Lake Chatuge Right Now
Lake Chatuge's water level has been falling over the past week. Watershed conditions are abnormally dry. Today's forecast calls for sunny.
- 7-day level change
- Down 0.58 feet
- Forecast high
- 79°F
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Overview
Lake Chatuge is a 7,050-acre reservoir straddling the Georgia-North Carolina line in Towns County, Georgia, and Clay County, North Carolina. It was formed in 1942 when the Tennessee Valley Authority completed Chatuge Dam on the Hiwassee River, part of a wartime push to expand hydroelectric capacity in the region. The reservoir is operated for flood storage, hydropower, and recreation, and is the highest-elevation major lake in Georgia.
Chatuge is a scenic mountain lake with about 132 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 30 feet, and a maximum depth of roughly 144 feet at the dam. Ringed by the Blue Ridge Mountains and towns such as Hiawassee, Georgia, and Hayesville, North Carolina, it features long fingers, islands, and gentle coves. Water levels vary about 10 feet from winter to summer to provide seasonal flood storage.
The lake supports a diverse fishery of largemouth and spotted bass, walleye, crappie, catfish, and bream, and is a popular destination for boating, paddling, and swimming. Fisheries are managed cooperatively by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. TVA and county recreation areas, marinas, and public boat ramps serve both states.
Water levels on Lake Chatuge are managed by TVA around a summer full pool near 1,927 feet above mean sea level, with a lower winter pool for flood storage. Because the reservoir is operated as part of TVA's Hiwassee River system, elevations change seasonally and with rainfall and generation, so monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and shoreline activities throughout the year.
Lake Chatuge is a 7,050-acre reservoir on the Hiwassee River managed by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).