Overview
Norris Lake is a 33,840-acre reservoir on the Clinch and Powell rivers in Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, and Union counties in East Tennessee. It was the first dam the Tennessee Valley Authority built, completed in the 1930s and named for Senator George Norris of Nebraska, author of the legislation that created TVA. It is the largest reservoir on a tributary of the Tennessee River.
With about 809 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 54 feet, and a maximum depth of roughly 210 feet, Norris extends 73 miles up the Clinch and 56 miles up the Powell. Clear water, steep forested banks, and countless coves make it one of Tennessee's premier recreation lakes, with a typical seasonal drawdown of about 29 feet for flood storage.
Norris is famous for striped bass, smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, and crappie, with fisheries managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Norris Dam State Park, TVA access areas, marinas, and boat ramps provide extensive public access.
Water levels on Norris Lake are managed by TVA around a summer full pool of 1,020 feet above mean sea level, with a winter pool near 995 feet for flood storage. Releases feed Melton Hill Lake downstream on the Clinch, so elevations change seasonally and with rainfall and generation; monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and dock access.
Current Conditions
Norris Lake is currently 3.07 feet below full pool and has been rising over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.91 ft
- 30-day changeUp 2.69 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Norris Lake is a 33,840-acre reservoir on the Clinch River and Powell River managed by Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).