parts-per-million target, with a minimum flow of about 90 cubic feet per second held between generation pulses. The result is a wild brown trout fishery good enough that Tennessee stopped stocking brown trout entirely in 2003; browns have been eighty to ninety percent of the electrofishing catch every year since 2009. The regulation is a sixteen to twenty-two inch protected slot on all trout with a seven-fish limit, only one over twenty-two inches, and two spawning reaches close to all fishing from 1 November to 31 January. Releases can come at any time, so the wading rule is simple: fish only during low flow, and leave when the horns sound.
South Holston Lake — frequently asked
What is South Holston Lake's summer pool and how far does it drop?
Summer pool is 1,729 feet above sea level. TVA describes the level as varying about 25 feet from summer to winter, though its own land management plan gives about 21 feet in a normal year. Filling begins in mid-March and the lake is drawn at least to winter flood-guide levels by 1 January, so a low winter reading is the schedule rather than a drought.
Why is the South Holston tailwater such a good trout stream?
Because of a weir. In 1991 TVA built an aerating labyrinth weir about a mile and a half below the dam, which breaks the release into a series of small waterfalls that force air into the water, recovering roughly forty to fifty percent of the oxygen deficit against a six-parts-per-million target. A minimum flow of about 90 cubic feet per second is held between generation pulses, so the river never goes dry. That combination supports wild trout year-round.
Are the brown trout in the South Holston stocked?
No. Tennessee discontinued brown trout stocking in 2003 and the population has been entirely wild and self-sustaining since. Brown trout have made up eighty to ninety percent of the total electrofishing catch every year since 2009. Rainbow trout are still stocked, at about 47,000 adults a year between March and September.
What are the trout regulations on the South Holston tailwater?
A sixteen to twenty-two inch protected slot on all trout, meaning fish in that range must be released, with a limit of seven trout and only one over twenty-two inches. It applies from South Holston Dam down to Boone. Two spawning areas close to all fishing from 1 November to 31 January. There are no bait restrictions, and snagging has been banned since 1999.
Is it safe to wade below South Holston Dam?
Only during low flow, and only while paying attention. TVA warns that large amounts of water can be released at any time, that schedules shift with weather and power demand, and that even a few inches of fast-moving water can knock you off your feet. Horns sound and strobe lights flash before a release. The instruction is to fish, swim or wade below dams only during low-flow periods and to leave immediately when the warning starts.
What fish are in South Holston Lake itself?
Smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye stocked since 1986, black crappie, channel catfish, rock bass and sunfish, plus rainbow, brown and lake trout. Smallmouth and walleye are the most abundant in TVA sampling. Walleye carry an eighteen-inch minimum and smallmouth a fifteen-inch minimum. There is no harvest of white bass, and a precautionary mercury advisory applies to largemouth bass.
Other lakes near South Holston Lake
- Tellico LakeTN
- Pickwick LakeAL/TN/MS
- Tims Ford LakeTN
- Parksville Lake (Ocoee No. 1)TN
- Watauga LakeTN
- Old Hickory LakeTN
See current levels for all 23 Tennessee lakes and reservoirs →
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