Cheatham Lake

With about 320 miles of shoreline, Cheatham is a run-of-river mainstem reservoir held near a full pool of 385 feet above mean sea level. Its wooded banks, creek mouths, backwater sloughs, and lock-and-dam channel create a mix of shallow flats and deeper navigation water. Proximity to Nashville and the Harpeth River confluence give the lake a blend of quiet rural shoreline and easy urban access for day trips.

The lake produces largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, and striped bass, with fisheries managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Corps access areas, public boat ramps, and riverside parks provide launch points along the reservoir, and the lock allows recreational and commercial vessels to move between Cheatham and the pools above and below. Anglers and boaters from the Nashville region use Cheatham heavily on weekends and summer evenings.

Water levels on Cheatham Lake are managed by the Corps of Engineers around a normal full pool of 385 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29). Because the pool sits between Old Hickory Lake upstream and the lower Cumberland toward Barkley, elevations respond to lockages, generation, and basin inflows. Monitoring current lake levels is helpful for boating safety, fishing, and dock or ramp access throughout the year.